Trade and flags set to dominate Rutte Trump talks in Washington
Prime minister Mark Rutte is in Washington on Thursday for several hours of meetings with US president Donald Trump.
This is the second time the two men have met at the White House and comes at a time when the US has asked the Netherlands to contribute to two military missions abroad, one in northern Syria and one in the Straits of Hormuz.
Neither subject is on the official agenda, which is expected to focus on trade talks.
Tonight I am travelling to the US, where I will be meeting with President @realDonaldTrump in Washington D.C. with @ministerBlok. Afterwards, minister Bruno Bruins @MinVWS and I will lead a trade mission in Boston, a great economic opportunity for Dutch businesses. #NLintheUSA
— Mark Rutte (@MinPres) July 17, 2019
In addition, Dutch MPs have urged Rutte to bring up the problems faced by ‘accidental’ Americans who find themselves having to pay taxes in the US, and are having trouble opening bank accounts and arranging mortgages in the Netherlands because of US legislation known as Fatca.
Wederom vragen gesteld over #fatca vanwege grote problemen voor veel Nederlanders die ook Amerikaanse nationaliteit hebben.
Wij willen dat @MinPres #fatca volgende week aan orde stelt tijdens bezoek aan Trump.
#accidentalamericans pic.twitter.com/nuBuwN1xny— Steven van Weyenberg (@svanweyenberg) July 12, 2019
Highlight of the meeting is likely to centre on an historic American flag which flew on a US navy ship leading the allied advance at D-day nearly 75 years ago.
The flag will be handed to president Trump by collector Bert Kreuk who bought it for €450,000 in an auction in Dallas in 2016.
Trumps agenda voor vandaag. Veel tijd ingeruimd voor Rutte en de Nederlandse delegatie. Twintig minuten voor de ceremonie met de D-day-vlag. pic.twitter.com/wRW8Fnt6lc
— Jan Postma (@_janpostma_) July 18, 2019
During his first meeting with Trump last year Rutte urged the US president to abandon plans to impose punitive tariffs on European cars to prevent the trade dispute escalating further.
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