Foreign relations of the Netherlands
While historically the Kingdom of the Netherlands was a neutral state, since 1945 it has become a member of NATO, the United Nations, the European Union and many other international organizations.
In 1815–1940 it was neutral and played a minor role in world diplomacy, apart from a failed effort to control the seceding Southern provinces that became Belgium before giving up in 1839.
This approach failed during the Second World War however and the kingdom quickly fell to an unprovoked German invasion in 1940 and would remain under Nazi occupation until being liberated by the allies in 1945.
During the Cold War like most Western European countries, the Dutch aligned with the United States against the Soviet Union, co-founding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in 1949.
The Dutch postwar customs union with Belgium and Luxembourg (the Benelux group) paved the way for the formation of the European Community (precursor to the EU), of which the Netherlands was a founding member.
In addition, Dutch financial minister Gerrit Zalm was the main critic of the violation of the Stability and Growth Pact by France and Germany in 2004 and 2005.
[5] The Netherlands was the 9th-largest donor country in 2021, giving about $5 billion, about 0.5% of its gross national income (GNI), in official development assistance (ODA).
[6] The country contributes through multilateral channels, especially the United Nations Development Programme, the international financial institutions, and EU programs.
A large portion of Dutch aid funds is also channeled through private ("co-financing") organizations that have almost total autonomy in choice of projects.
[citation needed] The Netherlands is a member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which recently initiated economic reforms in central Europe.
The Dutch strongly support the Middle East peace process and in 1998 earmarked $29 million in contributions to international donor-coordinated activities for the occupied territories and also for projects in which they worked directly with Palestinian authorities.
"[8] As a relatively small country, the Netherlands generally pursues its foreign policy interests within the framework of multilateral organizations.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ben Bot traveled to Damascus, negotiated and on December 22 the children finally could return to the Netherlands.
[13] In September 2018, the Dutch public prosecution department declared the Levant Front to be a "criminal organisation of terrorist intent", describing it as a "salafist and jihadistic" group that "strives for the setting up of the caliphate".
[213][55] Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 January 1939[216] Canada has an embassy in The Hague and the Netherlands has one in Ottawa, and three Consulates-General in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
Canada and the Netherlands also work together on such issues as the prohibition and elimination of anti-personnel mines, the control of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, eradicating the worst forms of child labour, the provision of rapid reaction peacekeeping forces to the United Nations (SHIRBRIG) and regional security issues such as Bosnia (SFOR) and Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 May 1946 when has been accredited Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands to Hohduras with residence in Guatemala Mr. G. M.
The regulations detail the formalities residents of the Netherlands must observe "in order to be exempt from, or obtain a refund of, the Mexican withholding taxes on dividends, interest and royalties.
The Dutch have worked with the United States at the World Trade Organization, in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, as well as within the European Union to advance the shared U.S. goal of a more open and market-led global economy.
[259][260] Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 May 1935 when has been accredited Chargé d'Affaires of Netherlands to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) C. Adriaanse also to Iraq.
The Dutch established relations with the Sultanate of Johor in the early 17th century, and in 1641 they captured the Portuguese colony of Malacca (on the south-eastern coast of today's Peninsular Malaysia).
[270] Both countries established diplomatic relations on 9 June 1930 when first the Netherlands Chargé d'Affaires, M. Van de Meulen, presented letters of credence to King Ibn Saud.
During the Cold War, all the Dutch consecutive governments perceived the Warsaw pact including the Soviet Union and Russia as a threat to its safety.
[17][failed verification] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,[315] Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
