The Governments of Vietnam and the Netherlands are working together for the upcoming state visit of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima to Vietnam.

Overview of the phone talk. Photo: Nhat Bac

The view was shared during a phone talk between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte on May 22.

During the talk, the two leaders expressed their pleasure at the third exchange in six months and praised the positive developments in the friendly and cooperative relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands.

They also noted the continued consolidation and strengthening of political trust, the increasingly deep and effective economic connections, and the implementation of cooperation mechanisms with many concrete and substantial results.

Chinh reiterated Vietnam's consistent policy of valuing the Comprehensive Partnership with the Netherlands, which he described as "Vietnam's European friend."

He lauded the significance and outcomes of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's official visit to Vietnam in November 2023, which left a deep impression on the country and its people.

He noted that the visit deepened the Vietnam-Netherlands Comprehensive Partnership, the two strategic partnerships in climate change adaptation, water management, and sustainable agriculture and food security. It also opened up new opportunities for cooperation in potential fields, especially high technology, innovation, and the exploitation of critical minerals.

Chinh appreciated the proactive and effective implementation of commitments and cooperation agreements by both countries' ministries and sectors, resulting in many positive and substantial advances.

For his part, Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed his positive impressions of his November 2023 visit to Vietnam, highlighting the outcomes as "beyond expectations."

He conveyed his warm feelings for the Vietnamese people and thanked the Vietnamese Government and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh for their kind welcome.

He agreed with Chinh's positive assessment of the growing and multifaceted friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands, emphasizing that the two countries can share experiences and learn from each other in many fields.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. Source: RVD

Rutte expected both sides to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels through State, Government, and Parliamentary channels to strengthen friendship and political trust.

He also engaged in close coordination and mutual support in international forums and organizations to contribute to regional and global peace, security, and development. 

Both sides agreed to work closely to facilitate the upcoming state visit of the Dutch King and Queen to Vietnam. They also planned to organize activities to mark the 5th anniversary of the Comprehensive Partnership (2019-2024), the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (2014-2024) in 2024, and the 15th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership on Climate Change Adaptation and Water Management  (2010-2025) in 2025. Both sides underlined the importance of leveraging opportunities offered by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to reach a bilateral trade turnover of $15 billion in the near future.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged the Netherlands to swiftly ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), promote the lifting of the European Commission's "yellow card" on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and support Vietnam's implementation of the Mekong Delta Plan for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050, as well as the development of climate-resilient urban areas in the Central Coast. He also called for deepening defense and security cooperation, particularly in shipbuilding, United Nations peacekeeping training, counter-terrorism, and combating organized crime.

Echoing Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's sentiments, Prime Minister Mark Rutte underlined his long-standing interest in developing the Mekong Delta since his first visit to Vietnam in 2014. He confirmed his encouragement for Dutch enterprises to invest in Vietnam in sectors such as high technology, microchip production, semiconductor equipment, seaports, shipbuilding technology, logistics connectivity, and strategic infrastructure. He also agreed to continue supporting the Vietnamese community in the Netherlands and serve as a bridge of friendship between the two nations.

During their telephone conversation, the two leaders also discussed several international and regional issues of mutual concern. About the East Sea (South China Sea), the two prime ministers underscored the importance of ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation, and the peaceful settlement of disputes based on international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).