A delegation from the Netherlands, including officials and representatives of more than 35 companies, visited Ukraine on Oct. 1-3. The companies that visited Ukraine with the goal of establishing business contacts, seeking partners and sales market, as well as exchanging experience with their Ukrainian colleagues, work in the transport and logistics, financial services, consulting, agriculture and industry, and engineering spheres. The trade mission was headed by Roderic Van Schroeven, the general director of external trade at the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
During his visit Van Schroeven met all the representatives of Ukraine’s economy, fuel and energy, environmental protection, and transport ministries, the National Investments and Innovations Agency, as well as the representatives of a number of international organizations. He pointed out that the main task of Holland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs is to foster an effective and stable economy with a strong and dynamic private sector capable of competing with other countries in Europe and the rest of the world. The Netherlands supports the new members who want to join the WTO, Russia and Ukraine in particular, because free trade will foster both export and import.
Van Schroeven thinks that close cooperation with our country is an essential step in the process of globalizing the world economy. The head of Rotterdam’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, another member of the trade mission, says: “We are trying to find ways of supporting these business relations by taking an active part in a number of platforms for Dutch businessmen who are either already working in your country or intend to start their business here.”
This visit was in response to the Ukrainian delegation that visited the kingdom of tulips and windmills this past summer. President Viktor Yushchenko visited the Netherlands in June, accompanied by a business delegation including approximately 50 representatives of Ukrainian companies. The economic mission was a success: our companies got acquainted with their partners in Holland and signed a number of lucrative contracts. One of them is with the Shell Company for gas field explorations in Ukraine.
Clearly, both Ukraine and Holland are interested in expanding bilateral economic relations. Holland’s Ambassador to Ukraine Ron Keller noted earlier in an interview with The Day that “there is a lot of interest in Ukraine in the Dutch private sector.” This interest is not limited to the trade sphere, but also extends to industry, agriculture, communications, and transport. The ambassador added: “There’s still a lack of information on the possibilities of doing business and about companies that we can work with.”
This problem may be solved by similar economic missions. Ambassador Keller also pointed out that a number of large Dutch companies are interested in investing in Ukraine and creating jobs. That’s why such business missions should give pretty good results and expand economic relations. To give an example, Dutch exports to Ukraine have risen by 65 percent, while Ukrainian exports to the Netherlands have increased by 106 percent. Holland is the seventh largest investor in the Ukrainian economy. According to predictions, similar positive tendencies are expected over the next few years.
