The Minister of External Relations to visit the Netherlands -The Hague, 4 July 2013

The Minister of External Relations, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, will visit the Netherlands on July 4. In the Hague, he will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Frans Timmermans, and the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ahmet Üzümcü.

The Foreign Ministers of Brazil and the Netherlands will examine strategies to deepen bilateral cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, infrastructure, energy and education. Ministers Patriota and Timmermans will also exchange views on the negotiations for an Association Agreement between Mercosur and the European Union. In addition, they will discuss human rights issues and themes on the international peace and security agenda.

The Netherlands is the fifth largest trading partner of Brazil. In 2012, trade flow reached US$ 18.1 billion, which represents a 50% increase from 2008.

The Brazilian Minister and the Director-General of the OPCW will discuss themes on the disarmament agenda, with emphasis on the efforts to thoroughly destroy chemical weapons stockpiles and on the allegations that chemical weapons have been used in the Syrian conflict.