Ready to reinforce trust and work for doubling mutual cooperation, India-Netherland vow to push trade and investments higher

NewsBharati    24-May-2018
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New Delhi, May 24: Keen to further cooperate mutually, India Netherland vow to reinforce agriculture, science, health, technology and allied sectors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Mark Rutte took stock of the bilateral ties between both the countries. 

Addressing the diplomatic ceremony, PM Modi said that “there is a lot of potential for growth of ties between India and Netherlands.”

India and the Netherlands are keen to further cooperate in the field of agriculture and allied sectors, an official statement said today. During the Joint Press Meet, PM Modi highlighted the growing trade and investment relations between India and Netherlands. He also congratulated the Netherlands for joining the International Solar Alliance. The Netherlands inked International solar alliance agreement.

Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Farm Minister Carola Schouten today called on India's Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field.

In the meeting, the two ministers discussed the work accomplished so far under the Indo-Dutch collaboration and expressed their desire to strengthen it further, it said. Further, Singh said India is keen to have further cooperation in crop residue management, bovine breeding, dairy development, animal health and porcine development, among others.

He also emphasized on the need for infusing modern technology in India's agriculture as the Netherlands is a global leader in the cultivation of flowers, plants and vegetables, and well known for the diversification of agriculture sector.

He informed that a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for vegetables has been commissioned at Baramati in Maharashtra. The second CoE for flowers at Talegaon in the same state will be ready soon and the progress of remaining CoEs is also being followed closely.

Others are in various stages of completion and the focus is on making technology affordable to the small and marginal Indian farmers, he added.

Before signing agreements, PM Modi and Mark Rutte participated at the India-Netherlands CEOs Round Table, explored strengthening cooperation in sectors like agriculture & food processing, horticulture, water management, logistics, life sciences & health, among other areas.

PM Rutte will meet a Business Delegation at Hotel Taj Diplomatic and then participate in the Clean Ganga Event at Hotel ITC Maurya.
Apart from the official program in Delhi, the visiting dignitary will go to Bengaluru to visit the ISRO campus among other activities. Netherlands Prime Minister's visit comes within a year of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands last June.
India and the Netherlands have a bilateral trade of 5.39 billion dollars. The Netherlands is the 5th largest investor in India. It is also home to a 2 lakh 35 thousand strong Indian diaspora, the largest in mainland Europe.