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rime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands is scheduled to visit Indonesia from Nov. 21 to 23, his second visit in three years. The Dutch government recently invited several Indonesian journalists, including The Jakarta Post’s Novan Iman Santosa to the Netherlands. The following is an excerpt from the interview with the prime minister:

Question: What will be the focus of your next visit to Indonesia? What fields have improved since your last visit in 2013 and what fields should have progressed more?

Answer: I’m greatly looking forward to my trip to Indonesia. It will be another extended visit during which many themes will be discussed — in fact I will be accompanied by Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Lilianne Ploumen, Infrastructure and the Environment Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen and Environment Minister Sharon Dijksma.

The visit will build on reciprocal political and economic missions in recent years. Besides broadening and strengthening our strategic partnership, it will accelerate the implementation of joint initiatives. The themes we will discuss include the rule of law, safety and security, and efforts to combat terrorism. We will be accompanied by a trade and investment delegation from the sectors of maritime and water management, climate and waste management, life sciences and health, horticulture and propagation and breeding materials.

How could trade and investment be developed further?

Trade and investment are a unifying theme in the relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has great ambitions for Indonesia, which also offer many opportunities for the Netherlands.

Indonesia ranks 16th among the world’s economies (the Netherlands ranks 17th) and aspires to belong to the top 10 by 2025. The country’s growth is helped by a large workforce, and I understand that 43 percent of Indonesians are under 24.

The Netherlands is Indonesia’s gateway to Europe (via the Port of Rotterdam and Schiphol [airport]) and is one of Indonesia’s three main trading partners in the EU. But we can improve on that. We want to focus on this during the mission.

The Netherlands has specific knowledge that Indonesia can benefit from, in such fields as coastal management, port development, transport and logistics, healthcare and high-quality agriculture and horticulture.

The Netherlands and Indonesia have shared a long history dating back to hundreds of years ago under colonialism. How do you see the future of Indonesian-Dutch bilateral relations amid current global developments?

As I mentioned before, our economic ties are strong. But our relationship doesn’t end there. Nowadays, Indonesia and the Netherlands are confronted with similar challenges, such as terrorism and foreign terrorist fighters, the growing impact of rising temperatures and sea levels, and sustainable food production.

By sharing knowledge and expertise on matters like legal cooperation, delta technology, maritime infrastructure and security, waste management and e-health, we can find inventive and integrated solutions that benefit not only the economy, but also society and the environment. It’s about facing the challenges of the 21st century. Security, climate change and social inclusion are shared concerns.

 Let’s work to strengthen our already strong partnership to foster sustainable growth in the future.

Europe is getting more and more closed and/or isolationist with anti-immigrant and/or ultra-nationalist sentiments, strengthened by the United Kingdom’s “Brexit” decision to leave the European Union. How do you see these sentiments affecting Indonesia-Dutch relations while the Netherlands is one of Indonesia’s traditional gateway to Europe?

When it comes to Indonesian-Dutch relations I’m not worried, because our ties are strong. Our two countries have a long shared history, while focusing on working towards a bright future. I believe in our capacities as trading nations. We’re both creative and think in terms of solutions, not problems. So I’m very confident that the Netherlands will remain Indonesia’s gateway to Europe.

Traditionally, the Netherlands has been among major destinations for Indonesian students to pursue higher education. What efforts are being taken to further promote this?

More and more, a relationship that is self-evident for the older generations in both countries is now being discovered by young people. Dutch and Indonesian educational and research institutes are increasingly keen to work together, and new grants have been created to help Dutch students study in Indonesia and vice versa.

At present there are over 1,200 Indonesian students enrolled in courses of higher education in the Netherlands. Government, businesses and universities regularly liaise with counterparts and establish partnerships. All these contacts strengthen our ties and create new opportunities.