The visit is taking place in the context of strongly growing relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands in diverse areas, especially investment, trade, sustainable agriculture, and climate change response. The two countries established a strategic partnership on climate change adaptation and water management in 2010, a strategic partnership on sustainable agriculture and food security in 2014, and a comprehensive partnership in 2019.
The two sides regularly exchange delegations, especially high-level delegations, with the latest official visit to the Netherlands by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in 2022 and the official visits to Vietnam by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in 2019 and 2014.
The two countries also maintain many bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the intergovernmental committee on climate change response and water management, the ministerial conference to evaluate the implementation of the strategic partnership agreement on sustainable agriculture and food security, and political consultation at the deputy foreign ministerial level.
In addition, Vietnam and the Netherlands have close coordination at international forums and organisations.
Political trust has been an important foundation in helping the two countries come closer together and reap many proud achievements on the journey of cooperation over the past half a century. The Netherlands is Vietnam’s second largest trading partner in Europe.
Bilateral trade exchange reached 11.09 billion USD in 2022, an increase of 32% compared to 2021. The Netherlands is also the largest investor of the European Union (EU) in Vietnam with about 400 investment projects with a total capital of 13.5 billion USD, including prominent projects of large corporations such as Heineken and Philips.
Agricultural cooperation and climate change response are outstanding highlights of Vietnam-Netherlands relations.
Within the framework of the strategic partnership on sustainable agriculture and food security, the two sides have actively implemented cooperation in the fields of cultivation and animal husbandry as well as smart agricultural models with adaption to climate change. The Netherlands is currently a major investor in Vietnam’s agricultural industry and is helping Vietnam build sustainable agricultural production and increase the value of export goods in the fields of vegetables, fruits, horticulture, livestock, and aquaculture.
Within the framework of the strategic partnership on climate change response and water management, the two sides established an intergovernmental committee to coordinate activities. As a result, many cooperation projects have been conducted effectively, bringing practical benefits to the people.
In recent years, relations between localities of the two countries have been strongly and comprehensively fostered. Cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Rotterdam City mainly focuses on adaptation and mitigation of the harmful effects of climate change. Meanwhile, Hanoi and Amsterdam are working together to deploy green urban solutions and provide clean water, drainage, wastewater treatment, solid waste treatment, and flood management solutions. It also is worth mentioning the cooperation between Binh Duong and the cities of Eindhoven and Emmen, An Giang and Oss City, Dong Thap and Emmen City, Vinh Long and Gelderland Province, and Binh Phuoc and Hoogeveen City.
The strong bonds between the localities of the two countries have contributed to helping Vietnam and the Netherlands overcome their geographical distance to grow ever closer.
In addition, Vietnam-Netherlands relations have achieved many positive strides in the fields of security-defence, transportation, education-training, customs, and maritime and circular economics. Many Dutch and Vietnamese training institutions have established higher education cooperation. Every year, the Dutch Government supports Vietnam with a number of in-depth training programmes on international law, international relations, maritime law, and others. The Vietnamese community in the Netherlands with about 20,000 people also contributes to strengthening mutual understanding and tightening the bond between the two peoples.
This is the third time Prime Minister Mark Rutte has visited Vietnam. The visit shows the Netherlands’ appreciation of the relationship with Vietnam — a dynamic and effective relationship for the practical benefits and sustainable development of both countries.
