I am very pleased to announce that The Hon. Dr Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, will visit Australia in April this year.
Dr Balkenende's visit, from 1-7 April, will commemorate the 400th anniversary of contact between Australia and the Netherlands.
In March 1606 the crew of the Duyfken, a Dutch East India Company ship under the command of Captain Willem Janszoon, landed on Cape York Peninsula becoming the first recorded Europeans to set foot on Australian soil.
The Foreign Minister, The Hon. Alexander Downer MP, will this week participate in the launch in The Hague of "Netherlands - Australia 1606-2006", a year long celebration of relations between our two countries.
Australia's relationship with the Netherlands is a close and productive one, involving an extensive network of government, business and personal relationships.
The Netherlands is a valuable like-minded interlocutor on global issues, from international security to trade policy. The Netherlands is an influential member of the European Union and shares Australia's conviction on the need to liberalise international trade.
Australia and the Netherlands have strong commercial ties, particularly in relation to direct investment. The Netherlands is one of the largest sources of foreign investment in Australia and our two-way trade is worth more than $3 billion.
Each year some 60,000 Dutch people visit Australia including about 4700 young workers who visit under a bilateral Working Holiday Scheme. Annually, between 60,000 and 80,000 Australians visit the Netherlands.
I look forward to discussing a wide range of issues with Dr Balkenende and exploring new opportunities to expand trade and investment.
I wish every success to the commemorations that will take place during the next 12 months marking 400 years of contact between Australia and the Netherlands.