New Delhi: During his visit to the Netherlands, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was highly impressed by the country’s water management work.
The Prime Minister writes on X, “An area in which the Netherlands has done groundbreaking work is water management. The entire international community can learn a great deal from this.”
“This morning, I had the opportunity to visit the Afsluitdijk and gain insight into the key features of this project. I am grateful to Prime Minister Rob Jetten for accompanying me here.We are committed to bringing modern technology to India, which is intended to help with irrigation, flood protection, and the expansion of the inland waterway network,” Narendra Modi added.
PM Modi held official talks today with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Rob Jetten, at the Dutch Prime Minister’s official residence (Catshuis) in The Hague.
The two Prime Ministers held wide-ranging discussions on strengthening the India-Netherlands relationship. Reflecting the shared values and trust, as well as increasing convergence and growing cooperation between the two countries, the leaders decided to elevate the bilateral relationship to a “Strategic Partnership”. They also agreed to adopt an ambitious Roadmap for Strategic Partnership to deepen cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, defence and security, emerging and critical technologies, maritime sector, renewable energy and education. Taking note of expanding business, investment, technology and innovation partnerships, the leaders noted that opportunities presented by the Indian growth story offer promising business prospects to Dutch companies.
Een gebied waarop Nederland baanbrekend werk heeft verricht, is waterbeheer. De hele internationale gemeenschap kan hier veel van leren.
Vanmorgen heb ik de kans gehad om de Afsluitdijk te bezoeken en inzicht te krijgen in de belangrijkste kenmerken van dit project. Ik ben… pic.twitter.com/idjsR9SuJv
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 17, 2026
Both leaders noted with satisfaction the progress in bilateral cooperation driven by continuous high-level exchanges. Underscoring the significance of cooperation in WAH [Water, Agriculture and Health], they agreed to further intensify the Strategic Partnership on Water through collaboration on large-scale water projects. The Prime Ministers also welcomed the expanding cooperation across key sectors, including healthcare research, digital health, agriculture, and food safety.
During the talks, the leaders attached importance to expanding the trade and investment relationship between the two countries. Acknowledging the transformative potential of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, they called for its early signing and implementation. They also affirmed that India-Netherlands cooperation in critical minerals will support resilient supply chains.
The two leaders also called for greater collaboration in emerging technologies, including AI and Semiconductors. They also encouraged holding of hackathon involving the youths of the two countries. Committing to strengthen cooperation in renewable energy, they highlighted the importance of cooperation in green hydrogen, biofuels, green shipping and maritime logistics to ensure a sustainable future. Both Prime Ministers expressed support for the new initiatives undertaken to strengthen mobility partnership and cooperation in higher education. In this regard, they took special note of the agreement concluded between Nalanda University and Groningen University.
Highlighting the strong cultural relations between the two nations, Prime Minister Modi thanked the Dutch Government for facilitating the return of the 11th-century Chola plates. In this regard, the two leaders also welcomed the collaboration between Leiden University Library and the Archaeological Survey of India, which will help advance knowledge of these historic artefacts.
