On the evening of November 1st, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and a high-level delegation arrived in Hanoi , beginning their official visit to Vietnam from November 1st to 2nd at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

This is Prime Minister Mark Rutte's third visit to Vietnam; he previously visited Vietnam in 2014 and 2019. The visit takes place as the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Welcoming the Dutch Prime Minister and his delegation at the airport were: Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc; Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands Ngo Huong Nam; and several leaders of departments and divisions of the Government Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc welcome the Dutch Prime Minister at the airport. Photo: VNA.

Accompanying the Dutch Prime Minister were the Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Kees van Baar; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Michiel Sweers; Foreign Policy Advisor (Prime Minister's Office) Cecile Klever; Director of the Asia and Pacific Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Annemarie van der Heijden; Dutch Consul General in Vietnam Daniel Stork; Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands to Vietnam Christoph Prommersberger; Spokesperson (Prime Minister's Office) Aafke Plug; Director of the Protocol Department (Ministry of Home Affairs) Heika Brons...

The official welcoming ceremony for the Dutch Prime Minister will take place tomorrow morning (November 2nd) at the Presidential Palace, presided over by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The two Prime Ministers will then hold talks at the Government headquarters.

The two Prime Ministers are expected to co-chair the High-Tech Business Forum and the Green Economy Forum.

Vietnam and the Netherlands established diplomatic relations on April 9, 1973. The two countries have established a Strategic Partnership on Climate Change Response and Water Management (2010), a Strategic Partnership on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (2014), and a Comprehensive Partnership (2019).

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Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his high-level delegation have arrived in Hanoi. Photo: VNA.

Vietnam-Netherlands relations have developed positively in many areas, notably in investment, trade, agriculture, and climate change response. Both sides maintain regular exchanges of delegations at all levels, have numerous bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and coordinate closely and support each other in international forums and organizations.

The Netherlands is Vietnam's second-largest trading partner in Europe and the largest EU investor in Vietnam. Bilateral trade in 2022 reached US$11.09 billion, a 32% increase compared to 2021.

In terms of investment, the Netherlands has approximately 400 projects with a total capital of $13.5 billion. The two countries also cooperate in climate change adaptation and water management, sustainable agriculture, and food security. Cooperation in this area includes contracts for the construction of military ships with the Damen Group and peacekeeping training courses in the Netherlands.

The two sides will cooperate in the fields of climate change, maritime and inland waterway transport, aviation, and sharing experiences and enhancing capacity in the transport sector.

In terms of education and training, many Dutch universities and Vietnamese training institutions have established cooperative relationships at the higher education level.

Reflecting on the close and friendly relationship between the two countries, the Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam, Kees van Baar, stated that the Netherlands and Vietnam naturally became partners based on priority areas including climate change adaptation and water management, agriculture, oil and gas, maritime economy, and logistics services.

Ambassador Kees van Baar stated that Vietnam and the Netherlands share many similarities. Both countries have economies based on international trade and investment, possess vast delta plains, face serious challenges related to water resources and climate change, and their agricultural sectors are export-oriented.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands Ngo Huong Nam affirmed that Vietnam and the Netherlands have become important and priority partners in the region. The Ambassador expressed hope that during the visit, high-tech businesses would invest in the Vietnamese market and contribute to strengthening relations between the two countries.

Vietnamnet.vn