Visiting Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Netherlands, Mark Rutte says he cannot give a definite answer as to when his country will establish its embassy in Nigeria.
Rutte was speaking while answering questions from newsmen after his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The meeting between the two leaders reportedly reviewed progress on implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen bilateral relations between Nigeria and the Netherlands which was signed at The Hague in July 2018.
The Foreign Affairs Ministers of both countries signed the agreement last year when President Buhari visited The Hague to take part in the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The diplomatic mission of the Netherlands in Nigeria is currently operated under the European Union Common Embassy in Abuja with the Deputy Head of Mission, Ewout-Jan de Wit. Nigerians travelling to the Netherlands have to apply for the Schengen Visa with Belgium or France as the most preferred country of first entry before proceeding to the final destination in the land of the Dutch.
President Buhari and Prime Minister Rutte agreed during their meeting in Abuja that their countries would continue to work together to improve bilateral trade volumes as well as private sector investments.
Prime Minister Rutte who is on a two-day working visit to Nigeria is leading a trade delegation of eight chief executives of Dutch multinationals currently operating in Nigeria with huge investment portfolios in the agriculture, finance, oil and gas sectors.
Already the visit has witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on dairy chain development between Royal FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Niger State Government. The agreement is expected to save Nigeria about $1.2 billion every year from milk importation.
Nigeria maintains an embassy in the Kingdom of Netherlands with Oji Nyimenuate Ngofa as the current ambassador. He succeeded Dr Nimota Nihinlola ganisatiAkanbi who is the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi. Ambassador Akanbi was also Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the Oron for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
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