At the invitation of Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte paid an official visit to Vietnam on April 9 2019. Accompanying the Prime Minister of the Netherlands are Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Van Nieuwenhuizen, Vice Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Marjolijn Sonnema and Chairman of Employers’ Federation Hans De Boer. The delegation was accompanied by representatives of 70 businesses in typical fields of the Netherlands.

During the visit, Prime Minister Mark Rutte held talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; paid a courtesy visit to Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong; met with National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan; attended the a workshop with 70 leading businesses of the Netherlands and leaders of ministries and branches of Vietnam, a sustainable fashion show co-organized by the Hanoi People's Committee and the Dutch Embassy in Ly Thai To Park.

On this occasion, the two sides issued a 15-point Joint Statement, acknowledging the significance of the bilateral cooperation to both Vietnam and the Netherlands, deciding to upgrade their relationship to a comprehensive partnership, with a view to effectively harnessing their cooperation potentials, enabling the bilateral ties to expand and deepen with greater dynamism in all dimensions in the years to come.

The two Prime Ministers agreed to hold further high level meetings under bilateral and multilateral frameworks, while enhancing the effectiveness of their various mechanisms of sectoral cooperation.

They also agreed to implement cooperation programs, on the basis of their priorities and strengths, in such areas as plantation, animal farming, food safety management, smart agriculture, climate change adaptation, water quality , among others, including cooperation in the development of smart agricultural areas and improvement of value chains for Vietnamese agricultural produce with emphasis on technology transfer and assistance from Dutch partners to stimulate mutual business opportunities between the two countries.

Both sides underlined their shared views on international and regional issues as well as their support for strengthening effective multilateral cooperation, respect for international rule of law and trade liberalization; enhancing the cooperation for participating in UN peacekeeping operations; supporting efforts to build a strong and prosperous ASEAN Community and further stepping up the ASEAN-EU cooperation towards a future strategic partnership in the future.

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of peace, security, stability, freedoms of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, and rule of law principle and underlined the viewpoint to settle disputes by peaceful means, in line with international law including 1982 the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

On the occasion, the two Prime Ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding between Vietnam and the Netherlands on agricultural transformation cooperation in the Mekong Delta, and witnessed the signing of the Agreement on mutual administrative support and cooperation in the field of and some other bilateral cooperation documents.

Speaking at the press conference on the outcomes of his visit to Vietnam and sharing his observation on potential cooperation areas between the two countries, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he made the first visit to Vietnam in 2014, since then the Vietnamese economy has maintained its vitality and sustainability. Vietnamese people are hardworking and industrious. The Dutch Prime Minister said that 70 Dutch businesses continued to stay in Vietnam for the following three days and signed many contracts on agriculture, water management, offshore wind energy and logistics.

On promotion of knowledge exchange and experience on sustainable development, an area where Holland has a lot of experience to share, Prime Minister Mark Rutte held that a lot of lessons can be learned from Vietnam which is facing many problems of sustainable development.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Mark Rutte sent a message to the Vietnamese people saying that the Vietnamese people have a friend in Europe. According to the Prime Minister, the Netherlands is now a major investor of Vietnam. The relationship between the two peoples is also getting closer. He, personally, and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc have established a close friendship. Thus, the two sides can discuss issues, especially opportunities for the two countries.

In terms of business and investment potentials, about 50 Dutch businesses are operating in Vietnam. Besides, 70 businesses accompanying the Dutch Prime Minister to Vietnam and many other Dutch companies have been looking for opportunities to work with Vietnamese partners.