Welcome to the UK, Ambassador. Could you share with us your journey in diplomacy and what brought you to London?

Actually this is my first posting abroad. I have had a long career in civil service, in which international work always played an important role. For instance, before I came to London I was Secretary General (or Permanent Secretary as the British  would say) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague. And before that I was secretary general of the Prime Minister’s and Cabinet Office for six years when Mr Rutte was Prime Minister. During those years, I worked on a daily basis on international policies, travelled in an official capacity to many countries and hosted numerous delegations in The Hague. And it was my ambition to continue international work in my next role. After working intensively with ambassadors for many years I thought my broad experience might be put to good use as an ambassador. And luckily for me, others agreed and so I was appointed for this wonderful posting.

What excites you the most about representing the Netherlands in the UK?

First of all, this is a fascinating country with a unique history, culture, cities and nature. It has always been an extremely important country for the Netherlands. Just look at the level of mutual trade and investments and the number of Dutch citizens living and working here. But also the indispensable role the UK plays on the world stage. The UK and the Netherlands are always very aligned and work closely together when it comes to protecting our security and preserving the rule of law. There is not one policy area where we do not have close links. So from a diplomat’s point of view this post is as interesting and relevant as they can be.

Have you been able to get to know London and the rest of the UK in the short time that you’ve been Ambassador?

My wife and I have only arrived two months ago. So I would be presumptuous to say yes to this question. We use our free time to walk around as much as we can and get to know the city a bit more every day. And we are very aware that you have to make an effort to get out of London, or it will keep you in its comfortable grip for four years. Workwise I start by visiting our 11 honorary consuls throughout the UK who will show me around in their region. And privately, we are looking forward to take long weekends to explore the country from time to time.

What are your immediate priorities, as Ambassador, in strengthening the historic relationship between the Netherlands and the UK?

As North Sea Neighbours, the Netherlands and the UK share a significant relationship spanning centuries of trade and investment, the exchange of ideas in academia, art and design, and close alliances in the defence of liberty.

We are close allies across topics as security and upholding the international legal order, and we have shared interests in sustainable economic growth, climate change and health. Priorities lie in strengthening security cooperation, enhancing trade relations and foster people-to-people connections.

Since 2022 we have seen a sharp decline in the value of trade from the UK to the Netherlands. What do you believe continues to make the Netherlands an attractive export destination, despite these shortfalls?

The UK is an important trading partner for the Netherlands. Worldwide we indeed have seen a decline in both export and import values, partly due to price fluctuations in mineral fuels. Nevertheless, the UK is still in our top five of import partners, when looking at trade in goods. When we look at trade in services, the UK is our second largest import partner. It proves that our economies are interwoven. With our excellent infrastructure we are also seen as a ‘gateway to Europe’. The port of Rotterdam is undeniably important to the UK.

Despite having reached the TCA in 2020, many businesses continue to face regulatory and logistical challenges. How do you envision the Embassy working with British and Dutch businesses to help overcome these barriers and facilitate smoother trade?

Leaving the EU indeed changed the (trading) landscape four years ago. However, it is important to note that our economies remain interwoven and there are plenty of business opportunities in a wide range of areas, such as agriculture and renewable energy. Being informed about changes and having a network is crucial in order to successfully do business. As the Embassy we aim to help Dutch businesses with doing this, and therefore we focus on information sharing and bringing Dutch and British stakeholders together. We organise trade missions, incoming visits and other networking events.

How do you envision the cooperation between the Embassy and the NBCC in the coming years?

To strengthen the trade relations between the UK and the Netherlands, the NBCC and the Embassy network are in close contact on almost a daily basis and share a common goal: to provide entrepreneurs with excellent services! In my view, our cooperation with, amongst others, the NBCC should continue to be based on multiplying each other’s role and efforts, based on complementarity.

We, for example, have direct access to UK and Dutch authorities and the NBCC complements this governmental role of the Embassy in terms of lobby and advocacy primarily on behalf of its members. Such lobby and advocacy provides useful food for thought for decision-makers in The Hague and London to do the right thing for the business community.

Secondly, the Embassy has a team of experts in various fields. They are capable of informing, advising and supporting companies – collectively and on an individual basis – with deep knowledge of many sectors of the UK economy, an extensive network in both the Netherlands and the UK, and on financial instruments available from the Dutch government. As a peer-to-peer platform, I believe the NBCC complements this Embassy role, by providing a platform where NBCC shares its network with its members.

Looking ahead, what are you most excited about in the changing relationship between the Netherlands and the UK?

Both of our countries have new governments. This can help shape a forward-looking agenda that reflects the evolving interests and challenges of both countries.