Tom Berendsen

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on developments in the Middle East The EU issued a statement on developments in Iran and the Middle East.

Read our full statement here 👇

www.consilium.europa.eu/nl/press/pre...

Important exchange with my EU colleagues today. We deplore Iran’s long-standing destabilising role, reaffirm our solidarity with the Iranian people, and call for an end to further regional escalation. We stand in full solidarity with our partners in the Gulf, Jordan and Iraq.

Spoke with H.H. Sheikh Abdullah and I conveyed my condolences and support following Iran’s inexusable and indiscriminate attacks, which must stop. I underlined full NL solidarity with the UAE and our shared commitment to regional stability.

Spoke with my colleague H.E. Sheikh Mohammed about Iran’s inexcusable attacks. NL stands in full solidarity with Qatar. Stability and security in the region must be preserved and Iran must refrain from indiscriminate military strikes.

Over de ontwikkelingen in het Midden-Oosten 👇

An honour to meet President Zelensky. I expressed my deep respect for his leadership and the resilience of his people.

I welcomed Ukraine's commitment to achieve a lasting peace. The Netherlands will continue to work on robust security guarantees and more pressure on Russia.

We blijven ons inzetten voor gerechtigheid voor Oekraïne. Met het opzetten van het agressietribunaal, het schaderegister en de claimscommissie. En met hulp om ontvoerde Oekraïense kinderen terug te krijgen. Ook steunen we Oekraïne bij hervormingen op hun EU-toetredingspad. 2/2

Dank aan Andrii Sybiha voor de hartelijke ontvangst in Kyiv.

Een sterk Oekraïne - aan het front, de onderhandelingstafel en in de periode daarna - is cruciaal voor heel Europa.
Ik heb hem verzekerd van onze Nederlandse steun: militair, politiek, financieel en humanitair. 1/2

We stand with Ukraine it its fight for accountability. Via a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression, the Register of Damage and the International Claims Commission, and efforts to locate and reunite abducted children. We also support Ukraine with reforms on its EU path. 2/2

Dear Andrii Sybiha, thank you for your hospitality in Kyiv.

A strong Ukraine - on the battle field, at the negotiating table, and in shaping its future - is crucial for all of Europe.

The Netherlands will keep up its military, political, financial and humanitarian support. 1/2

Situatie in het Midden-Oosten: updates Rijksoverheid Israël en de Verenigde Staten hebben aanvallen uitgevoerd op Iran. De situatie in het Midden-Oosten is onveilig en onvoorspelbaar. Op deze pagina verschijnen nieuws en updates over de situatie.  Read ...

Volg de updates van de rijksoverheid over de situatie in het Midden-Oosten hier 👇

www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/...

Het kabinet volgt de situatie in Iran, Israël en de bredere regio nauwgezet en staat hierover in contact met onze ambassades. Nederland roept alle partijen op om terughoudendheid te betrachten en verdere escalatie te voorkomen. Stabiliteit in de regio is essentieel.

As #NorthSeaNeigbours, the Netherlands and the UK work together to ensure a secure, resilient and prosperous Europe.

With FS Yvette Cooper I discussed sustained support for Ukraine, and closer EU-UK alignment.

Looking forward to working with you.

Good exchange with Spanish FM @jmalbares.

Spain and NL share a clear interest in a secure & resilient Europe.

We spoke about Venezuela & the importance of a coordinated approach with EU + other international partners & discussed the importance of continued support for Ukraine.

I urged not to move forward with the recent Israeli decisions regarding the West Bank that would further remove us from a two-state solution. We remain committed to a safe and secure Israel alongside an independent and viable Palestinian state. 3/3

In this respect, I also raised our concerns about the iNGO registration law, that affects also Dutch trusted humanitarian partners and stressed the importance of unhindered humanitarian access. 2/3

I had an open and frank dialogue with Israeli FM @Gideon Sa’ar. We discussed the importance of progress on the implementation of the peace plan for Gaza, and I reassured our commitment to the plan. 1/3

Good to connect with Danish FM Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Our countries are close friends who naturally find each other in the EU and NATO.

We spoke about European solidarity, Arctic security and competitiveness, among other things.

Great to strengthen a partnership that already runs deep.

Veiligheid in Europa vraagt om duidelijke keuzes & gezamenlijke verantwoordelijkheid.

Daarom sprak ik met de Secretaris-generaal van de NAVO over een groter Europees aandeel in de NAVO, de NAVO-top in Ankara & blijvende steun aan Oekraïne.

Nederland blijft investeren - en bondgenoten verbinden.

Efforts for a stronger and more resilient Europe are at the core of our foreign policy.

Very good exchange with @kajakallas.bsky.social on EU cooperation and key challenges, including Ukraine. Our focus: more EU support for Ukraine, more pressure on Russia.

Let’s continue our partnership.

Oekraïne vecht al vier jaar tegen deze grootschalige Russische invasie. Een zware strijd voor vrijheid, maar ook voor onze Europese veiligheid.

Steun voor Oekraïne blijft hard nodig. Net als maximale druk op Rusland.

Daar gaat dit kabinet zich met volle kracht voor inzetten.

Today marks four years of Ukrainian resistance against Russia's war of aggression. A fight for freedom and for our security in Europe.

Strong support is more crucial than ever. As is maximum pressure on Russia.

To our Ukrainian friends I say: we will remain firmly by your side.

On my very first day in office, I had the pleasure of speaking with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio - reaffirming the close and longstanding partnership between our countries. We discussed our many shared interests, including a strong NATO, an end to the war in Ukraine and a democratic Venezuela.

Prioriteit op mijn eerste dag: kennismaken met Andrii Sybiha, tegen de achtergrond van vier jaar Russische agressieoorlog en Oekraïense moed 🇺🇦

We blijven hen volop steunen, zo lang als nodig is. Ik zie uit naar onze samenwerking.

Priority call on my first day as Foreign Minister with Ukraine’s Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦

As we mark four years of Russia's full-scale war and Ukrainian resilience, I made clear: Dutch support continues.

Looking forward to our cooperation.

We kunnen ons niet terugtrekken achter onze dijken. Juist nu is het belangrijk om samen te werken met landen die onze waarden delen en nieuwe strategische partnerschappen op te bouwen. Dat is hoe we onze vrede, veiligheid en welvaart behouden - in Nederland en Europa.

Wat ver weg lijkt, raakt ons direct. Het is een eervolle verantwoordelijkheid om als minister van Buitenlandse Zaken op te komen voor onze belangen over de grens. Dat vraagt om samenwerking en een heldere koers in een onrustige wereld. Ik zie uit naar het werk met @ministerBHOS.

They have officially started! Today, we welcomed our new ministers Tom Berendsen and Sjoerd Sjoerdsma to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We look forward to working with them.

📸 RVD

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen and Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Sjoerd Sjoerdsma have been sworn in as members of the government led by Prime Minister Rob Jetten.

We welcome them at our ministry!

www.government.nl/latest/news/...

Through this account, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen and his team will share updates and insights on his work in the Netherlands and abroad.

All previously published posts have been archived.