India, Netherlands hold Foreign Office Consultations, agree to further strengthen bilateral ties

HAGUE: India and the Netherlands held the 12th Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) on Thursday in Hague and agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties by focusing on new and emerging technologies like semiconductors and green hydrogen.

The two sides welcomed the "excellent progress" in all sectors and discussed the way forward in priority sectors of Water, Agriculture and Health (WAH agenda), Science & Technology, and High-tech and Innovation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press release.

For the meeting, the Indian delegation was led by Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs while the Netherlands delegation was led by Paul Hujits, Netherlands Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a post on X, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Secretary General Paul Huijts was pleased to welcome @AmbKapoor, Secretary West @IndianDiplomacy, to The Hague for bilateral consultations. A valuable exchange on ways to further strengthen our cooperation, bilaterally as well as on global issues of concern to both our countries."

In a press release, MEA stated, "The FOC provided an opportunity to review progress in bilateral relations and discuss future agenda of cooperation. Both sides welcomed the excellent progress in all areas and deliberated on the way forward in priority sectors of Water, Agriculture & Health (WAH agenda), Science & Technology, and High-tech & Innovation."

"They underscored their interest to raise the level of ambition and agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations, by focusing on new emerging technologies like semiconductors and green hydrogen," it added.

During the meeting, the officials of India and Nigeria appreciated the robust and fast-growing economic ties and noted the importance of holding the inaugural meeting of the Fast Track Mechanism for Indian companies in the Netherlands as an important step towards further enhancing B2B relations, according to the press release.

Furthermore, the two sides appreciated the presence of a large Indian community in the Netherlands, which forms an important connection and is contributing positively to the local economy and expanding cultural ties. The officials also held talks on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Notably, the last Foreign Office Consultations between India and Nigeria were held in New Delhi in December 2022.

During his visit to Nigeria, Pavan Kapoor visited the Technical University of Delft, a premier institution in STEM research and education. He interacted with faculty, researchers, and students from India, highlighting the significant collaboration between India and the Netherlands in the area of innovation and technology partnerships to address societal challenges.

He also visited the Peace Palace and held meetings with the Registrar of the International Court of Justice, Phillippe Gautier, and Judge Dalveer Bhandari, according to the press release. The two nations share strong bilateral ties based on shared democratic values and multi-faceted cooperation in various sectors, including water, health, education, and shipping.

In a press release, MEA stated, "India and the Netherlands share a strong bilateral relationship based on shared democratic values and multi-faceted cooperation in diverse areas such as water, agriculture, health, science & technology, education, cyber, shipping and others."

"The two countries have a Strategic Partnership on Water covering extensive cooperation and knowledge sharing in flood management, clean water technologies, etc. There is a regular exchange of bilateral visits at political and official levels. Last year, the Netherlands was invited as a guest country during India's G20 Presidency and Prime Minister Mark Rutte attended the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023," it added.