Foreign minister Uri Rosenthal has held a series of bilateral talks with Asian government ministers in the margins of the meeting in Brunei between the European Union and ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The talks focused mainly on the Netherlands? economic relations with the various countries. ?There are plenty of opportunities in this part of the world. That is the message I?ve been hearing. There is a real need here for Dutch expertise, particularly in areas like water management, renewable energy, shipbuilding, logistics and port development,? Mr Rosenthal said. ?There is also scope for Dutch knowledge institutions to help strengthen professional training within these sectors.?
During the talks, ministers from Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore wanted to discuss Dutch expertise in renewable energy, technology, water management, agriculture and innovation. ?Their main interest lies in forging partnerships with the Dutch business sector,? Mr Rosenthal explained.
A shared need for broader cooperation was also on the agenda in Mr Rosenthal?s discussions with ministers from Brunei. The country?s economy is based on the production of petroleum and natural gas. Shell, which has been active in Brunei for more than 80 years, is the largest oil company in the country.
?There is room in Brunei for other sectors besides oil production and other companies besides Shell,? Mr Rosenthal said. ?We discussed the scope for cooperation on maritime infrastructure, port development, medical facilities, water management and agricultural technology.?
The minister also met with a number of Dutch professionals already based in Brunei. ?Members of the Dutch community told me we can expect more than enough work on infrastructure projects and in the oil and gas sector,? he said. ?The development of Muara Port, for example, presents opportunities for the Dutch transport and logistics sector, as well as for dredging and engineering firms.? The expats felt that Dutch businesses were still hesitant about investing in Brunei, and that lack of familiarity with the country was the main problem. According to Mr Rosenthal, ?Now is the time for the Netherlands to show more interest and initiative where Brunei is concerned.?
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