At a Holland Trade reception on February 6th, Minister Kaag and Vietnamese Vice Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son launched the celebrations of the 45 years diplomatic relations, and unveiled the logo for this occasion. Vietnam and the Netherlands established diplomatic relations on April 9th, 1973, followed by four decades of tireless efforts to strengthen the relationship as development partners.
The Dutch Government supported Vietnam in the fields of water management, women economic empowerment, sanitation, health care, labor conditions in the garment sector, and nature preservation. When Vietnam reached its middle-income country status in 2010, the bilateral relations entered a new phase of deeper equal economic cooperation.
The visiting Minister travelled on the Saigon river
She had talks with Vietnamese Ministry of Transport
B2B meeting between the two sides
She met with Vietnamese Ministry of Construction
Launching ceremony of the 45 years diplomatic relations, and unveiled the logo for this occasion.
Press conference in Ho Chi Minh city (Photos: Hoai Linh)
With the two Strategic Partnership Agreements on agriculture and on water and climate change, the two sides continue to work alongside towards sustainability. The Netherlands is now not only the second biggest EU trading partner, but also the number one EU investor in Vietnam with more than USD8 billion of registered investment.
The Minister was accompanied by 45 companies of different sectors who are most interested in cooperation opportunities in water management, agriculture, maritime, aviation, logistics, smart cities, and energy. Various meetings took place within just two days, both at governmental level and working level.
Especially the match-making sessions brought both new contacts, and new contracts. The visiting Minister was also able to see the challenges of Vietnam on water management first-hand during a boat trip on the Saigon river - and could immediately link Dutch companies and knowledge institutions with relevant innovative solutions to the Vietnamese counterparts.
Sharing her thoughts on the events, Minister Sigrid Kaag stated: “As we expand our trading and investment ties with Vietnam in various sectors, the Government of the Netherlands gives priority to promoting sustainability and inclusiveness. I’m pleased to note the strong contribution that Dutch companies can make in this area”.
Numerous deals and agreement were made, thus enhancing economic ties between the two countries. Having shared the vision of a sustainable future where both the economy and the environment can thrive, the two nations will continue working closely to deepen their relations and look forward to many other milestones in their partnership./.