Amsterdam, 13 August 2022 (TDI): The Embassy of Pakistan in the Netherlands started Pakistan’s independence day celebrations on Friday with a mango festival.
The mango festival featured special custom boxes of mangoes sent by the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan to the Netherlands and distributed by the Pakistani Embassy.
Pakistani mangoes are always a special gift.
Special Gift of custom boxes of mangoes from the President & the Prime Minister of Pakistan have been received for Dutch dignitaries which were distributed by @PakinNetherland.#mangodiplomacy#75thpayKuchKhaas@PkPublicDiplo pic.twitter.com/5gitG6bBe4
— Pakistan Embassy Netherlands (@PakinNetherland) August 12, 2022
Pakistan came into being on 14 August 1947, and the independence day of Pakistan is celebrated every year with great joy. This year, Pakistan will celebrate its 75th independence day.
Bilateral relations
Pakistan and the Netherlands developed bilateral relations shortly after Pakistan gained independence. The Dutch Embassy in Karachi was established in 1955 and relocated to Islamabad ten years later. Currently, the Netherlands has an embassy in Islamabad and honorary consulates in Karachi and Lahore, whereas Pakistan has an embassy in the Netherlands.
Pakistan quickly became a partner state for the Netherlands, receiving significant Development Cooperation grants beginning in the 1960s, particularly in water management/environment, education, and governance.
Since 2004, the Netherlands has hosted more than 100 Pakistani junior diplomats who were educated and graduated from the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael.
Pakistan and the Netherlands have always enjoyed excellent bilateral relations based on common interests and mutual respect. Strong trade and investment cooperation have always been important components of Dutch-Pakistan bilateral relations.
The fiscal year 2022 has been the year of consistent economic growth for the two countries. Dutch companies are invited from time to time to explore business opportunities in Pakistan.
In May 2022, a trade delegation of 9 Pakistani companies also participated in the Dairy and Cheese Mission in the Netherlands.
Pakistan and The Netherlands enjoy cordial relations bilaterally as well as in the context of the EU. The Netherlands is the second largest trade partner of Pakistan in EU and one of the largest investors in Pakistan.
The Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) was an excellent template and a success story of mutually beneficial cooperation, as Pakistan’s export to the Netherlands increased by 103 percent, and the Netherlands’ exports to Pakistan grew by 107 percent.
Student of BS-International Relations at Quaid-i-Azam University
