VietNamNet Bridge - The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands will pay an official visit to Vietnam from March 28-31.

This was announced by the Netherlands Embassy on March 24. They will be accompanied by Henk Bleker, the Dutch Minister for Agriculture and Foreign Trade and a large business delegation representing over 80 Dutch companies.

The trade mission will focus on five sectors, namely; water, agriculture, transport and logistics, the maritime sector and oil and gas. During the royal visit, both the official and business delegations will take part in seminars and meetings with the government of Vietnam and company representatives in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The goal of the visit is to strengthen ties in business, foster exchange of knowledge and government-to- government cooperation in various fields. The delegation also includes Joop Atsma, the Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Environment and top-level Dutch water experts.

The discussions will work towards a strategic partnership between Vietnam and the Netherlands in the areas of water management and climate-change adaptation.

“For the Netherlands, Vietnam is not only a promising and attractive emerging market, but also a highly competitive one,” says Joop Scheffers, Netherlands Ambassador to Vietnam. “Both sides have been looking for areas of strong mutual interest. This royal visit will serve to cement the already excellent relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands.”

The Netherlands is already the single largest EU investor in Vietnam. Growing businesses between the Netherlands and Vietnam will be judged on the number of deals signed during this visit.

According to Joop Scheffers, “More than 20 agreements will be signed and sealed during this visit, both commercial and non-commercial.”

Source: SGGP