New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) The Netherlands' Foreign Minister David van Weel arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for an official visit aimed at enhancing bilateral ties.

Welcoming the Dutch Foreign Minister, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a post on X, said: "His visit and engagements in Delhi and Mumbai will focus on further deepening and diversifying India-Netherlands bilateral ties.”

During his visit, Van Weel will hold talks with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, according to a media advisory issued by the MEA.

Earlier this month, India and the Netherlands held 13th Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi, discussing ways to strengthen the partnership in sectors such as critical technologies and innovation, including semiconductors and AI, science and technology, green hydrogen and shipping, defence and security, as well as priority areas of Water, Agriculture and Health (WAH agenda).

The two sides reiterated their intent to provide a strategic dimension to bilateral ties in various sectors. India and the Netherlands welcomed the increasing interactions and exchanges at the highest political levels, which have provided constant guidance and momentum to the bilateral ties, according to the MEA statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Dutch counterpart Dick Schoof met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg on November 23. PM Modi noted that the bilateral partnership between the two nations is growing rapidly in sectors like energy, technology, innovation and water resources.

"Met Mr. Dick Schoof, Prime Minister of the Government of the Netherlands, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. The bilateral partnership between our nations is growing rapidly in areas like water resources, innovation, technology and energy. We will keep working to deepen trade and investment linkages in the times to come," PM Modi posted on X.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the possibilities of expanding mutual investments through the Strategic Partnership.

In a post on X, PM Schoof wrote: "The Netherlands and India work closely together in the areas of trade, security and innovation. We are the fourth largest investor in India worldwide. That is why it was good to meet briefly with Narendra Modi in South Africa during the G20 summit. We discussed the possibilities of expanding mutual investments through the Strategic Partnership and my participation in the India-AI Impact Summit in New Delhi next year. The Netherlands and India will continue to work closely together in the long term. In a rapidly changing world, it is important that we can continue to count on each other."

--IANS

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