India-Netherlands Joint Statement on the visit of Prime Minister of India to Netherlands

India and the Netherlands issued a Joint Statement on 16 May 2026 at The Hague, formalizing the elevation of their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Part...

What Happened

India and the Netherlands issued a Joint Statement on 16 May 2026 at The Hague, formalizing the elevation of their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership and adopting a five-year roadmap.
This was India's second high-level visit to the Netherlands; the visiting Indian PM was received at the Royal Palace Huis ten Bosch by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.
The joint statement covers eleven strategic domains: trade and investment, defense and security, critical technologies, green hydrogen, water management, maritime cooperation, critical minerals, health, agriculture, education, and culture.
Both sides reaffirmed commitment to UN Charter principles, freedom of navigation, the rules-based international order, and a peaceful Indo-Pacific — a diplomatic signal with relevance to ongoing geopolitical contests in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean.
A total of 17 agreements, MoUs, and letters of intent were signed.

Static Topic Bridges

India's Engagement with the Indo-Pacific Framework

The term "Indo-Pacific" reflects a geostrategic construct linking the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean as a single operational theater. India's Indo-Pacific policy — articulated through its SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) — emphasizes inclusive, rules-based maritime order.

India's IPOI (launched 2019) has seven pillars: maritime security, maritime ecology, maritime resources, capacity building, disaster risk reduction, science and technology cooperation, trade and connectivity
The Netherlands, as a NATO member and European maritime power, has stated increasing interest in the Indo-Pacific region
The joint statement specifically references freedom of navigation and absence of coercion — diplomatic language that implicitly addresses Chinese assertiveness in regional waters
Netherlands agreed to participate in IFC-IOR (Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region) based in Gurugram, India — a maritime domain awareness hub

Connection to this news: The Netherlands' engagement with IFC-IOR and shared Indo-Pacific language signals Europe's growing alignment with India on maritime security frameworks, relevant to the shifting geopolitics of the Indian Ocean.

Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters

Both countries signed an agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters — a standard bilateral instrument for sharing trade and customs information to prevent smuggling, customs fraud, and illicit trade.

Such agreements enable information exchange between customs authorities without formal legal process
They are typically aligned with the World Customs Organization (WCO) model for administrative assistance
India has similar agreements with over 50 countries, reflecting its integration into global trade monitoring frameworks
The agreement is particularly relevant given the Netherlands' role as a major port transit hub (Port of Rotterdam)

Connection to this news: The customs MoU strengthens the trade infrastructure supporting bilateral goods flows worth USD 27.76 billion annually, addressing transit fraud and supply chain integrity through the Rotterdam gateway.

Water Management: The Afsluitdijk–Kalpasar Parallel

The Netherlands is globally recognized as the foremost expertise center for water engineering, flood management, delta governance, and large-scale hydraulic infrastructure. This expertise derives from centuries of managing a country where approximately 26% of land lies below sea level.

Afsluitdijk: a 32 km causeway dam completed in 1932 that closed off the Zuiderzee from the North Sea, creating the IJsselmeer freshwater lake — Europe's largest freshwater reservoir
The Dutch model combines structural infrastructure with adaptive management: dikes, pumping stations, polders, and real-time water level monitoring
Kalpasar Project (Gujarat): proposed dam across the Gulf of Khambhat to create a large freshwater reservoir — analogous in scale and ambition to the Afsluitdijk
Goals: freshwater storage for irrigation and drinking water, tidal energy generation, and improved road connectivity linking Saurashtra with South Gujarat
A Letter of Intent was signed between India's Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Netherlands' Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management for Dutch technical assistance on Kalpasar
A Centre of Excellence on Water will also be established at IIT Delhi under this cooperation

Connection to this news: The Kalpasar technical cooperation is the water pillar of the strategic partnership — leveraging 90 years of Afsluitdijk operational experience to address India's growing water scarcity and energy transition challenges.

India-Netherlands Defense Cooperation: Emerging Trajectory

India's defense partnerships with European nations have grown significantly as India diversifies away from historical reliance on Russian defense equipment. The Netherlands is an important NATO defense-industrial power with expertise in maritime systems, radar technology, and high-tech manufacturing.

A Letter of Intent on Defense Cooperation was signed covering: regular Ministry-level interactions, staff talks, research and innovation cooperation, training exchanges
Both sides agreed to explore a Defense Industrial Roadmap for co-development and technology transfer
Security cooperation extends to: maritime security, cyber security, counterterrorism, and critical technologies
Netherlands agreed to participate in naval exercises and through IFC-IOR for Indian Ocean domain awareness
The LoI does not constitute a formal defense agreement (like LEMOA or COMCASA with the US) but signals political intent for deeper engagement

Connection to this news: The defense LoI is a building block in India's multi-lateral European defense engagement, complementing existing defense cooperation with France (Rafale, submarine), Germany (submarine technology), and Sweden (Saab).

Key Facts & Data

Visit dates: 16–17 May 2026, The Hague (PM's second visit to Netherlands)
Venue: Royal Palace Huis ten Bosch
Total agreements signed: 17
Bilateral trade FY 2024–25: USD 27.76 billion; India's trade surplus: USD 17.74 billion (exports USD 22.76 bn, imports USD 5.02 bn)
Netherlands' cumulative FDI into India: ~USD 55.6 billion (4th largest FDI source)
IFC-IOR: Netherlands to participate — center is located in Gurugram, India; operational since 2018
Kalpasar Project: Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat; LoI between Jal Shakti and Dutch Infrastructure ministries
Afsluitdijk: 32 km, completed 1932; separates North Sea from IJsselmeer (freshwater lake, Netherlands)
Centre of Excellence on Water: to be established at IIT Delhi
Defense LoI: covers maritime security, cyber, counterterrorism, defense industrial co-development
RIVM (Netherlands) – ICMR (India) Letter of Intent: infectious diseases, One Health, vector-borne diseases, disease surveillance
Cultural: Van Gogh artwork to return to India's National Gallery of Modern Art; Amrita Sher-Gil exhibition hosted at Drents Museum, Netherlands