Pictured Ambassador Ngo Thi Hoa on the day she presented the Letter of
Credence to the King of the Netherlands.
By H.E. Ngo Thi Hoa, Ambassador of Viet Nam to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Viet Nam and the Netherlands established diplomatic relations in 1973. After 1975, the Netherlands opened their embassy in 1976. Viet Nam opened its Embassy in the Netherlands in 1998. The cooperation between the two sides therefore gained momentum.
Over the past 44 years, Viet Nam – the Netherlands relationship has recorded remarkable achievements. In terms of political relations, the two sides have regularly exchanged delegations at all levels, especially at the highest level. Prime Minister Wim Kok visited Viet Nam in 1995 and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai visited the Netherlands in 2001.
From Viet Nam to the Netherlands, there were the visits by:
- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung in 9-10/2011
- Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai in 11/2012
- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung to attend the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague in 3/2014
- Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Uong Chu Luu 6/2014
- Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai 9/2014
There were similar visits to Viet Nam paid by:
- Crown Prince Willem Alexander in 10/2005
- Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Máxima in 3/2011
- Prime Minister Mark Rutte in 6/2014
The close political relations have laid a firm foundation for cooperation in all other fields, with the conclusion of numerous significant bilateral agreements, namely, the Agreement on Investment Promotion and Protection (1994), the Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation (1995), the Framework Agreement on Development Cooperation (2000), the MOU for defense cooperation (2011). In recent years, the Strategic Partnership for Climate Change and Water Management (2010) and the Strategic Partnership for Development on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (2014) were signed, ushering the relations into a new era of strategic and sectoral cooperation.
These agreements serve as an impetus for bilateral cooperation development in all fields.
About trade, in 2016, the Netherlands is Viet Nam’s largest trading partner in the EU. Vietnamese goods such as textiles, footwear, seafood, agro-products, etc. are imported to the Netherlands. The main imports from the Netherlands are milk and dairy products, pharmaceuticals, raw materials, iron and steel, plastic materials, animal feed…
Trade turnover between Viet Nam and the Netherlands 2009-2016. Unit: billions of dollars.
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
| 1.75 | 1.96 | 2.81 | 3.182 | 3.615 | 4.32 | 5.453 | 6.68 |
In terms of investment, the Netherlands ranked 14/88 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam (2015). In 2016, Dutch investment in Viet Nam reached $ 7.61 billion and the Netherlands was the top European investor in Viet Nam. Trademarks and brands of the Dutch famous corporations have already been popular in Viet Nam, such as Philips, Heineken, Unilever and Shell …
In term of development cooperation after the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973, the Netherlands began providing non-refundable ODA to Viet Nam, mainly in humanitarian, education-training and health areas. At present, Viet Nam is classified as a middle-income country and no longer among the 30 priority countries for Dutch aid. However, the Netherlands continues to provide ODA to Viet Nam as an equal partner for mutual development.
About climate change adaption and water management, implementing the Strategic Partnerships in Climate Change Adaptation and Management, the two sides held 05 intergovernmental committee meetings (IC) to discuss cooperation on climate, resources and environment issues, especially the Mekong Delta project (launched in 2013). The 6th IC will be held this month in the Hague on 20 April 2017 and co-chaired by Viet Nam Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dzung. Regarding the Strategic Partnership on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, the two sides identify the areas of cooperation including farming, animal husbandry, veterinary, smart agriculture, and science.
In other fields, such as defense cooperation, the two sides have concluded military shipbuilding contracts.
In education and training, the Netherlands and Viet Nam have cooperation in higher education. Many universities and research institutions in Viet Nam have established close collaborative research and training partnerships with Dutch partners. From 2006 to present, there are approximately 1000 Vietnamese students studying in the Netherlands, or an average of 170 students/year in which bachelor degree accounts for 46.3%, master degree 28.5%, and PhD 14%.
Over the years, the Vietnamese community in the Netherlands has been growing with about 19,000 people, serving as a bridge connecting the two countries.
At present, the two countries share many similarities in terms of natural and geographical conditions, having rivers and long coastlines with advantages for agricultural development, marine economic development and international trade. The Netherlands is the world major trading powerhouse, especially in agricultural export, is the giant in water conservation, fishery and modern agriculture. Viet Nam is at the gateway of Southeast Asia, the Netherlands is an entrance to Western European. The people of Viet Nam and the Dutch people are strong, vibrant, innovative and creative. Given current challenges posed by climate change, sea level rise, regional and global security issues, the two countries have new opportunities to work together on regional and international forums.
The Netherlands always considers Viet Nam a priority partner. The policy of promoting cooperation with the Netherlands has always been highly supported by the State, Government and localities and Vietnamese enterprises.
Given these opportunities and the firm foundation of long-lasting cooperation, both Viet Nam and the Netherland are optimistic about the future development of the bilateral relations./.
