Toespraak van minister Kamp bij de afsluiting van de factfindingmissie in Iran

Toespraak | 25-11-2015

Ladies and gentlemen,

A country’s history says a lot about the values and the passion of its people. Traditionally, the Netherlands and Iran have a shared passion for international trade. The Silk Road, for example, used to run through Persia, allowing for the exchange of science, culture and trade between Europe and Asia. And in the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company imported spices from Asia, becoming what some regard as the first multinational business in the world. The Company had an office in Isfahan and around 16 of the Company’s people are buried in this beautiful city.

This tells us that ties between our countries go way back and are based on mutual interests. For this reason, it is my privilege to visit the Islamic Republic of Iran accompanied by two high-level delegations from the oil and gas industry and the agrifood, including water expertise, as well as leading multinationals.

Today's event comes four months after the courageous nuclear agreement showed the world that disputes can be resolved peacefully. The agreement also paves the way for closer political and economic ties between our nations. This, in turn, contributes to peace and stability: mutual trade and investments create strong common interests.

So, with sanctions relief nearing and our bilateral ties intensifying, it is important that our businesses get reacquainted again. Which is why last September, our Minister of Foreign Affairs visited Iran for the first time in 14 years. And why I am leading the first economic mission to Iran in many years.

The 60 participants in our mission are from a range of industries, showing broad interest in Iran. We have come here to explore opportunities in the Iranian market and reaffirm our ties. Iran, for example, has massive gas and oil reserves, which gives it the potential to become a modern energy supplier for the region and beyond. In order to achieve this, state-of-the-art and sustainable solutions are needed.

The Netherlands is in a strong position to deliver these. We hold roughly a third of Europe’s natural gas reserves and our energy industry is among the most innovative and efficient in the world. We have extensive experience in offshore and gas technologies and storage facilities, as well as distribution and maritime industries.

This morning I met with the Iranian Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Bijan Zanganeh, and other officials. We had productive exchanges on our bilateral cooperation in the energy field. The extensive Dutch oil and gas mission coincides with two international energy conferences: the GECF Summit, which I attended yesterday, and the Teheran Summit this Saturday. We are eager to learn more about the new petroleum contract that will be presented by the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum.

Our alignment in the energy industry shows that Iran and the Netherlands can be natural trading partners. Another reason for this is that the Netherlands is the world’s 5th largest exporter and the 7th largest foreign investors. We are also the world's 4th most innovative nation and we rank 5th on Global Competitiveness Index. Furthermore, we earn almost 30% of our income by supplying the world with innovative solutions for major challenges.

The Netherlands is also known for its integrated and multi-disciplinary approach to business. This means we balance social, economic, environmental and engineering needs. The power of this approach is apparent in the agricultural industry. We are the world’s second-largest exporter of agricultural products and home to world-class food and agriculture knowledge institutions. We also have the second-highest private R&D investment rate in this industry in Europe.

For countries around the world, the Netherlands is also an important gateway for international trade. Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port in terms of transhipment of goods and containers. Every year, 55 million passengers and 1.6 million tonnes of freight pass through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, placing it in the top five of Europe’s airports. And the Amsterdam Internet Exchange is the biggest internet exchange in the world, making us a digital hub as well.

These and other examples show that the Netherlands is able and willing to be a reliable and sustainable economic partner of Iran. Together we can tackle the challenges we face in the energy industry and other areas of the economy, contribute to the prosperity of our people and help Iran to become a leading economy.

My government will do everything in its power to create the right conditions for mutual trade to flourish. It's indeed thanks to trade and investments that profound co-operation and cultural understanding between our nations is possible. The recent nuclear agreement provides us – as a international community – with an unique window of opportunity to foster prosperity and stability in Iran, the region and the rest of the world.

So today let us celebrate the fact that are historic ties are coming back to live once more and the many opportunities that lie before us.

Thank you.