India, Netherlands Hold Foreign Office Consultations, Agree To Further Strengthen Bilateral Ties

India, Netherlands Hold Foreign Office Consultations, Agree To Further Strengthen Bilateral Ties

India and the Netherlands held the 12th round of foreign office consultations (FOC) in The Hague on Thursday, agreeing to further strengthen bilateral ties by focusing on new and emerging technologies like semiconductors and green hydrogen. The Indian delegation was led by Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Dutch side was headed by Paul Huijts, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The FOC provided an opportunity to review progress in bilateral relations and discuss the 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,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press release.

“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, officials from both sides appreciated the robust and fast-growing economic ties, noting the importance of holding the inaugural meeting of the Fast Track Mechanism for Indian companies in the Netherlands as a step towards enhancing business-to-business relations.

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.

Regional and global issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the consultations, with the last such meeting held in New Delhi in December 2022.

During his visit, Kapoor interacted with faculty, researchers, and students from India at the Technical University of Delft, highlighting significant India-Netherlands collaboration in innovation and technology partnerships to address societal challenges.

He also visited the Peace Palace and met with the Registrar of the International Court of Justice, Philippe Gautier, and Judge Dalveer Bhandari.

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.”

India and the Netherlands share strong bilateral ties based on shared democratic values and multifaceted cooperation in various sectors, including water, health, education, and shipping. 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.