The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, received His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Kingdom of Netherlands at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (October 14, 2019). He also hosted a banquet in their honour.Welcoming them to India, the President said that bilateral ties between India and Netherlands are strong and growing. We have exchanged three visits at the level of Prime Minister in the last four years. These have provided significant momentum to our bilateral cooperation. He expressed confidence that this State Visit will impart further boost to our engagement and deepen our relations.The President said that economic partnership is a key pillar of India-Netherlands bilateral ties. The Netherlands is India’s 4th largest trading partner in the European Union. Netherlands is also among the leading investors in India. Indian companies have made significant investment in Netherlands as well. He said that Dutch companies have a global name in the fields of agriculture, water management, port development, waste management and urban planning.
He invited them to partner India in its growth story.The President appreciated Netherlands’ support for India`s membership to the different Export Control Regimes and for its claim to a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.The President said that India and the Netherlands share common concerns with regard to contemporary challenges, particularly climate action, cyber security and terrorism. He said that terrorism is among the gravest threats affecting the world today and we must come together to develop a strong global response to defeat and destroy this evil. Subsequently, in his banquet speech, President Kovind said that on the strong foundation of our historic ties, we have created a partnership driven by innovation, investment and technology. Smart Solutions, Smart Cities, green energy, start-ups and new-age products are bringing us together. India is excited to share and learn from Netherlands on river rejuvenation.The President said that our economic partnership has created new opportunities for our peoples, from jobs, lifestyle choices to food. The Netherlands today is home to the largest Indian community on mainland Europe. The growing Indian student and professional community in Netherlands is making our cultural knot stronger and our technology partnership deepr.