PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim today received a courtesy call from his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte at Seri Perdana, Putrajaya as Malaysia and The Netherlands continued to strengthen bilateral relations.

Rutte arrived in Malaysia yesterday for a two-day working visit, his second to this country after his maiden trip in 2014.

Anwar received Rutte at the prime minister’s official residence at almost noon before the two leaders proceeded for talks, during which they discussed bilateral relations between Malaysia and The Netherlands and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

After an hour-long meeting, Anwar hosted a luncheon in honour of Rutte’s working visit to Malaysia.

Last year, The Netherlands was Malaysia’s 14th largest trading partner and the second largest in the European Union with a trade volume of RM48.04 billion, an increase of 33.4% against RM36.01 billion in 2021.

The Netherlands is also the largest importer of Malaysian palm oil among EU countries with 732,324.54 tonnes. – Bernama, November 1, 2023.