JAKARTA, 17 May 2024 – Following the conferment of the status of Development Partner on the Kingdom of the Netherlands by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in September 2023, the First ASEAN-Netherlands Development Partnership Committee (AN-DPC) Meeting was held today at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat.

During the Meeting, officials from both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance their development partnership as well as exchanged views on ways to enrich the partnership for mutual benefit.  They deliberated on potential areas for future cooperation between both sides, including: law of the sea, peace and reconciliation, counter-terrorism and combating transnational crime, trade and investment, cybersecurity, green growth and energy transition, sustainable agriculture, food security, blue economy, water management, education, cooperation with ASEAN Centres of Excellence, narrowing the development gap and connectivity.

Both sides also underlined the importance of exploring cooperation in the areas of climate change, digital economy, creative industry, port safety, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), science, technology and innovation, people-to-people exchanges, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), women and girls’ rights, tourism, smart cities and mainstreaming the four priorities of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Following the adoption of the Terms of Reference of the AN-DPC, the Meeting agreed to commence work on the drafting of the Practical Cooperation Areas (PCA). The document will serve as a platform for pursuing functional cooperation between both sides for the next five years.

Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Political-Security Community Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz and Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands H.E. Aldrik Gierveld co-chaired the Meeting. Members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN or their representatives, were in attendance. Timor-Leste participated as Observer.

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