The Kerala government on Wednesday assured the Netherlands that the state would address the shortage of nurses in the European nation.
During a meeting with Ambassador of the Netherlands to India Marten van den Berg in New Delhi, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the south Indian state could ensure the services of enough number of nurses to that country.
In a Facebook post, Vijayan said the envoy informed there was a demand of 30,000-40,000 nurses in the Netherlands at present.
The Dutch ambassador also hailed the dedication of the state nurses and their professional excellence, the FB post added.
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Vijayan said the state residence commissioner in New Delhi would coordinate further steps with the Dutch embassy in this regard.
He had visited the Netherlands in May this year on an invitation of the Dutch government to explore possibilities of cooperation in various sectors including water management, flood prevention and agriculture.
Dutch royals to visit Kerala in October
Netherlands king Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will arrive in Kerala on a two-day visit in October.
A technical and financial delegation from the Netherlands would also accompany the royal couple during their visit to Kochi, the state's commercial hub, on October 17 and 18, state Chief Minister Pinarayi VIjayan said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
Vijayan announced the Dutch royals' visit after his meeting with Marten van den Berg, the ambassador of Netherlands to India, at the Kerala House in New Delhi.
"As part of this, the Ambassador has informed that the Netherlands King and Queen will arrive in Kochi on October 17 and 18," he said.
As part of the cooperation, the Netherlands National Archives and the Kerala Archives Department would jointly develop the Dutch heritage monuments in Kochi and 20 museums in the southern state, he said.
An understanding was reached to design and develop the Azhikkal port in the state on the lines of the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and to strengthen the Kerala Maritime Institutes at Kodungalloor and Neendakara with their support, he said.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed in this regard during the visit of the delegation, Vijayan said adding that the development of port and archives was discussed with the Dutch authorities during his recent visit to that country.
The envoy opined that Kerala could make use of the Dutch expertise in agriculture and floriculture and offered support to turn the south Indian state a center of excellence in the area, the CM's FB post said.
The official also said the Dutch companies were interested to invest in Kerala, it said.
Stating that the Netherlands ties with India had its beginning in Kerala,Berg also said Hortus Malabaricus, the Dutch botanical classic on Indian flora, was a symbol of the long-lasting relationship between the two.
