Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Nienke Trooster ( Source: Embassy of the Netherlands in Vietnam)Hanoi (VNA) - Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Nienke Trooster has described the relationsbetween the Netherlands and Vietnam over the past four decades as wonderful andexcellent in various fields.
“If we look attrade and investment, we are doing very well,” the diplomat said in aninterview granted to Vietnam News Agency at a recent celebration to mark 45 yearsof diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Netherlandsis the number one EU investor in Vietnam by registering more than 7 billion USDof investment capital. This will increase even further once the EU- VietnamFree Trade Agreement comes into effect.
The Netherlandsis Vietnam’s second European trade partner, exporting over 959 million USD worthof commodities to the Vietnamese market annually. In turn, Vietnamese exportsto the Netherlands amount to nearly 6 billion USD each year.
Vietnam isexperiencing high economic growth and is politically stable. Trade between theNetherlands and Vietnam is rapidly growing. For Vietnam, the Netherlandsfunctions as ‘gateway to Europe’, providing additional trade and investmentopportunities.
“We will work very intensively with businesses, with the government, withnon-governmental organizations, with people in Vietnam,” the diplomat said.
“I would do myutmost to boost the relations of the two countries," she added.
Besides cultural exchange activities to celebrate the 45th anniversaryof diplomatic relations of the two countries in 2018, the Dutch embassy inVietnam will hold several programmes such as the World Press Photo exhibition –the world most famous of its kind which is slated for June in Hanoi, and DutchDays in cities across Vietnam, including Hai Phong, Da Lat, and Da Nang.
The Netherlandswas one of the first western countries which provided development aid forVietnam after the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1973, since thenbilateral relations have been strengthened via high-level exchanges.
Throughexchanges, many bilateral cooperation mechanisms have been approved by the twocountries and have proved their effectiveness.
Vietnam and the Netherlands have signed significant agreements, and cooperationaccords, providing a legal ground in boosting bilateral relations, includingfive prioritized areas: climate change adaption and water management,agriculture, oil and gas, marine economics and logistics.
“We have works in many fields, especially water and agriculture, for instance,which are very important topic for our country and also in Vietnam… We can worktogether and give example to the world,” the Ambassador noted.-VNA
