the buffet dinner at the start of the Netherlands Economic Mission to Russia
Check against delivery.
Minister Levitin, Duma representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to bid you all a very warm welcome.
And a special welcome to you, Minister Levitin.
We have met several times in the past. You are someone with a vast amount of knowledge and experience in the field of transport. Long before you became Minister, you were actively involved in large-scale programmes like the programme to reform the Russian Railway Company.
As Minister, you are committed to strengthening the ties between Russia and other countries. I have great respect for the involvement you have shown towards ties with the Netherlands.
Before I became Minister in early 2007, I was a member of the European Parliament and I had a seat on the EU-Russia parliamentary cooperation committee. At that time I had a chance to get to know your great country and its people and I was able to speak to Russian members of parliament on several occasions. It is therefore an honour to see that a number of Duma colleagues from that time are attending this dinner.
Ladies and gentlemen, how better to intensify the relationship between our two countries than through concrete cooperation projects?
Practical and enterprising. This was also the mentality of Tsar Peter the Great, who visited the Netherlands in 1697 to learn about Dutch ship-building. In August of that year he sailed on a Dutch yacht from Zaandam to Amsterdam. He actually raised the jib himself and even took over the helm, much to the astonishment and admiration of spectators.
Since the visit of Tsar Peter the Great, the Netherlands has played an important role in the economic and maritime development of Russia. And we would very much like to continue to play this role.
My visit builds on the visit to Russia made by Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende a year ago. Mr Putin – who was still President at the time – held intensive talks with our Prime Minister.
Their common conclusion was that Russia and the Netherlands mean a great deal to one another and that much more is possible, in economic terms as well.
We are all aware that the situation in the world has changed dramatically since November last year. The credit crisis was then nothing more than a distant threat looming on the horizon. Today, the whole world is feeling the impact of this crisis. Both Russia and the Netherlands are feeling the consequences.
It is exactly at such times that it is important to hold true to our course. To build on our strengths and work together with partners with whom we can create synergy. One plus one can equal three!
Russia and the Netherlands are a combination to which this applies. That is why I am here, in the company of more than sixty Dutch companies. They represent the best my country has to offer in transport and smart logistics, in infrastructure and in maritime provisioning. Sectors that are of great importance in this large and dynamic country that is Russia with its challenging geographic conditions.
The Dutch have built a country out of the mud of a low-lying delta on the North Sea: a country that is a world leader in transport. We are eager to share with others the knowledge we have gained.
The Netherlands is proud of the position it has in Russia. For many years we have been one of your country’s major trade and investment partners.
The Russians and Dutch are working together on a series of cutting-edge projects such as the storm surge barrier in St Petersburg, gas extraction on Sakhalin and the modernization of the airport in the Olympic city of Sochi.
We have made our own modest contribution to the impressive growth Russia has realized since the turn of this century. And, in reverse, you have also been important to us. For instance, our exports to Russia grew by twenty percent last year.
More than enough reason to extensively explore the possibilities for further cooperation. I would, for example, like to see the establishment of an efficient and sustainable freight corridor between the Netherlands and Russia. Such a corridor could play a major role in the realization of our growth ambitions.
Ladies and gentlemen, Russia is a strong and proud nation. A nation that treasures its independence. But it is also a nation that is aware that in these times of fast-moving globalization, cooperation is a major factor for success.
Cooperation makes us stronger. And so I would like to propose a toast:
To your health, Minister Levitin.
To the friendship between our countries.
To making our cooperation broader and deeper.