NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Friday said Europe had been slow to recognise the risks of becoming too dependent on other economies, admitting that Indian PM Narendra Modi had warned it about the problem much earlier but was not heard.De Wever, who was on a two-day visit to India to strengthen ties in trade, investment, technology and strategic cooperation, said India and Europe were now facing similar challenges as economic dependencies were increasingly being used as leverage. “We do not like dependencies becoming weaponised against us. You have lived this history. Your Prime Minister warned Europe about this long time ago already. But he was ignored. He wasn’t listened to. We are listening now,” De Wever said at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event.Calling Europe’s awakening “a bit late”, De Wever said the region was now having the “right debates” about who it could work with in a world where major economic powers were moving in different directions.
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He said India was the most important partner for Europe among countries that believed in multilateralism and cooperation based on “respect and not force”. “If India is not on the list, then you have missed something fundamental. India is on that list. It’s number one,” De Wever said.In an apparent reference to China, De Wever said Europe was seeking to reduce its dependence on “big economical powerhouses” that were moving away from rules-based cooperation. “I will not name them China,” he said, adding that such a direction was not what Europe wanted.Speaking on the occasion, Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal said the India-EU FTA was a win-win for everyone. “It will open opportunities for farmers, start ups, women entrepreneurs, it has something for everyone. It’s been deftly negotiated protecting sensitive sectors on both sides. It offers huge potential for both sides,” he said.