The first foreign visit by brand-new Minister-President Jan Jambon took place on 14 October. And that was traditionally to the Netherlands. In The Hague, he was warmly welcomed by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Minister-President Rutte wished the Government of Flanders every success and expressed his pride with the many mentions of the Netherlands in the Government Agreement. "Flanders and the Netherlands not only share a history and a language, but also a strong economic bond," Rutte emphasized.
Both Ministers-presidents hope to strengthen years of cooperation and to further tackle cross-border challenges such as climate and the circular economy together.
An impending brexit is an important area where close cooperation between Flanders and the Netherlands is required. The recent KUL study on the impact of Brexit on EU economies commissioned by the Flemish Government, shows that there will be potential heavy job losses in Flanders and the Netherlands.
Minister-president Jambon urged to come up with a strong answer: “The Netherlands and Flanders are two regions that will be hit hard. Brexit is therefore the biggest challenge that we face today," he emphasized.
In his nine years as Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Jambon is the third Flemish Minister-President to be received by Mark Rutte and with whom he will collaborate.
- Read more about our cooperation with the Netherlands
- General Representation of the Government of Flanders in the Netherlands
- Source: VRT NWS
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