Press release: PM meeting with Prime Minister Mark Rutte: 3 July 2018

A Downing Street Spokesperson said:

This afternoon, the Prime Minister met Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands for a working lunch at the Catshuis in the Hague.

The Prime Minister began by welcoming the closeness and warmth of our relationship with the Netherlands, and the importance of our trading relationship and close cooperation on matters of internal security and foreign policy.

The Prime Ministers welcomed today’s announcement of the State Visit of Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to the UK in October 2018, recognising that the visit would be an opportunity to celebrate the historic ties between our two Royal families and reflect our cultural and social ties.

In light of recent challenges to the international rules based system, the Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Rutte for his support in holding those responsible to account following the attack in Salisbury. The Prime Ministers recognised the Conference as an important victory for the prohibition of the use of chemical weapons.

The Prime Minister also reiterated the UK’s continuing support for the Netherlands in their effort to deliver justice for all those who died in the MH17 tragedy.

The Prime Minister then made the case for an ambitious economic and security partnership with the European Union. She and Prime Minister Rutte discussed the importance of ensuring that trade between the Netherlands and the UK remained as frictionless as possible following the UK’s exit from the EU.

In the spirit of maintaining close ties between the people of the UK and the Netherlands, both leaders welcomed the launch of the London-Rotterdam-Amsterdam Eurostar service.