The Hague, Netherlands, May 16, 2026 — Kuldeep Shekhawat, who leads Overseas Friends of BJP in the United Kingdom, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands historic and said the strong turnout by the Indian diaspora underscored India’s rising global stature and rapid progress. Shekhawat made the remarks to ANI on Saturday.
Shekhawat said it was impressive to hear Modi speak about the India-Netherlands partnership and to see the way members of the Indian community in The Hague gathered to welcome him. He described the event as evidence of India’s growing international influence and praised the Prime Minister’s focused address.
Earlier in the day, Modi held courtesy meetings with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. Later, speaking at an event for the Indian community, the Prime Minister highlighted close people-to-people ties between the two countries and the warm reception he received, saying the atmosphere felt more like a festival in India than a visit abroad and that The Hague had become a living symbol of friendship with India.
Modi drew a parallel between the Netherlands’ tulips and India’s lotus, noting that both flowers teach lessons about beauty and strength regardless of whether their roots are in water or on land.
The visit is the second by Modi to the Netherlands, his previous trip being in 2017, and comes during the second leg of a five-nation European tour. He is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten as part of efforts to deepen cooperation across defence, security, innovation, green hydrogen, semiconductors and water management through a Strategic Partnership on Water.
The Netherlands is a major European trading partner for India, with bilateral trade valued at USD 27.8 billion in 2024-25. It is also one of India’s largest investors, with cumulative foreign direct investment of USD 55.6 billion.
This report is based on a syndicated ANI feed and was published as received.
