Speech by Mayor Van Aartsen at the New Year’s reception of the NICCT on 30 January 2012

Speech by Mayor Van Aartsen at the New Year’s reception of the NICCT on 30 January 2012

Madam Ambassador,
Excellencies,
Mr Chairman,
Ladies and gentlemen,

In December I was lucky enough to pay a visit to Bharat Mata, your beautiful country. Although I had been there before, this trip was to be an unforgettable experience. The reception we had in India was incredibly warm and the impressions this visit left me with were numerous. The most pervasive of these impressions was the enormous dynamism that India exudes.

I’m reminded of an impression that symbolises this dynamism aptly. As we drove to the embassy in New Delhi from Gandhi International Airport, I was struck by the fact that the drivers of all the vehicles we passed along the way had one thing in common: they were intent only on what was happening ahead of them, and not at all on what was happening behind them. While I’d rather not get into a discussion of the merits of the rear view mirror in motor cars … I found that image of so many people looking resolutely ahead and not backwards aptly symbolic of the enormous growth that India is experiencing.

Growth that is also having its effect on the trade relations between the Netherlands and India. The Netherlands is the number four investor in India, a situation which has existed for a long time. Our trade relations form part of an extended common Dutch-Indian history.

A history that goes back over four centuries, and that originated in the trading relations established by the Dutch East India Company with the communities of India’s west coast. Today, the remains of these seventeenth and eighteenth-century trading posts are not only silent witnesses of this remote past, they also form valuable historic heritage for India and the Netherlands alike.

To get back to the present: Looking ahead! The impressive growth in the Indian economy is making itself felt here in the Netherlands, and increasingly in The Hague, too. Whereas in the past Western companies relocated their service provision to India, currently it is Indians particularly who are coming our way. In the past couple of years various Indian multinationals and medium-sized companies have chosen the Netherlands as the site for their base in Europe. More and more Indian companies are finding their way to the Rotterdam – The Hague Metropolitan Region, which is steadily becoming India’s Gateway to Europe.

Here in The Hague, too, Indian business is growing steadily. The presence of various corporate headquarters, including many in the IT sector, makes our city attractive to Indian companies such as HCL Technologies and Mahendra Satyam. Conversely, Indian companies are servicing increasing numbers of large customers such as Aegon, KPN and Philips in our region.

The Netherlands Indian Chamber of Commerce and Trade plays an important role in this process, especially as regards sharing quality knowledge and expertise, which can only be to the benefit of the growing Indian economy. In addition, the NICCT’s efforts towards the lowering of barriers restricting trade between India and the Netherlands are appreciated.

The Municipality of The Hague also wishes to contribute actively to the strengthening of our ties with India in its own right. During my visit to India I offered minister Purandeswari six study grants for the prestigious Hague Academy of International Law’s Summer School. I also discussed the possibility of cooperation between the Haagse Hogeschool and Indian educational institutions with her. In addition, we are looking into the role The Hague Institute for Global Justice could play in India.

In this respect it is not insignificant that The Hague, besides being the international city of peace and justice, also prides itself on being the Hindustani capital of the European continent. As a result, many Indians feel at home in The Hague very quickly. We expect that the Ghandi Centre, which was opened here last year, will also contribute to this. The fact that Pravasi Bharatiya Divas has been held in The Hague twice now, confirms this special position of our city.

To bolster the cultural exchange with India even further, an India month will be organised in The Hague every year, starting in 2013. This event will feature dance, music, film and literature.
 
And Hindustani culture also plays an important role in The Hague’s candidacy for the 2018 European Capital of Culture. And as recently as last spring, a statue of the world-famous poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was unveiled in our Central Library.

Being international is in our genes. The Hague has been an open city since time immemorial. Other cities were invariably surrounded by walls in bygone days, but The Hague has never been walled in. Our city still retains its open character, which has always been our strong point, even today. The Hague is at home in the world, and conversely, the world is at home in The Hague.

Under the pressure of the financial crisis, some people in Europe – and in the Netherlands too – have a tendency to turn their backs on the rest of the world. I emphatically reject this trend. Our future lies in international collaboration and exchange, not in ‘splendid isolation’.

It is precisely as an international, open city with a large Hindustani community that The Hague, together with Rotterdam, is eminently suited for serving as a European gateway for India, Indian companies and Indian culture.

We are presently facing tremendous challenges – not just in Europe, but across the globe. It is up to all of us to take on these challenges and find solutions for today’s problems. We will only succeed in this endeavour if we work together: North and South, East and West. For this reason, the Netherlands cherishes – and The Hague cherishes – its centuries-old ties with India. At the same time, these ancient ties form the pillars for a bridge that can lead us towards a joint future. Or, as Tagore wrote to his Dutch friend Frederik van Eeden after being awarded the Nobel Prize:

“It is the handshake of sympathy of the East and West across the water.
It has proclaimed the oneness of humanity.”

In this spirit of solidarity, a solidarity and connection between East and West, I wish you all a particularly good, healthy and successful 2012. We keep looking ahead. You too?