Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a bilateral meeting with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the United Nation Headquarters on the sidelines of the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 20, 2017. (Amr Alfiky/REUTERS)

Prime minister of Netherlands to visit Canada

The prime minister of the Netherlands will visit Canada next week to explore possibilities of expanding and deepening the special relationship between the two countries, the Prime Minister’s Office announced Tuesday.

Mark Rutte and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are expected to discuss the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) to identify opportunities for increased trade and collaboration between the Netherlands and Canada, the PMO said in a press release.

In 2017, the two-way merchandise trade between Canada and the Netherlands totaled $7.1 billion, making the Netherlands Canada’s fifth-largest merchandise trading partner in the EU.

“Canada and the Netherlands are dear friends who share a rich history, common values, and many shared goals,” Trudeau said in a statement. “I look forward to meeting again with Prime Minister Rutte to deepen our friendship and advance the good work we are already doing to create new opportunities for Canadians and Dutch alike.”

Rutte will also become the first Dutch prime minister to address the Canadian Parliament on Oct. 25. He will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the presence of Canadian veterans who served during WWII.

Canada played a leading role in liberating the Netherlands from the Nazis and hosted part of the Dutch Royal Family during the country’s five-year German occupation.

Princess Margriet was born in exile while her family lived in Ottawa. The Canadian government temporarily declared the maternity ward of Ottawa Civic Hospital in which she was born to be extraterritorial to allow the newborn princess to claim only Dutch citizenship and remain in line for the throne.

To commemorate the birth, the Canadian Parliament flew the Dutch flag over Peace Tower, making it only time a foreign flag has flown over the Canadian Parliament.

Following the liberation of Netherlands, the grateful Royal Family sent thousands of tulip bulbs to be planted in Ottawa. The annual tradition set the foundation for Ottawa’s world-famous Tulip Festival.

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