Business community happy with embassies

News article | January 16, 2013

The business community is very satisfied with the role embassies play as links in the Netherlands’ policy of economic diplomacy. At the Ambassadors’ Conference, the missions’ services were put into practice during a ‘speed dating’ session with entrepreneurs.

The theme of the second day of the Ambassadors’ Conference was ‘cooperation with the business community’. In the morning the missions in Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur were awarded the Fenedex Embassy Prize by Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Lilianne Ploumen and VNO-NCW (the main Dutch employer’s association). The prize is given out annually for outstanding economic service.

The Dutch business community is very satisfied with the network of missions, rating it 8.5 on a scale of 10 this year. Economic diplomacy is vital to the Netherlands. This point was again driven home at a session on the economic position of the Netherlands by Rabobank. With its open economy the Netherlands is a major trading partner for many countries.

The Ambassadors’ Conference runs from Monday 14 January to Thursday 17 January. Following Tuesday’s ‘day of business’, there will be another day of management workshops on the future of the ministry (Wednesday) and a session devoted to a variety of themes (Thursday).