Belgium set for India's nuclear quest

The Belgian envoy said the focus of the Belgian envoy's visit will be to invite more Indian companies to invest in his country.

Belgium, a member of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), on Monday indicated it was ready to take a "constructive" approach to India's quest for global civil nuclear cooperation.

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"India has not made any official request to us for our support (on the India-US civil nuclear deal) in the NSG," Patrick De Beyter, the Belgian ambassador to India, told reporters here ahead of Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt's six-day visit beginning Thursday.

"But if the request is made, we are ready to consider it constructively," he stressed. He, however, clarified Belgium doesn't have any official position on the issue.

"But if the issue comes up for discussions between our prime minister and the Indian prime minister, we are ready to consider India's request," the Belgian envoy said.

The focus of the visit, however, will be economic. Verhofstadt will project Belgium as the gateway to Europe and invite more Indian companies to invest in his country.