Netherlands backs India's bid for entry into NSG

Modi calls Netherlands 'India's gateway to Europe'

The Netherlands on Tuesday fully backed India's entry into the Nuclear Supplies Group (NSG) and also supported the country's bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat, Press Trust of India reported.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte at his official residence in The Hague. Both leaders agreed there needed to be increased focus and attention on bilateral ties with India and the EU.



Modi and Rutte also agreed that NSG, Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group would benefit if India gained membership. The Netherlands expressed support for India’s early membership to the 48-member NSG and the Wassenaar Arrangement. They also welcomed India’s recent application for membership of Australia Group.

A joint communique issued after the meeting stated both leaders resolved to continue efforts to strengthen global non-proliferation objectives.

Modi also thanked the Netherlands for the role it players in India's accession to the Missile Technology Control Regime in June 2016.

Some 20 per cent of India's exports to Europe flows through The Netherlands and both leaders said the lowlands country is seen as a "major gateway" to the continent. "As far as bilateral investments are concerned, until now The Netherlands stands as the fifth-largest source of foreign direct investment," Modi said after meeting Rutte..

"I don't think there is any need to repeat the fact that in India's economic development and our priorities for development, Netherlands is a natural partner," the Indian premier added.

The Netherlands in particular specialises in water management and the two countries on Tuesday signed an agreement which includes cooperation in managing India's numerous river deltas as well as anti-pollution measures in the Ganges River. New Delhi and The Hague also signed a memorandum of understanding on social security agreements and cultural cooperation.

Rutte "commended India for its commitments to renewable energy and to the Paris Climate Agreement" and threw his support behind India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.



"The role of The Netherlands as India's gateway to Europe is only expected to grow in the coming years," Rutte said.

India remains a major trading partner of The Netherlands, with exports to the subcontinent totaling $3.2 billion last year, according to the Dutch central statistics office. Modi's visit followed his trip to the United States where he and President Donald Trump both pledged to boost their quest for economic growth to strengthen the world's two largest democracies.