Trade, terrorism on PM Modi’s 3-nation tour agenda

NEW DELHI/BRUSSELS: Trade and terrorism will be high on the agenda when PM Narendra Modi begins a three-nation tour on Wednesday, starting from Belgium’s capital that was hit by one of the deadliest terror attacks in recent times.

“My meeting with the (Belgian) prime minister aims to expand trade, investment and high technology partnership with this important EU member,” Modi said in his departure statement on Tuesday but not before saluting the “resilience” of Belgium’s people.

At least 35 people, including an Indian, were killed and more than 300 people injured in the twin terror attacks at the Brussels airport and a metro train in the capital.

Modi’s packed schedule in Brussels includes two summits — a bilateral meet with his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel and an India-European Union (EU) summit — besides meetings with business leaders, diamond traders and a group of Indologists.

Belgium is India’s second-largest trading partner in the EU after Germany. India is also Belgium’s second largest export destination after the US outside the EU.

The two prime ministers will also take part in the technical activation ceremony of the largest optical telescope at Devasthal near Nainital, a joint project between India and a Belgian company. The EU said it expected the summit to give a “political impetus” to the trade talks to re-launch relations with India that hit a roadblock over the 2012 Italian marines case.

Medicins Sans Frontieres cautioned Modi not to give in to pressure during the talks on Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) that has proved challenging on several fronts in recent years.

“As a medical treatment provider to people in over 60 countries, MSF is incredibly reliant on generic medicines from India …The reality is we wouldn’t be able to treat as many people if it weren’t for affordable generic medicines from India,” said Joanne Liu, MSF’s international president.

From Brussels, Modi will leave for Washington to attend the Nuclear Security Summit on March 31 and April 1. “Leaders would discuss ways and measure through which to strengthen the global nuclear security architecture, especially to ensure that non-state actors do not get access to nuclear material,” Modi said.

On the visit to Saudi Arabia on April 2 and 3, Modi said India’s relations with the Gulf nation were special.