The minister for European Affairs and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands will visit Vietnam for a working visit from October 9-11, 2012, announced Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Vietnam on October 5.
During a three day visit Minister Ben Knapen will visit Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to see how cooperation between the Netherlands and Vietnam is shifting from development cooperation into economic cooperation.
Minister Knapen will start his visit in Hanoi on Tuesday where he will meet with Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. In the afternoon he will have field visits to see how sustainable value chain development in the agriculture sector is taking form in Vietnam.
On Wednesday, Minister Knapen leaves for Ho Chi Minh City to meet with representatives of the Dutch business community. He will discuss with them their role in the transition of Vietnam from a recipient of Dutch official development assistance to an important economic and trade partner.
On Thursday, the minister will visit a sustainable dairy farm of the Dutch company FrieslandCampina.
The Netherlands has been a development partner to Vietnam for two decades, focusing on water and climate change, forestry, agriculture, health care, HIV/aids, governance and higher education. Bilateral assistance to Vietnam is now in transition towards economic cooperation based on mutual interests beyond Official Development Aid. A facility from the Dutch government linking different instruments for partner-led cooperation is available, including both ODA and non-ODA funds.
Support focuses on key sectors of economic cooperation, including agriculture, water and climate change, maritime development (shipbuilding and port development), energy and logistics, plus finance as cross-cutting sector. These sectors represent key areas of Dutch expertise and economic potential into which Vietnam wishes to tap for its next phase of sustainable economic development.
This visit aims to assess and see the developments in the ongoing transition in Vietnam and the role Dutch companies can play.
(Source: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
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