Mark Rutte to sit with Shinzo Abe during trade visit this week

An Amsterdam delegation led by Mayor Eberhard van der Laan and a Dutch delegation including Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Minister Henk Kamp of Economic Affairs are currently on a trade visit in Japan. Prime Minister Rutte will be leaving the Asian country after meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to attend the refugee summit in Malta on Wednesday and Thursday. The aim for this trade visit is to strengthen contacts between Dutch and Japanese businesses. Japan is the largest Asian investor in the Netherlands and trade between the two countries amounted to more than 11.5 billion euros last year. Japan offers big opportunities for Dutch businesses in the fields of agriculture, cyber security, sports science and pension administration, according to the government. The Olympics held in Tokyo in 2020 also holds opportunities for Dutch businesses, such as providing sustainable and innovative solutions in the construction of roads and facilities and building on water. In connection with expanding possibilities in the fields of agriculture and horticulture, Kamp will be talking with almost thirty companies and take a look at a tomato greenhouse. The Minister will also speak about combating the trade in illegal timber and possible cooperation in the field of quantum technology. Upon arrival Prime Minister Rutte posted a tweet in Japanese in which he thanks Japan and reiterates the bond between the two countries based on a "mindset of innovative trading nations". The Prime Minister will be ending his visit to Japan with a meeting with Prime Minister Abe on Tuesday evening. During this meeting the Prime Ministers will discuss strengthening the bonds between the Netherlands and Japan even further. More than 120 companies and knowledge institutions form part of the Dutch delegation to Japan.