Canada, Netherlands share similar concerns
DUTCH PRIME MINISTER MARK RUTTE ADDRESSES PARLIAMENT
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed shared concern Thursday over the current fate of the international order that both their countries help to create after the carnage of the Second World War.
The theme developed over Rutte’s one-day visit and was laid plain in his morning speech to Parliament where he said Canada and the Netherlands have a special role to play after Brexit.
Rutte told the House of Commons that Britain’s decision to leave the European Union is a terrible idea, adding that he imagines many Canadians feel the same. In his address he also invoked the strong bonds between the two countries forged during the Second World War.
“In Europe, we now face the great unknown of Brexit. Let me be totally honest, I still think it’s a terrible idea,” Rutte said in his speech, as Trudeau looked on.
Rutte said that Brexit negotiations are proving complex because “it’s not so easy to unbreak the eggs that made the omelette.”
Rutte said his country needs to continue working with the United Kingdom and that it remains a key partner for the Netherlands, and for Canada.
“Together with Canada I’m sure we will succeed in building new and even stronger bridges between both sides of the Atlantic,” he said, adding that he discussed the issue with Trudeau during their private meeting.
Trudeau told Parliament that the bond between Canada and the Netherlands has been “tested and solidified on the battle field.” He said the countries share a strong sense of duty and a commitment to fairness.
“It’s brought us together in defence of shared goals and ambitions and it will propel us to a new prosperity in the decades ahead.”
Rutte praised the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, or CETA, saying the wide-ranging freetrade deal between the EU and Canada is a progressive, modern agreement made for the 21st century. He said it shows that trade does not have to be a “zero sum game.”
The Dutch leader said his country and Canada helped build the international rulesbased order that rose from the “ruins” of the Second World War, including NATO, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
He said the two countries share a commitment to free and fair trade, and the ongoing effort to make global institutions more relevant to people around the world feeling the ill effects of globalization. Rutte said “geopolitical shifts” need to be addressed.