Amsterdam, May 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Netherlands counterpart Rob Jetten visited the Afsluitdijk Dam on Sunday. 

Following this, PM Modi took to X and said, "An area in which the Netherlands has done pioneering work is water resources. There is a lot the entire global community can learn from them. This morning, I had the opportunity to visit the Afsluitdijk and understand the salient features of this project. I am thankful to PM Rob Jetten for accompanying me here."

"We are working to bring modern technology to India aimed at helping in irrigation, flood control and expanding the inland waterway network," he added.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that PM Modi's visit to the dam highlighted the relevance of Dutch expertise for India’s Kalpasar Project in Gujarat.

"A symbol of engineering excellence and innovation! Accompanied by PM Rob Jetten of the Netherlands, PM Narendra Modi visited the iconic Afsluitdijk Dam, a symbol of Dutch excellence in water management, flood protection and freshwater storage," Jaiswal posted on X.

"The visit highlighted the relevance of Dutch expertise for India’s Kalpasar Project in Gujarat, which aims to create a freshwater reservoir and dam near the Gulf of Khambhat. The visit underscored opportunities for deeper Indo-Dutch collaboration in climate resilience, water technology and sustainable infrastructure," he added.

On Saturday, PM Modi held a meeting with Rob Jetten at the latter's official residence (Catshuis) in The Hague, the MEA said in a statement.

The two Prime Ministers held wide-ranging discussions on strengthening the India-Netherlands relationship, the ministry statement added.

Reflecting the shared values and trust, as well as increasing convergence and growing cooperation between the two countries, the leaders decided to elevate the bilateral relationship to a "Strategic Partnership".

They also agreed to adopt an ambitious Roadmap for Strategic Partnership to deepen cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, defence and security, emerging and critical technologies, maritime sector, renewable energy and education, the MEA statement said.

Taking note of expanding business, investment, technology and innovation partnerships, the leaders of the two countries noted that opportunities presented by the Indian growth story offer promising business prospects to Dutch companies, the statement added.

Underscoring the significance of cooperation in WAH (Water, Agriculture and Health), they agreed to further intensify the Strategic Partnership on Water through collaboration on large-scale water projects.

"The Prime Ministers of the two countries also welcomed the expanding cooperation across key sectors, including healthcare research, digital health, agriculture, and food safety," the MEA statement said.

During the talks, the two leaders attached importance to expanding the trade and investment relationship between the two countries.

They also affirmed that India-Netherlands cooperation in critical minerals will support resilient supply chains, the MEA statement added. The two leaders also called for greater collaboration in emerging technologies, including AI and Semiconductors.

Highlighting the strong cultural relations between the two nations, Prime Minister Modi thanked the Netherlands government for facilitating the return of the 11th-century Chola plates. In this regard, the two leaders also welcomed the collaboration between Leiden University Library and the Archaeological Survey of India, which will help advance knowledge of these historic artefacts.

--IANS