Irreplaceable memories in Netherlands

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To this day, former Vietnamese Ambassador to Netherlands, Mr. Nguyen Van Doan, still holds dear the memories of the days when he worked there. With fondness, he mentioned how the humble size of the country does not stop it from being a prosperous, highly disciplined society with kind-hearted and generous people.

Mr. Nguyen Van Doan fell in love with the Netherlands in 1994 when he first travelled there to joined a seven-month course on “International relations development” at the International Institute of Social Studies. Nearly 20 years later, he got the opportunity to live and work in the country he loved as the Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands for 3 years, from 2013 to 2016.

A corner view of Amsterdam.

A “modest” country

Something that stood out to Mr. Doan about the Netherlands is that despite enjoying such great economic growth, the citizens in this country are humble. This personality is similar to the “pragmatic”, unnerving play-style of their famous national soccer team, nicknamed “The Orange Tornado”. “This modesty stems from many citizens’ awareness of the importance of thriftiness and making the best out of their resources. This mentality has helped the country to reach impressive achievements both socially and economically, despite its humble size and low population”, Mr. Doan said.

According to Mr. Doan, despite its small size, the Netherlands is home to many international organizations, alongside more than 140 embassies. During his mission as an ambassador to the country, Mr. Doan got the opportunity to attend the 3^rd Nuclear Security Summit at The Hague with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and high ranking Vietnamese delegations in March 2014. He also got to accompany the Netherlands’ Prime Minister Mark Rutte on his trip to Vietnam in June 2014. He was also honoured to become the first Rotating President of the ASEAN Committee at The Hague on November 2015.

Another amazing achievement of the Netherlands is having the largest share in the global exports of flowers, while its exports of agricultural products generate enormous profits, second only to the United States, even with only 3% of the population of the country working in the agricultural sector. Additionally, the “land of Tulips” is also successful in their policies dealing with climate change, renewable energy, maritime economy, etc.

Moreover, studying abroad in the Netherlands is increasingly attractive as the country’s education system emphasizes on substantive knowledge, yet remains affordable and creates opportunities for travelling. According to Mr. Doan, the number of Vietnamese studying abroad in the Netherlands is on the rise.

Furthermore, the Vietnamese Student Society in the Netherlands always organizes many activities aiming to actively support the Embassy’s work. While studying abroad in the Netherlands in 1994, he gained a lot of experience on how to research, self-study, self-dialogue, and essay-writing.

Mr. Nguyen Van Doan (first row, second from the right) in the Netherlands.

Kind-hearted citizens

The Netherlands has one of the most diverse cultures in the world. However, many immigrants find it easy to assimilate into the country. According to Mr. Doan, this stability is due to the fact that “the Netherlands has clear immigration policies, good law and order, while many Dutch people always respect and do not discriminate against immigrants”. Dutch people’s kindness is also evident as foreign aid always accounts for the highest proportion in the country’s GDP.

The Netherlands and many Dutch people treat Vietnam and Vietnamese people with great kindness. Even though there have yet been a central organization for the Vietnamese communities in the Netherlands, many Vietnamese citizens have been given many opportunities to assimilate into the country. Mr. Doan remembers fondly the respected members of the Medical Committee Netherlands - Vietnam, an organization established in 1968. During the Vietnam War, the organization campaigned against the unjust war, sent doctors, raised money for medicine and medical appliances. In peacetime, they continue to aid Vietnam by organizing programmes to help disabled and disadvantaged children from isolated areas in Vietnam.

As the 5th Ambassador of Vietnam to the Netherlands, Mr Doan said he was honoured to have enjoyed a term of office filled with wonderful memories of the country. One of his favourite memories was purchasing a property in excellent condition to be the headquarters of the Vietnamese Embassy. The fact that the Embassy could finally purchase a headquarter after many years of renting showed the stature of Vietnam and affirmed the importance of Vietnam - Netherlands relationship to Vietnam. This is an event that he took pride in, even though his term in the Netherlands was not long enough for him to enjoy working in the new office.

Mr Doan also witnessed a turning point in Vietnam’s relationship with the Netherlands. When he first arrived in 2013, two-way trade turnover was only around 3 billion USD. However, this number has increased to around 6.5 billion USD by 2016. It is worth noting that the Netherlands is Vietnam’s second largest market in Europe and the Netherland is the country in Europe with the most FDI (foreign direct investment) in Vietnam. He believes that there is a lot of potential cooperation between the two countries, especially on issues such as climate change, water resources management, agriculture, marine economy, and energy.

Mr Doan is now back in Vietnam and is taking on other responsibilities. Nonetheless, the Netherlands still holds a very special place in his heart and he is always willing to share information that serves to improve the relationship between the two nations. Mr Doan said that he will always remember the peacefulness and fresh air at The Hague, unforgettable experiences at the Royal Palace, the fields of Zaane Schans, and Keukenhof park.

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