Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his entourage, including Dutch diplomatic officials and representatives of 23 hi-tech enterprises, arrived in Hanoi on Wednesday evening for a two-day visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Many Vietnamese officials and diplomats, including Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands Ngo Huong Nam, and other officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Kees van Baar and the staff of the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam gathered at Noi Bai International Airport to welcome the Dutch premier and his entourage.

The visit is expected to tighten the two countries’ relations while they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties this year.

The visit follows Vietnamese PM Chinh’s trip to the European country in December last year.

Dutch PM Rutte has visited Vietnam twice, in June 2014 and April 2019, and has repeatedly welcomed high-ranking Vietnamese officials.

“This is my third visit to Vietnam. My previous trips were all memorable as I was always impressed by Vietnam’s economic growth, which brings me back," the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam cited the Dutch prime minister as saying.

“I believe that we can expand cooperation in digital technology and hi-tech. They are sectors of global interest and will likely open up more cooperation opportunities between the Netherlands and Vietnam."

He added that both countries were committed to achieving net-zero emissions and the implementation of the commitment would create plenty of new cooperation opportunities.

Dutch PM Rutte will wrap up his visit on Thursday but the delegation of Dutch enterprises will continue taking part in activities in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday, according to the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam.

They will visit and work with companies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to better their understanding of the Vietnamese market and business environment.

Vietnam and the Netherlands established their diplomatic relations on April 9, 1973. They formed a strategic partnership in climate change and water management in 2010 and another in sustainable agriculture and food security in 2014.

The two countries upgraded their relations to a comprehensive partnership in 2019.

Their ties have developed positively in various fields, especially investment, trade, agriculture, and climate change response.

The Netherlands is currently Vietnam’s second-largest trade partner in Europe and the biggest investor from the European Union.

The Netherlands-Vietnam trade reached US$11.09 billion last year, surging 32 percent over 2021.

The European country has invested $13.5 billion in some 400 projects in Vietnam, mainly in Ho Chi Minh City as well as Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai, and Binh Duong Provinces.

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