00:00I had actually planned to present to Prime Minister Modi a fitting gift, a sculpture
00:06of India Gate entirely made out of the best Belgian chocolate. But unlike the real India
00:13Gate, which has stood almost for a century, the chocolate version didn't even survive
00:18the journey to India. Chocolate is excellent for diplomacy, but not excellent for diplomatic
00:25travel, we noticed. But no worries, we have a backup in Belgium, and one way or another
00:31I will get it to Prime Minister Modi in one piece. That's an ambition I leave India with
00:37today. But of course, we chose India Gate deliberately as a symbol whose meaning speaks directly to
00:44our shared history and future partnership, because India Gate carries a deep message.
00:50On the sculpture, the chocolate version, we enlarge the part of the inscription that
00:54commemorates Indian soldiers who fought and fell in Flanders fields during the First
00:59World War. More than a century ago, Indian soldiers traveled thousands of miles to fight
01:05on Belgian soil. And we have not forgotten this. And we have not forgotten their courage
01:10and their sacrifice. It is a part of our history and of our shared history. And it reminds us
01:15that peace can never be taken for granted. Unfortunately, it is a lesson that has become
01:20relevant again in the world of today. And if we want to preserve peace and security, we must be
01:25willing to defend it. And when I speak about security, I mean security in the broadest sense,
01:30the security of our citizens, the security of our economies, of our supply chains, energy security,
01:36cyber security, maritime security, and of course, the ability to defend ourselves. We can be partners
01:42in all those aspects. That broader understanding of security was also a big part of my conversation
01:49with Prime Minister Modi today. It is also why I am pleased that our Minister of Defence and Foreign
01:54Trade, Theo Franken, is traveling with me in the delegation, because we want to strengthen
01:58the links between our armed forces, but also between our defence industries.
Comments