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Belgium holds fighter-engine exports to India

Belgium has denied an aerospace company an export licence for fighter-engine parts to India, citing tension in Kashmir, the office of Foreign Minister Louis Michel said on Thursday.

The licence was sought by Techspace Aero, based in Herstal, a small town near Liege in eastern Belgium, to ship the parts worth 2.4 million Euros, said Michel's spokesman, Olivier Alsteens.

"It is not possible to ship such material given the conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir," said Alsteens, noting that Britain and the United States have also given "a negative opinion" on similar sales to India.

Techspace Aero, which employs 1,300 workers, is a unit of French aircraft engine group Snecma.

In September, Belgium approved the shipment of material for Pakistan's Kanupp nuclear power station, on condition that Islamabad accept international inspection of the facility -- which it refused to do.

"Having denied the supply of insignificant materials for the Kanupp power plant, we could not authorise an export license" for engine parts for India's jet fighters, Alsteens said.

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