India, Netherlands launch strategic partnership in water sector; agree to strengthen multifaceted cooperation

New Delhi, April 10: With the aim to strnghtherrn their bilateral ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte launched a strategic partnership in the water sector during the virtual summit. Modi and Rutte also discussed broadening bilateral cooperation in new areas of water including water budgeting, cost-effective decentralise treatment technology, converting wastewater to energy, and river hazard management.

 

 

They also acknowledged that terrorism and violent extremism continue to pose a grave threat to international peace and security as well as for development and called upon all nations to intensify efforts to combat terrorism and prevent violent extremism,

 

Apart from this, both sides have announced the setting up of fast track mechanism to facilitate bilateral trade and to resolve issues of Dutch and Indian companies.

 

 

Both the leader also gets agreed to collaborate on the joint development of coronavirus vaccines besides exploring ways to broaden cooperation in a host of other areas. Both Prime Ministers agreed that the ambitious and innovative flagship programs like Clean India, Digital India, Make in India, Sagarmala, Ayushman Bharat and, Startup India have provided immense opportunities for Indo-Dutch collaboration in multiple sectors.

 

 

They also expressed satisfaction that despite Covid19 related constraints, the investment flows between the two countries continued to rise making the Netherlands the 3rd largest FDI investor in India and India the fourth largest FDI investor in the Netherlands in the year 2019-20. They welcomed the joint announcement on setting up a bilateral Fast Track Mechanism for investment facilitation and issue resolution.

 

 

India welcomed the Netherlands’ guidelines on the Indo-Pacific which recognises the importance of the region for global peace, security, and prosperity and identifies India as a key partner to engage with. Both leaders emphasised the close convergence between each other's vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

 

 

 

Prime Minister Modi thanked the Netherlands for their support to International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

.