Mumbai: India and Belgium will sign a social security agreement during the state visit of Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt to India next week. This is the first official visit of the Belgian prime minister to this country.

The agreement will ensure attractive social security benefits and smooth visa procedures to Indians migrating to that country. Belgium expects the social security agreement to bolster Indian investment in Belgium.

The Belgian premier has a power-packed agenda during his five-day visit to India, commencing November 2.

Verhofstadt will sign a memorandum of understanding in the field of science and technology as well as an agreement with the Indian Institute of Science

Belgium with its formidable diamond trade has a large presence of Indian business community. Indians operate 60 per cent of the diamond trade in the Belgian port city of Antwerp. This is the first social security agreement that India is signing with another country. This will eventually serve as a model for similar agreements with other countries.