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Dutch business group apologises over anti-Islam MP - Politics & Economics - ArabianBusiness.com
Dutch business group apologises over anti-Islam MP
By Beatrice Thomas
The Netherlands’ biggest business association has officially apologised over a comments by a Dutch party leader against Islam and Saudi Arabia in the latest move by the European nation to stem the fallout from the controversial remarks.
Days after Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans said he would visit Saudi Arabia to try to prevent trade sanctions against the Netherlands, the VON-NCW, which represents 115,000 companies and establishments, including most small and medium-sized firms, said it regretted the provocative statements.
It said the entire Dutch business society was completely against the comments, it was reported.
Geert Wilders, the leader of the opposition, anti-immigration Dutch Freedom Party, known by its Dutch acronym PVV, wants to halt immigration from Islamic countries to the Netherlands and exit the European Union.
He has also printed stickers in the colours of the Saudi flag bearing slogans derogatory to Islam.
Wilders came in second place in Dutch elections for the European Parliament last week.
Although The Netherlands has said no trade sanctions have been issued by Saudi, the Saudi Gazette has reported that a royal decree has banned all Dutch companies from implementing projects in the kingdom in the future. The decree also stopped exchange visits involving trade delegations from the two countries, the Gazette said.
Timmermans will travel to Riyadh to make clear that Wilders' views are his own and do not represent the position of the Dutch government, spokesman Ahmed Dadou said on Tuesday.
Bilateral trade between the countries came to nearly $5 billion in 2010 and the Netherlands accounted for nearly four percent of foreign direct investment in Saudi Arabia that year, the Dutch government said.
Dutch business group apologises over anti-Islam MP
- ARTICLE
- READER COMMENTS (9)
By Beatrice Thomas
- Thursday, 29 May 2014 10:44 AM
The Netherlands’ biggest business association has officially apologised over a comments by a Dutch party leader against Islam and Saudi Arabia in the latest move by the European nation to stem the fallout from the controversial remarks.
Days after Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans said he would visit Saudi Arabia to try to prevent trade sanctions against the Netherlands, the VON-NCW, which represents 115,000 companies and establishments, including most small and medium-sized firms, said it regretted the provocative statements.
It said the entire Dutch business society was completely against the comments, it was reported.
Geert Wilders, the leader of the opposition, anti-immigration Dutch Freedom Party, known by its Dutch acronym PVV, wants to halt immigration from Islamic countries to the Netherlands and exit the European Union.
He has also printed stickers in the colours of the Saudi flag bearing slogans derogatory to Islam.
Wilders came in second place in Dutch elections for the European Parliament last week.
Although The Netherlands has said no trade sanctions have been issued by Saudi, the Saudi Gazette has reported that a royal decree has banned all Dutch companies from implementing projects in the kingdom in the future. The decree also stopped exchange visits involving trade delegations from the two countries, the Gazette said.
Timmermans will travel to Riyadh to make clear that Wilders' views are his own and do not represent the position of the Dutch government, spokesman Ahmed Dadou said on Tuesday.
Bilateral trade between the countries came to nearly $5 billion in 2010 and the Netherlands accounted for nearly four percent of foreign direct investment in Saudi Arabia that year, the Dutch government said.
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