Australia and the Netherlands have formally elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, giving the two countries a stronger framework for cooperation in trade, investment, security, innovation and other areas of mutual interest.
The agreement was announced on 23 September by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week in New York. The full text of the Strategic Partnership is published by DFAT.
Why it matters for business
For the Dutch-Australian business community, the partnership is particularly significant at a time of growing international economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Australia and the Netherlands are both strongly committed to open international trade, the rules-based international order and closer cooperation between like-minded countries.
The Strategic Partnership specifically identifies trade and investment as a key area for further cooperation. The two governments have committed to strengthening bilateral trade and investment, supporting resilient supply chains and expanding cooperation in areas including critical technologies, clean energy and the energy transition.
This comes as Australia and the European Union work towards concluding their long-running Free Trade Agreement negotiations, which would give economic relations between Australia and the Netherlands a further boost.
Built on more than trade
Importantly, the new partnership is built on much more than government and commercial relations. It recognises centuries of shared history and strong people-to-people links, including Australia’s Dutch migrant community and longstanding maritime, military and mercantile connections.
The Dutch Australian Cultural Centre (DACC) has published a separate article looking more closely at the partnership’s recognition of that shared maritime, migrant, military and mercantile heritage — the “Four Ms” that form an important part of Dutch-Australian cultural cooperation.
For the Dutch Chamber of Commerce Queensland and our members, the Strategic Partnership is a welcome broader framework within which Dutch-Queensland business, investment, innovation and institutional relationships can continue to grow, particularly as Queensland prepares for the opportunities that come with Brisbane 2032.
Paul Budde
