India and the Netherlands have agreed to strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation at high-level meetings held by Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal during his visit to the European nation, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday.

The Commerce Secretary’s visit from April 24-26 underlined India’s commitment to strengthening its economic engagement with the Netherlands, a key European partner.

The discussions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Affairs laid the groundwork for enhanced collaboration. The CEOs Roundtable fostered new business connections, with Dutch companies expressing keen interest in India’s growing market and investment opportunities, the statement said.

The engagements at the Port of Rotterdam and ASML opened new avenues for cooperation in maritime infrastructure and semiconductors, aligning with India’s economic priorities.

Barthwal commenced his visit with a productive discussion with Michiel Sweers, Director General for Foreign Economic Relations, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in The Hague. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral trade and economic ties, inter alia, through the setting up of the Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC) mechanism.

Further, the meeting covered diverse issues of bilateral trade and economic relationship, advancing strategic economic cooperation, fostering policy alignment, and addressing trade barriers to facilitate smoother market access for Indian and Dutch businesses.

A highlight of the visit was the CEOs Round-table Conference organised by the Embassy of India. Attended by approximately 40 representatives from leading Dutch and Indian companies, as well as business chambers and trade organisations, the round table facilitated discussions on trade opportunities, challenges and actionable solutions.

The Roundtable also featured the showcasing of One District One Product (ODOP) handicrafts by the Embassy, celebrating India’s rich artisanal heritage.

Barthwal visited the Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest and one of the world’s most advanced ports. Received by Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, at the World Port Centre.

The Commerce Secretary held in-depth discussions on enhancing cooperation between the Indian ports and Rotterdam. The talks explored opportunities for knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and sustainable port management practices. A tour of the port facilities, including the fully automated APM Terminals at Maasvlakte II, provided insights into Rotterdam’s state-of-the-art infrastructure and operational efficiencies.

He highlighted the potential for collaboration in modernising Indian ports, aligning with India’s Maritime Vision 2030, which aims to enhance port capacity and logistics efficiency.

The visit laid the groundwork for setting up a Green and Digital Corridor between the Port of Rotterdam and Indian ports like the Deendayal Port Authority Kandla, and export of Green Hydrogen and carriers like Ammonia and Methanol from India to Europe, with the Port of Rotterdam acting as a gateway to Europe.

Later, Barthwal travelled to Veldhoven to visit the headquarters of ASML, a global leader in photolithography systems for the semiconductor industry. In a productive meeting with ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet, the Commerce Secretary discussed deepening India-Netherlands cooperation in the semiconductor sector. The discussions focused on leveraging ASML’s expertise to support India’s ambitions to become a global semiconductor manufacturing hub, as outlined in the India Semiconductor Mission.

The Commerce Secretary also visited the Republic of Croatia from April 22-23, where he held bilateral discussions with Zdenko Lucic, State Secretary for Foreign Trade and Development, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, and Ivo Milatic, State Secretary, Ministry of Economy. The meetings focused on advancing India-Croatia trade and investment relations, promoting sectoral collaboration, and reinforcing India’s engagement with the Central European region.

During the meeting with Zdenko Lucic, discussions centred around taking forward the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and enhancing bilateral trade cooperation. The Commerce Secretary mentioned the areas of collaboration between the two countries, like Railways, Global Capability Centres, Electric Vehicles and IT.

The Croatian side apprised about their interest in investment in the Defence sector (about flagship products of India), solar cells production, food processing technology, automobiles, knowledge sharing amongst other sectors, the official statement added.