Message from the Ambassador
On the occasion of Kings Day, I have the pleasure and honour to congratulate to all Dutch citizens residing in Bangladesh and to convey my best wishes to the wonderful Bangladeshi people. First and foremost I would like to congratulate King Willem-Alexander on his 49th birthday and on the completion of the third year of his reign.
We consider Bangladesh an important partner and are deeply committed to supporting the people of Bangladesh. The visit of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to the Netherlands in November last year added a new dimension to our existing bilateral relations. During the visit, four documents were signed aimed at strengthening our strategic partnership in diplomacy and education.
The Memorandum of Understanding on Foreign Office Consultations between the two foreign ministries provides a useful framework for high-level exchanges and regular dialogue between Netherlands and Bangladesh on political, economic and social issues.
Since the collapse of the Rana Plaza, our Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen, has been personally engaged in improving working conditions in Bangladesh. She visited the country thrice in the last three years, with a fourth visit expected in September 2016. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit appraised the Netherlands effort and measures to transform the readymade garments (RMG) sector into a model of sustainable industrialization. The Netherlands will continue its support to the RMG sector of Bangladesh.
The Netherlands and Bangladesh share many features. Our countries are relatively small in geographic terms, have a high population density and are situated in low-lying deltas. These conditions make us natural partners in many areas. We work, for example, closely on the implementation of the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, with the aim to make the delta safe and productive for the people who live there while at the same time boosting bilateral trade and investment. Beside water management, our friendship over the last 44 years is also reflected in our programs on Food Security.
As Bangladesh is on its way to become a middle-income country, our focus shifts from development cooperation to responsible trade and investment.
The vibrant growth of the Bangladeshi economy has stimulated cooperation between Dutch and Bangladeshi companies, making the Netherlands a leading export destination for Bangladeshi goods and one of the top FDI sources for Bangladesh.
The Netherlands is a candidate for the United Nations Security Council for the 2017-18 period. We believe the world needs a stronger UN that can overcome the many challenges to peace, justice and development. In this respect, we recognize the important role of Bangladesh as a top contributor of peacekeeping troops to the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. We appreciate our cooperation at various international fora and aim to forge even closer cooperation in the United Nations.
On this gracious occasion, I wish to thank all for their commitment in promoting the cooperation between the Netherlands and Bangladesh. I conclude by expressing my strong confidence that the Dutch Bangla relations will continue to flourish and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond. And on this note I would like to wish peace and prosperity to the people of Bangladesh.
