The Hague, May 17 Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Friday at the invitation of Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. On Saturday, he met with the Dutch Prime Minister and King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. This marked the conclusion of his two-day official visit.
This was Prime Minister Modi’s second visit to the Netherlands. On the morning of May 16, Prime Minister Modi and King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands held a bilateral meeting at the Royal Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague. The King and Queen also hosted a luncheon for PM Modi.
Prime Minister Jetten and PM Modi held restricted and delegation-level talks during the meeting, followed by dinner on the evening of May 16.
The two Prime Ministers recalled the long-standing and historic trade linkages, deep people-to-people ties, and strong bilateral relations between the two countries and expressed their desire to further expand and deepen these diverse ties.
In this context, the two leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress made in recent years through regular dialogue under various cooperation programs. This includes high-level dialogue, India’s G20 presidency in 2023, and the fruitful cooperation during the AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi in February 2026.
Recognizing the strong momentum and growing convergence in relations between the two countries, the two leaders decided to elevate the relationship between India and the Netherlands to a “Strategic Partnership.”
In this context, they welcomed the adoption of a Strategic Partnership Roadmap, under which the two sides agreed to work through sustained and structured cooperation in all areas, including politics, trade and investment, defense and security cooperation, cybersecurity, critical and emerging technologies such as semiconductors, space, AI and quantum systems, science and innovation, sustainability, health, sustainable agriculture and food systems, water management, climate change and energy transition, sustainable transport, maritime development, education, culture, and people-to-people ties.
The two sides also agreed to explore cooperation in the field of policy planning.
The two leaders emphasized a shared vision for the future and reiterated their commitment to shared values and principles, including democracy, human rights, international peace and security, and a rules-based international order, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Both governments also emphasized their commitment to strengthening and reforming the multilateral system, including expanding both permanent and non-permanent categories of UN Security Council membership to reflect today’s global realities, and called for text-based negotiations within a fixed timeframe.
Prime Minister Modi thanked his Dutch counterpart, Jeten, for his consistent support for India’s permanent membership in a reformed and expanded UNSC.
The two leaders reiterated their commitment to further deepen the India-EU strategic partnership and welcomed the conclusion of negotiations on a mutually beneficial India-EU Free Trade Agreement in January this year.
The two leaders also welcomed the signing of the Security and Defence Partnership, which will strengthen EU-India dialogue and cooperation on security and defence and deliver concrete results in areas such as maritime security, cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, and defence industrial cooperation.
Recalling the EU’s strategy for the Indo-Pacific, PM Jetten announced the Netherlands’ decision to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and co-lead the Capacity Building and Resource Sharing pillar with Germany and the EU.
In the area of defence and security cooperation, they welcomed the signing of a Letter of Intent and stressed the importance of deepening defence cooperation between the two countries. An MoU was signed between the two countries on partnership in semiconductors and related emerging technologies.
In the area of migration and mobility, a Memorandum of Understanding on Mobility and Migration was signed between the Government of India and the Government of the Netherlands. In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Tata Electronics and ASML to support the semiconductor fab in Dholera, an MoU between the Ministry of Mines of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands on cooperation in the field of critical minerals and the Kalpasar Project, and a Joint Letter of Intent (JI) between the Ministry of Jal Shakti of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands for technical cooperation regarding the Kalpasar Project in Gujarat in the water sector.
In the field of renewable energy, the India-Netherlands Roadmap for the Development of Green Hydrogen Cooperation, the establishment of a Joint Working Group under the newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the Field of Renewable Energy, and a Joint Letter of Intent between NITI Aayog and the Netherlands for cooperation on projects in the energy sector and energy transition were signed.
In the agriculture/animal husbandry sector, establishment of Indo-Dutch Centre of Excellence for Flowers in West Tripura, establishment of Indo-Dutch Centre of Excellence for Training in Dairy at Centre of Excellence for Animal Husbandry (CEAH) in Bengaluru and signing of a MoU on Cooperation in Animal Husbandry and Dairying between the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, Netherlands.
