Cultural Agreements
India-Belgium Agreement
A Cultural Agreement between the Kingdom of Belgium and the Republic of India was signed on September 21, 1973 at Brussels. This Agreement, inter alia, provided for:
- cooperation between universities and other institutions of higher education
- exchange of publications, grant of scholarships, reciprocal visits of academicians and writers, media exchanges, assistance for the organization of cultural events and performances and scientific and technical exhibitions creation of cultural institutes for educational and cultural purposes
- constitution of permanent Indo-Belgian Commission for periodical review of the working of the Agreement.
India-Flemish Community Agreement
The last Cultural Work Programme between India and the Flemish Community, which was signed in New Delhi in March 1996, expired on December 31, 1998. Since then, no Cultural Work Programme has been signed with the Flemish, French or German Community. Cooperation continues on an ad-hoc basis. The Government of Flemish Community has continued to offer three scholarships each year to students from India for higher education, the gesture reciprocated by the ICCR. The Ghent University has a Hindi Chair. The Catholic University of Leuven also commenced an Optional Course on Modern Indian Studies in February 2003, towards which the ICCR has undertaken to provide funding on an annual basis. An Indian Study Centre was established in 1995 by the University of Antwerp in collaboration with the Antwerp Indian Association. The aim of the Centre is to promote the study of Indian culture at the academic level.
India-EU Culture Agreement
At the 5th India-EU Summit held in The Hague on November 8, 2004, the first ever Joint Declaration on Cultural Cooperation between India and the EU as an entity was issued. The document recognizes culture as being instrumental in fostering mutual understanding and close cooperation at both, the State and the people-to-people levels, and commits the two sides to enhance cooperation in areas ranging from education and tourism to media and restoration of works of art and monuments. EU website may be seen for further information.