India and the Netherlands are on the same page on several global issues, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Tuesday as Dutch Premier Mark Rutte hailed India's emergence both from the political and economic point of view as a welcome development.
"Today the world is interdependent, inter-connected. It is natural that we will be discussing not only bilateral issues but also a slew of global issues," Modi said while jointly addressing the media here with Rutte ahead of a tete-a-tete between the two.
Noting that the year 2017 marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Modi stressed on strengthening the people-to-people contact through the Indian diaspora in the Netherlands.
He said the Indian diaspora are the links and bridge between the people of two countries.
"In the last three years, the Netherlands has emerged as our third largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI). It is a natural partner in our needs and priorities for economic development," Modi said.
He hoped that the CEOs of Dutch companies would continue to have a positive outlook about India.
He also thanked Rutte for the Netherlands' support to India's membership in the Missile Technology Control Regime last year.
On his part, Rutte said that the Netherlands and India are together in many years, including in areas of trade, water management, agriculture, logistics, innovation and science.
"India's emergence is a welcome development from both the political and economic point of view," he said.
"Political, because of the values we share with respect to rule of law, peace, security as well as other issues like climate change. I reiterate our commitment to renewable energy and the Paris Climate Agreement."
Citing Modi's sustainability initiatives like Clean India and Make in India, Rutte said that the Netherlands is a key partner in how India can achieve its goals.
"When it comes to the economy, India's own development is opening new doors to trade and investments in both our countries," he stated.
"India is now a global economic power. It is the world's 12th biggest economy and has a population of more than 1.2 billion."
Stating that Indian market has all the potential for Dutch businesses, he said the Netherlands too has a lot to offer to India.
"EU is India's biggest trading partner. Twenty per cent of India's exports to Europe enter through the Netherlands," the Dutch Prime Minister said, adding that the Netherlands' image as India's gateway is only expected to grow in the coming years.
Modi, who arrived here earlier on the day on the third and final leg of his three-nation tour that also took him to Portugal and the US, is scheduled to have an interaction with CEOs of Dutch companies.
Modi will also have an audience with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Maxima and later interact with the Indian community who form the second largest India diaspora in Europe.
--IANS
ab-mak/vt
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