NEW DELHI: Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever brought a touch of humour to diplomacy during his visit to India after revealing that an elaborate India Gate sculpture made entirely from Belgian chocolate did not make it intact to New Delhi.

De Wever said he had planned to present Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the chocolate sculpture as a fitting Belgian gift, but it failed to withstand the journey.

“Chocolate is excellent for diplomacy, but not excellent for diplomatic travel,” De Wever said, adding that a backup remained in Belgium and that he intended to eventually deliver it to Modi “in one piece”.

The choice of India Gate was also symbolic, De Wever said, reflecting the shared history between India and Belgium.

He said the chocolate sculpture featured an enlarged section of the monument’s inscription commemorating Indian soldiers who fought and died in Flanders Fields during the First World War.

Thousands of Indian troops served on the Western Front during the war, including in battles in Belgium and France.

De Wever said the India Gate tribute was intended to recall that shared history while also representing the future partnership between the two countries.