ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ International Edition continues its video series on top diplomats serving in Greece, “The Ambassadors Series,” this time talking to the Dutch Ambassador to Greece, Susanna Terstal.
In our 8th episode, we explore the two countries’ close diplomatic ties, ranging from trade and ways to improve collaboration to how to upgrade the EU security framework in the face of the ongoing war in Ukraine amid rising global challenges.
Susanna Terstal highlights why the Dutch people continue to remain very supportive of Ukraine’s efforts to defend their country after 3 years of war, explaining the Dutch feel a sense of national collective empathy with Ukrainian people, citing the crash of the Malaysia Airlines plane MH17 in 2014 over eastern Ukraine, which claimed the lives of 196 Dutch citizens. “It was a national trauma”, she stressed, which is why the Netherlands, more than other Europeans, feels the need to fight back against Russian aggression.
Representing her country in Athens since 2021, the Dutch Ambassador underlines that apart from migration and finance as her main priorities, energy transition and climate change have been added to the agenda. “Greece is doing really well in green energy,” she notes, adding that there is a lot of room for further collaboration in light of the Netherlands’ special knowledge on the topic.
Investing in the “right” sectors of collaboration is more important than the absolute volume of bilateral trade between the two countries, the Dutch Ambassador to Greece notes, highlighting a cooperation program between Greek and Dutch defense industries that has been running for three years. “It is the most successful defense cooperation worldwide for the Dutch.”
She touches on an ongoing initiative called “Orange Growth,” which has created an ecosystem of innovation and digitalization, which is a program serving as an incubator for young entrepreneurs.
Ms. Terstal says that after a tough period due to the Covid pandemic and the movement restrictions, she started traveling around Greece and admits the mainland and Peloponnese stole her heart. “I must say I love the islands, but I really fell in love with the mainland, the North, the Peloponnese.”
On the matter of peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, the Dutch Ambassador is unequivocal, saying both the EU and Ukraine should be at the negotiating table. She adds that there cannot be an end to the war without provisions for justice holding the aggressors responsible before a court.
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