Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof emphasised the importance of the Benelux union and future cooperation when meeting with Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden on Monday, who hailed the visit as a reaffirmation of their historically close relationship.
New Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof conducted the first of his bilateral working visits on Monday, taking a trip to the Netherlands' neighbouring countries. Schoof attended meetings in Brussels before proceeding to Luxembourg, where he met with PM Luc Frieden.
Frieden labelled the visit a testament to the important role that the new Dutch government awards to the Benelux union, which was founded 80 years ago this September. As a representative of the new Dutch right-wing conservative government, Schoof said they intended to continue the cooperation with Belgium and Luxembourg in the future.
Speaking to the press after their encounter, Frieden said he was certain the historically close relationship with the Netherlands will continue to prosper: "I gather that [the Dutch government] wants to cooperate with Luxembourg in the future. The Netherlands' new government is made up of four parties where perhaps one or the other will want explanations, and therefore it was important to listen to Prime Minister Schoof regarding the different positions on various points. It is clear that they want to continue working with their historic partners in Europe, NATO, and Benelux, and I welcome this news."
As the new PM, Schoof heads up a government which includes Geert Wilder's anti-migration Party for Freedom (PVV), the liberal-conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), New Social Contract (NSC), and the Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB). Schoof does not belong to any of the aforementioned parties, having served as a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Justice for many years, as well as heading up the Dutch secret service. He is widely considered to be an expert on security and migration.
