Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his British counterpart Theresa May released a joint statement in which they denounced cyber attacks by Russian secret service GRU as unacceptable. They called attacks on international organizations like the United Nations' Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) reckless and destructive.
Stef Blok
Oct 3 '18 08:05
The non-lethal aid the Netherlands provided to various armed rebel groups in the Syrian Civil War "could have gone better", Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs said in a parliamentary debate about the NLA program on Tuesday. However, he does not think it went "unreasonably wrong", and he rejected the suggestion that the Netherlands gave large-scale support to terrorist groups that violated human rights, NU.nl reports.
Sep 27 '18 14:10
Prime Minster Mark Rutte called for more international cooperation in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, local time. The Dutch Prime Minister's speech stood in stark contrast to what American president Donald Trump had to say the day before, ANP reports.
Trump criticized multilateral cooperation between countries and organizations. He renounced virtually everything that even resembles international cooperation.
Sep 26 '18 10:50
The Netherlands and Australia want to start negotiating with Russia "in the foreseeable future" about the country's accountability in the downing of flight MH17, Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs said after meeting with his Australian colleague Marise Payne in New York, NOS reports.
Sep 12 '18 09:13
The Dutch government did not ask its External Public Law Adviser for advice about providing support to Syrian opposition groups. According to the adviser in question, professor André Nollkaemper, the support offered to Syrian rebel groups may be "in conflict with the prohibition on non-intervention", Nieuwsuur and Trouw report.
Sep 12 '18 08:42
The government will immediately launch an investigation into the NLA program, in which the Netherlands offered "non lethal support" to the moderate armed opposition in Syria, Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs said. He called it "worrying" that the Public Prosecutor labeled at least one group that received Dutch support as terrorist, AD reports.
Sep 11 '18 08:22
The Dutch government supported Jabhat al-Shamiya, an armed group in Syria that the Public Prosecutor labeled terrorist, according to research by Nieuwsuur and Trouw. A Dutch man is currently being prosecuted for participating in this group. The indictment states that Jabhat al-Shamiya is "salafist and jihadist", "strives for the establishment of a caliphate", and "can't be otherwise qualified" than as a "criminal organization with terrorist intent", Nieuwsuur reports.
Sep 6 '18 09:40
Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs survived a motion of no confidence in a parliamentary debate on Wednesday about statements he made on multicultural societies. Many opposition parties voted against him, but he still has the support of the coalition, NU.nl reports.
Sep 5 '18 08:08
Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs is facing the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, on Wednesday to discuss statements he made about multicultural societies and Suriname. While the coalition parties support Blok, the opposition parties want him to prove that he can still fulfill his role as Foreign Minister after insulting a number of countries.
Aug 30 '18 09:16
On Wednesday an Islamic party in Pakistan, TLP, called on the government to expel the Dutch ambassador to the country, in reaction to PVV leader Geert Wilders' plans to hold a cartoon competition about the Islam religious figure Mohammed, NU.nl reports.
Aug 29 '18 15:10
"We have a free democracy, this video is revolting", Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus of Justice and Security said to NOS about a man threatening to kill PVV leader Geert Wilders in a video on Facebook. The 26-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday.
Aug 17 '18 10:20
GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver called on Prime Minister Mark Rutte to distance himself from statements Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs made about multiculturalism. In an open letter to the Prime Minister, Klaver said he can't understand why Rutte hasn't yet done so, NOS reports.
Jul 25 '18 08:55
The Surinamese government is not satisfied with a letter of apology that Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs sent after he called Suriname a 'failed state'. Blok's Surinamese counterpart Yldiz Pollack-Beighle calls Blok's apologies "poor" because he "does not take back the inaccuracies he voiced at a closed meeting", NOS reports.
Jul 24 '18 08:00
Over 200 officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed a letter calling on Minister Stef Blok to increase diversity in the department. According to them, the Ministry is lagging behind with the acceptance of people with a bicultural background. They want to discuss promoting diversity with the Minister, NOS reports.
Jul 20 '18 16:00
The Netherlands and Turkey are restoring their mutual diplomatic relations, Minister Stef Blok of Home Affairs reported to the lower house of Dutch parliament on Friday. This means that there will soon be a Turkish ambassador in The Hague, and a Dutch ambassador in Ankara, RTL Nieuws reports.
Jul 20 '18 08:55
The government of Curacao released a statement distancing itself from statements Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs made about multicultural societies. The island's government "deeply regrets" the statements, because as foreign minister Blok also speaks on behalf of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. The Surinamese government would like Blok to apologize for his statements.
Jul 19 '18 07:42
Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs regrets that he offended people with statements he made about multicultural societies and Suriname during a private meeting with Dutch working at international organizations last week. "I did not choose my words well and I regret that", he said in response to the commotion his remarks caused, NOS reports.
Jul 18 '18 14:58
There are no peaceful multicultural societies and it is genetically determined that man can not connect with "unknown people", Minister Stef Blok (VVD) of Foreign Affairs said during a private meeting with Dutch who work for international organizations last week Tuesday, which current affairs program Zembla has footage of.
Jul 4 '18 15:40
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will pay a state visit to the United Kingdom, at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth, in the autumn. The visit will take place on October 23rd and 24th. Minster Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs will accompany the Royal couple, government information service Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst announced.
Jul 4 '18 13:00
The Netherlands and Indonesia are going to work together to protect Dutch shipwrecks in Indonesian waters, Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs agreed with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi during Blok's visit to Jakarta, AD reports.
Jun 21 '18 07:52
The United States decided to step out of the United Nations' Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs responded that he regrets the decision. Prime Minister Mark Rutte called it "unwise", the Telegraaf reports.
Jun 14 '18 08:10
It is expected that later this year a decision will be made about the early release of Dutch-Surinamese man Jaitsen Singh, who has been in prison in the United States for 34 years. There is a chance that he was unjustly convicted of the murders of his wife and daughter, ANP reports.
Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs said that the Netherlands expressed its support for an early release on humanitarian grounds. Singh is getting consular assistance from the Netherlands.
Jun 1 '18 11:20
Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs does not rule out that in the future the Netherlands will also hold Ukraine accountable for its role in the MH17 disaster. "There is no concrete legal ground for this, but the cabinet does not rule anything out", he said in a parliamentary debate on the government's decision to hold Russia accountable for its role in the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight, NU.nl reports.
May 30 '18 08:59
"When it comes to establishing the truth and accountability for what happened to MH17, no single state has the right to remain silent", Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs said to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, NOS reports.
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