Since the establishment of diplomatic ties (April 9, 1973), Vietnam and the Netherlands have developed and cooperated together in peace and prosperity on the basis of common interests and mutual respect. In its policy towards Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Netherlands always considers Vietnam one of the prioritized partners, she said. 

With the support of the Vietnamese State, Government, localities and businesses with a policy of expanding cooperation with the Netherlands in the fields of their strengths and demand, cooperation agreements reached during the Netherlands visits by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in July 2017 and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan in March 2018 have laid an important foundation for bilateral cooperation in the future. 

As Vietnam and the Netherlands lie at strategic locations with vast plains and are hard hit by climate change and rising sea level, the two countries lifted their ties to the level of strategic partnership on climate change and water management in 2010 and strategic partnership on sustainable agriculture and food security in 2014. 

Over the past years, the Netherlands has assisted Vietnam in completing the Mekong Delta Plan with a long-term vision, Ho Chi Minh City’s moving towards the sea programme, water resources management and climate change adaptation. 

The European country has launched many projects on water supply and management in Vietnamese localities such as Ben Tre, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Ninh Thuan and Binh Duong provinces. With a wealth of experience and advanced technologies, the Netherlands has gradually helped Vietnam’s agricultural sector meet international standards and ensure food safety. 

Two-way trade increases year-on-year by over 20 percent, hitting US$7.7 billion in 2017. In the first four months of this year, the figure rose by nearly 13 percent to US$2.3 billion. The Netherlands has become the largest EU importer and investor of Vietnam, ranking 11th among 116 countries and territories investing in the country with 304 projects worth US$8.17 billion. 

Bilateral ties have also been expanded into the fields of national defence, culture, and education-training.

The ambassador also highlighted the indispensable role of the Vietnamese community with over 20,000 people living in the European country, which, she said, have contributed to cultural exchanges and raising mutual understanding between the two countries’ people. 

She expressed her belief that relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands will develop stronger in the coming time, thus bringing benefits to both sides.

Source: vov.vn