Belgium's King Philippe and his wife Queen Mathilde. File photoNew Delhi: King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium arrived here on Sunday for a seven-day visit to India with an aim at boosting overall cooperation between the two countries with a focus on further ramping up trade and investment ties.
This is King Philippe's first state visit to India after his ascension to the throne in 2013.
The royal couple was received at the airport by Union Urban Development minister Hardeep Singh Puri, according to an official of the Belgian Embassy.
India is Belgium's second largest export destination and the third largest trading partner outside the European Union.
According to official data, in 2016-17, bilateral trade amounted to $ 13.28 billion of which exports from India to Belgium accounted for $ 5.65 billion while imports from Belgium accounted for $ 6.62 billion.
The royal couple will travel to Agra on Monday to visit the iconic Taj Mahal.
According to the official schedule, the King will meet president Ram Nath Kovind and hold talks with prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he will attend an India-Belgium Business Forum meeting.
The King is accompanied by a business delegation of nearly 90 people comprising CEOs of Belgian companies.
On Thursday, he will leave for Mumbai on a two-day visit.
In Mumbai, he will attend a roundtable of businessmen of the diamond industry and pay a visit to the memorial of the victims of the 2008 terrorist attack. He will also attend a conference which will focus on solutions for smart cities.
The royal couple will leave for Belgium on Saturday.
