New Delhi: The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, received His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Kingdom of Netherlands at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (October 14, 2019). He also hosted a banquet in their honour.
Welcoming them to India, the President said that bilateral ties between India and Netherlands are strong and growing. We have exchanged three visits at the level of Prime Minister in the last four years. These have provided significant momentum to our bilateral cooperation. He expressed confidence that this State Visit will impart further boost to our engagement and deepen our relations.
The President said that economic partnership is a key pillar of India-Netherlands bilateral ties. The Netherlands is India’s 4th largest trading partner in the European Union. Netherlands is also among the leading investors in India. Indian companies have made significant investment in Netherlands as well. He said that Dutch companies have a global name in the fields of agriculture, water management, port development, waste management and urban planning. He invited them to partner India in its growth story.
The President appreciated Netherlands’ support for India`s membership to the different Export Control Regimes and for its claim to a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
The President said that India and the Netherlands share common concerns with regard to contemporary challenges, particularly climate action, cyber security and terrorism. He said that terrorism is among the gravest threats affecting the world today and we must come together to develop a strong global response to defeat and destroy this evil.
Subsequently, in his banquet speech, President Kovind said that on the strong foundation of our historic ties, we have created a partnership driven by innovation, investment and technology. Smart Solutions, Smart Cities, green energy, start-ups and new-age products are bringing us together. India is excited to share and learn from Netherlands on river rejuvenation.
The President said that our economic partnership has created new opportunities for our peoples, from jobs, lifestyle choices to food. The Netherlands today is home to the largest Indian community on mainland Europe. The growing Indian student and professional community in Netherlands is making our cultural knot stronger and our technology partnership deepr
1. I extend a very warm and special welcome to Your Majesties and the distinguished members of your delegation to India. Your Majesties, India is not new to you. We have had the honour to host you in Rashtrapati Bhavan in the past. But today is a very special day. You are on your first State Visit to India. We are truly delighted to have you with us.
2. India-Netherlands relations are warm and enduring. Our shared democratic values and respect for diversity continue to embellish our conversation and our collaboration. In our endeavours, we connect with each other in one and several ways at the same time. That is the beauty and the depth of our ties. In a few weeks from now, we will be celebrating Diwali, the festival of light, in India and with equal joy in the Netherlands. And just few days ago, we together celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. I thank you and your people for nurturing his legacy and his universal values.
3. Our cultural understanding and centuries-old interaction make our partnership that much more meaningful. From the Malabar Coast to the Coromandal and beyond, we have deep imprint of Dutch heritage and history among us. The splendid murals in Kochi and the authoritative Dutch memoirs of the Malabar speak of our deep intellectual engagement. Swami Vivekananda, the great Indian philosopher visited Amsterdam in 1896. Some of his earliest disciples were Dutchmen and the emblem of the Ramakrishna Mission founded by him was developed on his guidance by the illustrious Dutch-American personality Henry Van Haagen. We take pride that Rembrandt, the greatest of all Dutch artists, was influenced in his work by many things Indian. The exhibition during your visit on this global icon would testify how deeply we appreciate him and his works.
4. Your Majesty, on the strong foundation of our historic ties, we have created a contemporary partnership driven by innovation, investment and technology. Smart Solutions, Smart Cities, green energy, start-ups and new-age products are bringing us together. We are excited to share and learn from you on river rejuvenation, from the Barapullah to the Yamuna, from Jal Jeevan Mission to Namami Gange, and further downstream.
5. Your Majesty, our economic partnership has created new opportunities for our peoples, from jobs, lifestyle choices to food. The vegetables that you savour today has been grown with green Indian fingers trained at the Indo-Dutch Centre of Excellence in Baramati. We are truly privileged that our journey together, has, indeed, been a journey of our people together. The Netherlands today is home to the largest Indian community on mainland Europe. The Surinami-Hindustani community in the Netherlands shares a strong cultural bond with India. The growing Indian student and professional community in your country is making our cultural knot stronger and our technology partnership deeper. We eagerly look forward to the inauguration of the Technology Summit tomorrow, and to drawing upon its success subsequently.
6. Your Majesties, each year, we have tulips bloom in Rashtrapati Bhavan. But this year, they will be very special, for they will carry the memories of your visit and the warmth of our friendship. May our ties blossom forever.
7. With these words, I once again welcome Your Majesties to India and wish you a memorable stay.
