Political Consultations between the Netherlands and Chile
The Hague, Monday, November 28, 2011
Deputy Foreign Minister Fernando Schmidt led the political consultation meeting between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Chile, held at The Hague on November 23. Undersecretary Schmidt was received by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Ed Kronenburg, and other local high officials. On behalf of Chile, the meeting was also attended by Juan Martabit, Ambassador of Chile to the Netherlands, José Luis Balmaceda, Director for the Environment and Maritime Affairs and members of the embassy.
At the bilateral level, the meeting confirmed the excellent state of relations between the two countries, with particular emphasis on trade, investment and the possibility of developing joint projects, both economic and technological. An example is the installation in Chile of a center of excellence in Chile of Wageningen University, in the context of Corfo-Innova. The development of renewable energy was also an issue of mutual interest.
With regard to global matters, they exchanged views on the situation in Latin America, Europe and Asia. In this context, Chile drew attention to new challenges and the need to cooperate, possibly through triangulation, to help countries in the region facing more extreme problems.
Undersecretary Schmidt also visited several international organizations based in this city and Leiden University. During his visit to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) he reiterated to its Director General Chile’s strong commitment with the Convention on Chemical Weapons and Disarmament. Meanwhile, the Director General accompanied by his technical team reported on the recent activities and challenges of the organization.
During the Chilean high official’s visit to the International Criminal Court, its President, Mr.Sang-Hyun Song, mentioned the growing importance of this agency, which is reflected in the large number of new cases brought before this Court.
Likewise, on his visit to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, he confirmed the excellent ties between this agency and Chile. The meeting with its Secretary-General was also useful to explore further possibilities for cooperation,
