NSA Doval meets with the advisor to the Dutch Prime Minister and discusses geopolitical developments

*Paromita Das

Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor (NSA), met with Geoffrey Van Leeuwen, the Security and Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, on Thursday to discuss geopolitical developments.

Doval and Leeuwen had an in-depth conversation about a variety of bilateral issues as well as major regional and global developments. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the two countries’ establishment of bilateral relations. To mark this occasion, India’s President, Ram Nath Kovind, will pay a State visit to the Netherlands (April 4-7) at the invitation of the King and Queen of the Netherlands.

NSA Doval and his Dutch counterpart exchanged views on recent geopolitical developments in their respective regions.
According to sources, both of them highlighted the importance of India and the Netherlands remaining engrossed on these issues and intensifying their contacts, including through policy dialogs on issues of mutual interest. They resolved to maintain close contact and agreed to strengthen the two countries’ partnership by expanding ongoing defence, security, and counter-terrorism cooperation, according to sources.

In the European Union, the Netherlands is an important trade and investment partner for India. On April 9, last year, Prime Minister Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte held a virtual summit, which marked the pinnacle of India-Netherlands relations in 2021.
They also agreed to establish a ‘Strategic Partnership on Water’ to deepen Indo-Dutch cooperation in water-related sectors and to elevate the JWG on water to the ministerial level. They also discussed regional and global challenges such as climate change, counter-terrorism, and the Covid pandemic, and agreed to capitalize on emerging convergences in the new Indo-Pacific, resilient supply chains, and global digital governance.