SYLLABUS

GS-2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Context: The Netherlands' Foreign Minister David van Weel arrived in New Delhi for an official visit aimed at enhancing bilateral ties.

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• FM David van Weel held meetings with Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar as well as National Security Adviser Shri Ajit Doval.
• He also visited the Dutch Semiconductor company NXP in Noida.

Key highlights of the meeting

• Partnership into emerging technologies:
  • Memorandum of Understanding concerning the Partnership on Semiconductors and Related Emerging Technologies.
  • Joint Declaration of Intent on Enhancing Cooperation in the field of Digital and Cyberspace.
• Trade and economic ties:
  • Joint Trade and Investment Committee to deepen cooperation, address trade facilitation issues and promote bilateral investments.
  • Memorandum of Understanding for the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat.
  • strengthening ongoing cooperation in the maritime and shipping sectors, particularly in areas of green shipping, port development and shipbuilding.
  • new agreement on cooperation in the field of Pharmaceuticals and medical device products, to strengthen and enhance outcomes under the WAH (Water, Agriculture and Health) agenda.
• Regional and global issues:
  • discussed key developments in Indo-Pacific, Ukraine, South Asia, West Asia / Middle East, and other regional and global issues of shared interest.
  • condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and emphasized the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner. India reiterated its policy of zero tolerance against terrorism.
• Defence Cooperation: A Letter of Intent on Defence Cooperation was exchanged to provide an institutional framework for advancing defence collaboration.

India-Netherland Relations:

• Economic ties: The Netherlands is India’s 11^thlargest merchandise trading partner in the world and the largest in the European Union. During the F.Y. 2023-2024, the total merchandise trade with the Netherlands stood at USD 27.341 billion (INR 226,425 crores).
• Water Management: Cooperation in the water sector has been given a further boost by the decision to institute a ‘Strategic Partnership on Water’, and upgrade the JWG on Water to Ministerial-level during the virtual summit held in April 2021.
• Healthcare Cooperation: An MoU for Cooperation in the Field of Healthcare and Public Health was signed in January 2014 to promote global research collaboration in emerging health challenges associated with communicable diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
• Indian Community and Students: The Netherlands hosts the second largest Indian Diaspora (after UK) in Europe and the largest on mainland Europe, totalling around 2,60,000 comprising 60,000 Indians and 2,00,000 strong Surinami-Hindustani community of Indian origin.