PM Modi visits Netherlands, meets King Willem-Alexander & Queen Maxima. Discusses trade, tech, defense & renewable energy cooperation.
The Hague, May 16 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima and discussed issues of mutual interest.
Modi arrived in the Netherlands on Friday – after a brief stopover in the UAE – on the second leg of his five-nation tour to further deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, defence and renewable energy.
Earlier in the day, Modi addressed a gathering of the Indian diaspora in The Hague where he called India a “land of opportunities” undergoing an “unprecedented transformation”.
The PM’s visit to the European nation from May 15 to 17 is his second trip to the country after his 2017 visit and comes at what officials described as an “important juncture” in India-Netherlands ties.
Officials in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the visit carries a “rich and substantive agenda” and is expected to consolidate the strategic dimensions of the partnership that have emerged through sustained engagement between the two countries.
India and the Netherlands have significantly expanded cooperation in recent years beyond traditional sectors such as trade, investment and the priority areas of water, agriculture and health.
The partnership has grown in strategic sectors, including technology, innovation, defence, security, semiconductors, renewable energy, education and the maritime domain, the MEA said.
The Netherlands is one of India’s largest trade destinations in Europe, with bilateral trade valued at USD 27.8 billion in 2024-25. It is also India’s fourth-largest investor, with cumulative foreign direct investment amounting to USD 55.6 billion, officials said.
People-to-people ties remain a key pillar of the bilateral relationship.
Later on Saturday, Modi is scheduled to meet his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten.