Dutch Foreign Minister Visits India to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation

New Delhi: The Netherlands’ Foreign Minister, David van Weel, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday on an official visit aimed at further strengthening and expanding India–Netherlands bilateral relations.

Welcoming the visiting dignitary, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a post on X that his engagements in Delhi and Mumbai will focus on “further deepening and diversifying India–Netherlands bilateral ties.”

During his visit, Van Weel is scheduled to hold meetings with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, according to a media advisory issued by the MEA.

Earlier this month, India and the Netherlands conducted the 13th round of Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi. The discussions covered strengthening cooperation in key areas such as critical technologies and innovation, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence, science and technology, green hydrogen and shipping, defence and security, as well as priority sectors under the Water, Agriculture and Health (WAH) agenda.

Both sides reiterated their intention to impart a stronger strategic dimension to bilateral ties across multiple sectors. The MEA noted that frequent high-level political engagements have provided sustained guidance and momentum to the growing partnership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Dutch counterpart, Dick Schoof, met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg on November 23. During the interaction, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the rapid growth of bilateral cooperation in areas such as energy, technology, innovation and water resources.

In a post on X, PM Modi said the two countries would continue efforts to deepen trade and investment linkages in the coming years.

The two leaders also discussed avenues for expanding mutual investments under the Strategic Partnership framework.

Prime Minister Schoof, in his own post on X, noted that the Netherlands and India maintain close cooperation in trade, security and innovation, adding that the Netherlands is the fourth-largest investor in India globally. He said the discussions also covered future engagement, including his participation in the India-AI Impact Summit in New Delhi next year, and reaffirmed the long-term commitment of both countries to work closely together.

— With inputs from IANS