India, Netherlands eye expanding ties via Green and Digital Sea Corridor

The Hague [Netherlands], May 17 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Netherlands underlined the importance of supporting the development of a strategic 'Green and Digital Sea Corridor' between the two countries as they deepen their engagements across all fronts, according to a Joint Statement released on the visit of PM Modi.
PM Modi and Dutch PM Jetten noted the recently renewed Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime Cooperation and underscored the importance of continued collaboration towards a safe, secure and sustainable maritime sector, supporting the development of a strategic 'Green and Digital Sea Corridor' between India and the Netherlands, as outlined in the Letter of Intent signed in October 2025.
In this context, they agreed to further deepen and broaden their partnership in the areas of smart and sustainable development of ports and inland waterways, supply chain optimisation, and green ports and shipping.
As a next step, both Prime Ministers agreed to explore developing a comprehensive 'Strategic Roadmap on a Green and Digital Sea Corridor' which aims at working towards an environmentally sustainable, digitally integrated and economically efficient future-ready maritime corridor between India and the Netherlands.
The Joint Statement further noted that given the shared interest in global and regional maritime security, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, both Prime Ministers agreed to exchange best practices - between relevant government entities, businesses and knowledge institutes - in the field of protecting critical infrastructure including cyber resilience in ports and inland waterways and promoting diversified and resilient supply chains (including critical raw materials, medicine and food).
Within the framework of the India-Netherlands strategic partnership, PM Modi and PM Jetten noted that enhanced focus will be given to collaboration in pharmaceuticals and medical devices, to ensure high-quality, accessible, safe, and sustainable healthcare.
As per the statement, in 2026, the first Joint Working Group meeting will be convened under the newly signed Memorandum of Understanding to discuss the implementation and further development of the Memorandum of Understanding and its Work Plan, and to identify key opportunities for collaboration, including through academic cooperation, regulatory cooperation, business engagement, and knowledge exchange on market access.
The statement highlighted how the two leaders noted the progress made under the Strategic Partnership on Water in building upon the synergies between the water-related requirements of India and the expertise and experience of the Netherlands.
Both Prime Ministers appreciated the joint efforts being undertaken in the field of water and river management, including partnership in the Namami Gange Mission, urban water management for climate resilience through Urban River Management Plans in combination with 'Water as Leverage', delta management, water quality management, wastewater re-use and introduction of new water technologies.
They emphasised the importance of safely managed sanitation and inclusive access to clean water and acknowledged the contribution of the Netherlands in sustainable finance for WASH-related developmental projects internationally, aligned with India's Swachh Bharat Mission goals.
The statement further noted that, recalling the centuries-old bilateral maritime history between India and the Netherlands, both leaders welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) in Lothal (Gujarat), between the National Maritime Museum of Amsterdam and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Netherlands at the invitation of PM Rob Jetten on May 16-17. This marked Prime Minister Modi's second visit to the Netherlands. (ANI)