What started out primarily as an economic relationship based on the export of oil and gas has grown into a cooperation in food programmes, social exchanges, and alliances in the sport sector. The relationship between Qatar and The Netherlands has grown considerably over the past few years, especially since the State visit of Her Highness Queen Beatrix to Qatar in 2011.
"It took a lot of preparing and it was a very successful visit for the embassy. A State visit is a very good instrument that helps in promoting bilateral relations between the two countries. Such visits are meant to open doors to promote relations and I think that's something we have seen after the visit. Her Majesty the Queen went away from Qatar even more impressed than when she arrived," HE John Groffen, Dutch Ambassador to Qatar.
Qatar Today met HE Groffen to understand the ways in which bilateral relations between the two countries are being explored. We also asked him how the Port of Rotterdam - once the biggest in the world - is guiding Qatar to perceive its objectives.
Can you a brief description of the bilateral relations between Qatar and the Netherlands 2010-2011.
This embassy was established primarily to promote good commercial and economic relations. In that sense, we are essentially a trade mission. We had four trade missions in 2011; this year we are expecting four trade missions, but this number could increase as the year progresses.
2010, 2011 and 2012 has seen very positive results from the successful State visit of HE the Queen to Qatar. There was extensive coverage of the visit in the Dutch media -- Qatar became a buzzword, especially after they won the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The combination of the State visit and winning this bid led to an increased interest in Qatar, especially in the economics. It is nice to see that the interest in Qatar has moved away from energy and infrastructure to architecture, landscaping, agriculture, education, sports and so much more. We see not only a lot of trade missions but also with individual companies that come to us as they are interested in conducting business with Qatar.
Of late what agreements have been signed between the two countries?
We haven't recently signed any treaties or MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding). The most important treaty that was signed, which became operational in 2010, was the Prevention of Double Taxation Treaty which is very important because if you want to invest in each other's countries, it makes it clear which country will levy what taxes, and makes it very transparent for everyone. There are other agreements between us but those are not of the level of the government.
The Minister of International Cooperation, Ben Knapen was in Qatar recently, because he is interested in this new role that it is playing in the world of development and international cooperation. He is also very interested in the food security programme here, and we are looking of ways to cooperate with Qatar in these areas.
We will also have a sports mission from The Netherlands visiting Qatar as we are looking to collaborate, - not just football, but all other sports. The agreement could mean -that Dutch event management companies, experienced in conducting big sporting events, come and share their expertise (crowd control, stadium security) with authorities here. The Netherlands and Belgium co-hosted the 2000 the European Championships, which means we have knowledge about big sporting events. There are opportunities for the Qatari side to learn from Dutch experiences.
What is the relationship between the Port of Rotterdam and Ras Laffan?
There is a long-standing cooperation between Ras Laffan and the Port of Rotterdam. Summing it up, Qatar Petroleum and the Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC) helps Rotterdam establish good business relations between both countries, while the Port of Rotterdam helps Ras Laffan by providing advice on port-related matters. In practice, what the Port of Rotterdam does is they provide boardroom consultancy to RLIC on port-related issues whenever there is a demand for this kind of advice.
Is The Netherlands working with Qatar on international policies?
We are both part of the international community and as such we both promote and encourage peace and stability, economic and social relations. There is not a single international organisation that I can think of where we do not work together.
For example, in NATO, we cooperate in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.. We work together in the UN as well, where we both voted for the General Assembly resolution on Syria.
Looking forward, how does The Netherlands see its relationship with Qatar?
The Netherlands is a gas producing country and we have an extensive network for exporting it to other countries. We are now changing that network, not only for exports but also for the import of gas. What we try to create in The Netherlands is a gas roundabout. We want to create areas where we can import gas from other countries, including Qatar, store it and then distribute it over Western Europe.
We are also interested in the promotion of LNG as a direct product to be used in, for example, transportation. We have ships that are running on LNG, and I think it is interesting for Qatar to know that we are working in this area.
We are interested in working with Qatar on Food Security programmes. Qatar has so much sun, while in The Netherlands we don't get enough. We have had to tackle -our own issues of food security by constructing greenhouses for example.
The Port of Rotterdam, which is the gateway to Europe, is also something that Qatar is interested in. How is it that Rotterdam became this gateway to Europe and why shouldn't Messaid become the gateway to the Arab peninsula - is the chain of thoughts here.
Another aspect that both countries would like to work on is how to employ the future generations in the nation. Qatar has already come to the conclusion that the way to do it is by promoting entrepreneurship and small businesses. In The Netherlands, we know that big employment does not come from the big corporates, instead it's the smaller enterprises that provides employment. Organisations, like Silatech, are very active in this respect, and I hope this aspect is something we can work on with Qatar.
What are the advantages for Qataris to invest in The Netherlands?
It has a strategic location in Europe, one can reach any major capital within two hours; we have an educated population; and good infrastructure. It has always been at Europe's crossroads. We are one of the most wired countries in the world - internet penetration is very high. We have a highly-educated, multi-lingual and motivated workforce - 40 percent of it is university educated, while 80 percent speak English. Our living standards are good and not expensive.
We have a conducive tax environment. KPMG ranks The Netherlands the third most attractive tax environment. We have a corporate tax rate of 15 percent which is down from 25 percent. We have a well developed financial industry which provides high quality financial products. And the treaty of Avoidance of Double Taxation is very helpful when setting up a business.
Can you tell us about the cultural and social relations between the two countries?
During the State visit, an agreement was signed between the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Qatar Museums Authority which still stands and is a firm basis for cooperation. Like I said, this embassy is interested in promoting trade primarily so cultural and social ties are not our number one priority. We try to promote culture when we can - during the Qatari National Day this year, we will hold an exhibition of some 20 Dutch painters at the Sheraton, to show where Dutch art stands. We are doing small things such as these to promote Dutch culture and arts in Qatar. It is something that needs to grow.
Also in the field of exchanges, we have a regular programme of exchange for students. We have students from the university of journalism in Utrecht who come here every year., while recently, we had a group of students from Qatar University who went to The Netherlands.
Interviewed by Meghna Dey...
© Qatar Today 2012
