RAJYA SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO.190
TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2019
MOUS AND AGREEMENTS WITH THE NETHERLANDS
*190. SHRIMATI SHANTA CHHETRI :
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government has signed MoUs and agreements with the Netherlands;
(b) whether Government has expressed concerns regarding climate change with the Netherlands; and
(c) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[DR. SUBRAHMANYAM JAISHANKAR]
(a) to (c) A statement is laid on the table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (C) OF THE RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *190 REGARDING "MOUS AND AGREEMENTS WITH THE NETHERLANDS” FOR ANSWER ON 05.12.2019
India has wide ranging cooperation with Netherlands in the fields of Science and Technology, Water management, Ports, Shipping, Inland Waterways, Agriculture, Food Processing, Healthcare, Space, Urban Development & Smart Cities, renewable energy, Sports, and
Skill Development. This cooperation is both at the government level and at the Business-to-Business level. Currently, there are thirty three (33) active MOUs and Agreements signed between the Government of India with The Netherlands, which are as follows:
(i) Air Services Agreement (May 1951).
(ii) Treaty for the Mutual Surrender of Fugitive Criminals (Anglo–Dutch Treaty of 1898 effected in 1971).
(iii) Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation (February 1983).
(iv) Cultural Agreement (May 1985).
(v) Agreement on Scientific Cooperation (November 1985).
(vi) MoU for cooperation in the field of telecommunications (September 1987).
(vii) MoU on environmental cooperation (January 1988).
(viii) Avoidance of Double Taxation Prevention of Fiscal Evasion (July 1988).
(ix) MoU on cooperation in agriculture and animal husbandry (September 1990).
(x) Agreement for the promotion and protection of investments (November 1995).
(xi) MoU for investment promotion (February 2004).
(xii) MoU on Cultural Cooperation (October 2007).
(xiii) MoU in the field of Ports and Maritime Transport and Logistics (February 2008) - further extended in May 2011 for 3 years.
(xiv) MoU on Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation (March 2008).
(xv) Social Security Agreement (October 2009).
(xvi) MoU for establishment of "Long-Term Chair for study of Contemporary India” at Leiden University between Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Leiden University (December 2010).
(xvii) Letter of Intent (LOI) for Cooperation in areas of Corporate Governance and CSRs (June 2011).
(xviii) Revised Protocol amending Convention between India and Netherlands on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion (May 2012).
(xix) MoU on Food Safety between Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and Consumer Product Safety Authority under Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Kingdom
of the Netherlands (November 2012).
(xx) MoU in the field of Spatial Planning, Water Management and Mobility Management (May 2013).
(xxi) MoU on Cooperation in the field of Healthcare and Public Health (January 2014).
(xxii) MoU on technical cooperation in the field of the development of sports infrastructure (January 2014).
(xxiii) MoU on Cooperation in Renewal Energy (February 2014).
(xxiv) MoU on Joint Trade & Investment Committee (November 2014).
(xxv) Joint Program of Cooperation on strengthening the bilateral cooperation in the area of Electric Mobility (June 2015).
(xxvi) MoU on cooperation in the field of Water Management (June 2017).
(xxvii) MoU on Cultural Cooperation (June 2017).
(xxviii)Protocol amending the Agreement on Social Security (June 2017).
(xxix) Extension of MoU on Technical Cooperation in the field of Spatial Planning, Water Management and Mobility Management (April 2018) MoU between Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, Republic of India and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands (May 2018).
(xxx) Letter of Intent (LOI) on an Agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters (January 2019).
(xxxi) Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance (May 2018).
(xxxii) MoU between the Foreign Service Institute, MEA and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands (May 2018).
(xxxiii)Agreement for Mutual Protection of Classified Information between the Defence Ministries of India and the Netherlands (Oct 2019).
2. India and The Netherlands discuss all mutually important bilateral, regional and international issues, including concerns on Climate Change. These are also reflected in the Joint Statements issued after the Summit level meetings.
3. Relevant portions of the paragraphs on climate change reflected in the Joint Statements after the Summit level meetings in 2017 and 2018 are as under:
India-Netherlands Joint Communique The Hague, (June 27, 2017)
Prime Minister Modi invited the Netherlands to join the International Solar Alliance [ISA]. Prime Minister Rutte appreciated the lead taken by India to galvanise global action on Climate Change through the initiative and declared that the Netherlands would
consider the invitation positively.
India-Netherlands Joint Statement during visit of Prime Minister of Netherlands to India (May 24, 2018)
The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to combat climate change, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change, in line with the Paris Agreement. They committed to fully implement the Agreement under the framework of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a part of an irreversible global process at combating climate change for the benefit of all humanity.
Both sides noted that addressing climate change and promoting secure, affordable and sustainable supplies of energy are key shared priorities, and agreed to undertake mutual cooperation for reducing the cost of development and deployment of clean energy projects
through technology innovation, knowledge sharing, capacity building, trade and investment, and project establishment.
India welcomed the signing of the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance by the Netherlands. The two Prime Ministers urged research institutions and industry to collaborate, including in third countries, to promote greater use of solar technologies
through the International Solar Alliance that will also benefit the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
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