India, Netherlands ink several agreements

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi meeting the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, in New Delhi on June 05.

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SME Times News Bureau | 06 Jun, 2015
India and the Netherlands on Friday inked a number of agreements, including to collaborate in building dredgers in India as part of the 'Make in India' initiative and manufacture vaccines against measles and rubella in India, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his visiting Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte in New Delhi.

Modi, in his media statement after the talks, said both sides have agreed to benefit from closer bilateral and multilateral collaboration, including in areas like countering terrorism and extremism, defence, maritime security and cyber-security.

Both sides have agreed to set up a Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism, which will hold its first meeting on June 19.

Modi thanked Rutte for Dutch support for India's permanent membership of a reformed United Nations Security Council and also for his support for India's candidature for the Security Council in 2021-22.

He described the agreement on manufacturing of dredgers in India at the Cochin Shipyard as a welcome step in India's efforts to develop Indian shipyards. Cochin Shipyards Limited (CSL) and Dutch Shipbuilder Royal IHC are to jointly build dredgers in India, including transfer of technology from IHC to CSL.

Modi said the agreement on manufacturing of measles, and rubella vaccine in India, with transfer of technology, was yet another step to develop India's manufacturing sector, and improve healthcare.

He said both sides have agreed to leverage Dutch expertise in developing coastal roads and metro lines in India and also set up a Joint Working Group on Skill Development.

In renewable energy, both are partnering in developing joint pilot projects for an electric vehicle ecosystem in India.

Both are setting up centres of excellence in areas like horticulture and animal husbandry, which are areas of strong Dutch competence.

A Dutch team will soon visit India to draw up a roadmap for collaboration in the National Clean Ganga Mission.

Modi said the Joint Statement outlines the roadmap for cooperation in sectors of mutual interest, like infrastructure development, shipping, ports and inland waterways; renewable energy; science and technology; health and sports.

"I also conveyed our decision to include the Netherlands in India's Electronic Tourist Visa scheme. This will boost Dutch tourism in India and enhance our people-to-people ties," he said.

Both also agreed to expand bilateral security and defense cooperation and welcomed the possibility of Dutch participation in India's 'Make in India' initiative in the defence sector.

Netherlands and Maharashtra are to collaborate in infrastructure development and delivery in and around Mumbai city, including an integrated approach to challenges related to a coastal road and metro.

A MOU was inked between the Telangana government and Wageningen University of the Netherlands for a knowledge partnership and collaborative research in the agribusiness sector like cold chain infrastructure, livestock and horticulture production system in the southern state.

Noting that the Netherlands was home to the second largest Indian diaspora in Europe, the two prime ministers expressed satisfaction at the close people-to-people ties and agreed to actively promote further exchanges in the areas of economy; art and culture; academia and education; science and technology; and tourism; and explore ways to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between their peoples.