External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar will visit the Netherlands from November 9-11, 2019. 

During the visit, Dr. S. Jaishankar will meet Dutch Foreign Minster Stef Blok for comprehensive discussions on bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest. He will also interact with members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament and Dutch dignitaries across the political spectrum.

India and the Netherlands have a long history of friendly bilateral relations going back to more than 400 years, encompassing many areas of shared interest. The Netherlands is one of the first three countries that established diplomatic relations with independent India in 1947. 

The two countries have witnessed a series of high-level exchanges in recent years. Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima concluded a highly successful State Visit to India from October 14-18, 2019. Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands visited India in May 2018 along with a high-level delegation comprising of four Cabinet Ministers and the Mayor of the Hague. He was also accompanied by a trade mission comprising of 130 companies/institutions and nearly 200 trade representatives. Both countries have strong economic interests in each other. Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Mark Rutte also met on December 1, 2018 on the sidelines of the G20 in Buenos Aires and held discussions on boosting economic and cultural ties between India and the Netherlands. The high level visits from the two sides have provided new vigour and momentum to the relationship. The forthcoming visit of the External Affairs Minister will further strengthen the ties.

India and the Netherlands share values of democracy, rule of law and justice. Both sides have been supportive of each other on multilateral fora. Economic and Commercial relations provide a strong underpinning of bilateral cooperation. During the recently concluded State Visit, the largest ever trade delegation comprising of 250 members from 140 companies and organizations accompanied the Dutch Royals to India.
 The Netherlands was the third largest investor in India in FY 2018-2019 with investment worth US$ 3.87 billion. The cumulative investments from the Netherlands to India in the period April 2000 – June 2019 amounts to US$ 28.7 billion. The Netherlands is also a major investment destination for Indian companies with a total investment (ODI Stock) by Indian companies estimated over US$ 12 billion as on March 2018

Photos: Courtesy Embassy of India