Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,
The Queen and I are delighted to have the opportunity to meet you here at ‘Holland
on the Hill’. Tonight we celebrate our friendship. A very special bond that has united us for centuries. As I’m sure we all know, it was the Dutch who gave the ‘First Salute’ to the United States during its struggle to gain independence, 250 years ago.
More than five million Americans have Dutch roots, and I’ve no doubt that includes some of you here this evening. I only need to look at the names of the Dutch Caucus members for confirmation – some of them sound very familiar! But even if you don’t have family ties with the Netherlands, I hope you feel welcome.
The Queen and I hope our visit will strengthen the special bond between the United States and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
I could say a great deal about our shared history, but I’m not going to do that. I’d prefer to talk about our future. And about how we can best protect the things that we value most in the years ahead.
What is it that we value most?
Maybe I could summarise it with the following words – words that all of us will recognise: ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’.
It’s my firm belief that all three of these things are best served by stability and cooperation between strong, democratic and reliable partners. Partners with a solid track record, who have proved that they want to serve the common interest.
Partners like these are worth their weight in gold, particularly in an unpredictable world full of ruthless competition for power and influence.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Kingdom of the Netherlands is just such a strong, reliable partner.
Obviously there’s a difference of scale between our two countries. And yet… The Netherlands is the world’s 18th-largest economy, with a GDP half the size of Russia’s. We’re the fourth-largest international investor in the United States. The economic ties between our countries support more than one million American jobs. And as a founding member of the European Union, we are part of – and a gateway to – one of the world’s three biggest trading blocs.
We make an essential contribution to a dynamic US economy. And in this House, where promoting economic growth is of central importance, I’d like to add: the US and the Netherlands became great thanks to free trade.
But our relations go further and deeper too.
As NATO allies, we’ve been protecting our free societies from ruthless aggressors like Russia for more than 75 years.
As innovation partners, we’ve combined our knowledge and technology. And we’ve raised our healthcare, water management, agriculture and energy infrastructure to an ever higher standard.
As members of the circle of democracies, we cherish our freedom. And we keep each other on our toes. Because friends are entitled to exchange views. And to speak up for values and principles they consider especially important, such as dialogue and cooperation.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands will always remain dedicated to promoting an international order based on law and rules. That’s the only path to peace and stability.
We remain committed to sustainability and to innovative climate policy. Both are essential to the future of our planet and to the prosperity and wellbeing of our children and grandchildren.
In a world where we all depend on each other, liberty must go hand in hand with responsibility.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands will always stress that global challenges need to be tackled jointly. We firmly believe that international organisations and agreements are essential to peace, security and sustainable growth.
The best guarantee of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’ is not a world in which we ball up our fists, but one in which we reach out our hands.
And this ‘Holland on the Hill’ network is all about reaching out. I’m very proud that, 250 years after the ‘First Salute’, there are so many different companies and organisations represented at this gathering, thanks to their ties with the Netherlands.
Unfortunately we won’t have the chance to speak to everyone individually this evening. So I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all. You’re all extremely valuable. But the greatest added value is to be found in the connections among you.
Whatever you want to achieve and whatever your goals are, you need the help of others in order to be successful. So I encourage you to seize this networking opportunity and enjoy this evening.
Thank you.