Rutte arrived in Malaysia yesterday for a two-day working visit, his second visit to this country after his maiden trip in 2014.

Rutte was received by Anwar upon arrival at the prime minister’s official residence just before noon.

They discussed bilateral relations between Malaysia and the Netherlands and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

In the hour-long meeting, Anwar hosted a luncheon in honour of Rutte’s working visit to Malaysia.

In 2022, the Netherlands was Malaysia’s 14th largest trading partner and the second largest in the European Union (EU) with a trade volume of RM48.04 billion, an increase of 33.4% compared with RM36.01 billion in 2021.

The Netherlands is also the largest importer of Malaysian palm oil among EU countries with 732,324.54 tonnes.