Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele met Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten in The Hague on Monday to discuss cooperation on ports, competitiveness, and energy.
Flanders and the Netherlands pride themselves on their strong bilateral ties, built over many years. Diependaele expressed the hope that this initial meeting with Jetten would set a positive precedent for future collaboration.
He highlighted the cultural and linguistic connections between Flanders and the Netherlands as a major advantage, stating that it allows both governments to address issues efficiently. “Our administrations share a common approach and are focused on strengthening prosperity in both the short and long term,” he said.
"Together we shall again show our European partners the way forward," he added.
The Flemish Minister-President revealed plans to explore measures to enhance their shared global competitiveness, including through cross-border collaboration, by fostering innovation, and by increasing cooperation between ports to further boost economic growth.
After the meeting, Diependaele described the discussions as “highly constructive” and outlined the two governments' intention to strengthen ties even further.
Two upcoming events will build on this cooperation: a Harbour Summit later this year that will include Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia region, and a Flemish-Dutch summit next year.
The latter event, a biennial tradition since 2011, serves as a pivotal platform for strategic discussions between the two sides. The previous summit was hosted at the Boekentoren in Ghent.
