The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations in fields ranging from climate change to artificial intelligence to Iran’s nuclear program.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte discussed Monday energy cooperation between Israel and Europe as part of the effort to assist the latter with its energy crisis.
The two leaders met at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, first privately and then held an expanded meeting with their teams. Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar took part in the expanded meeting.
“On Thursday, we are going to sign an historic agreement with Lebanon. And Israel will become in the near future a major supplier of gas to Europe. And in the meantime, we have to work together to find medium-term and long-term solutions for green energy and renewable energy,” Lapid said at the beginning of the meeting.
Lapid and Rutte discussed ways of strengthening bilateral relations in various fields including energy, climate and artificial intelligence..
They also discussed the Iranian issue, with an emphasis on the protests happening across Iran with the Israeli Prime Minister expressing appreciation for the Iranian women in their struggle for basic rights.
‘’We share a vision, we share values; we both believe in liberal democracy, liberal values, and this is the basis for the relations between our two countries, and these values are being tested today and there are some who fight them,’’ Lapid said.
‘’If we look at the demonstrations in Iran, they are, I think, an inspiration to all of us. People who are willing to fight, especially women who are willing to fight for freedom and risk their lives for basic rights,’’ he added.
Lapid called to set a date for the next meeting of the Dutch-Israeli Cooperation Forum, which he said had been neglected for too long.
“Israel has come back, after more than a decade, to the Association Council with the European Union, and with the help of the Netherlands, and so I think our Forum should be the natural follow-up for this in order to, again, strengthen our relationship,” he said.
Rutte’s visit started Monday with a lunch with CEOs of Israeli companies in the Netherlands and Dutch companies in Israel. In the afternoon, after his meeting with Lapid, he held a bilateral meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Gantz. This was followed by a visit to Dutch Holocaust survivors at Beit Mozes nursing home in Jerusalem. In the evening, the Dutch premier was to hold talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Rammalah.
According to the Dutch embassy, on Tuesday, Rutte was due to discuss the situation in the Palestinian territories with two Palestinians working for a peaceful solution to the conflict. This will be followed by a visit to Orange Corners in Ramallah, a Dutch initiative to stimulate young entrepreneurship and thereby increase employment opportunities for young people. Afterwards, he will speak with Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.