India's Ambassador to the Netherlands Venu Rajamony who completes his term and is also retiring from the Indian Foreign Service on November 30, shared a video on his Facebook page recently. The video captures Rajamony along with Mayor Jan van Zanen, Member of Parliament Sven Koopmans and former Deputy Mayor Rabin Baldewsingh going on a farewell cycling tour of The Hague. He also thanks them in the post.
Hailing from Kerala, Rajamony started his career as a journalist before joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1986.
Rajamony has been working as India's Ambassador to the Netherlands since June, 2017. He was the Press Secretary to President of India Pranab Mukherjee from 2012-2017 and has penned two books: India and the Netherlands – Past, Present and Future and What Can We Learn From The Dutch – Rebuilding Kerala Post 2018 Flood.
The Kerala government is considering appointing him as Chief Information Commissioner of Kerala.
Meanwhile, according to a PTI report, Dutch Minister Mark Rutte in a letter dated to Rajamony said “The Netherlands and India share a bilateral relationship going back 70 years and the Netherlands is home to one of the largest Indian diasporas in Europe. We are proud of their achievements and contributions to our society.”
According to Rutte, the Netherlands is shifting to digital trade delegations, where the focus will be on water and agriculture as part of the nexus with health, as well as on renewable energy due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We are working together closely in other fields as well, including as members of the Human Rights Council and the International Solar Alliance. I am confident that your own relationship with the Netherlands will not end with your posting and that you will continue to contribute to Dutch-Indian friendship, perhaps by way of some cycling-related diplomacy," Rutte said in the letter.
