PM meeting with Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands: 11 July 2023

The Prime Minister met Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte at the NATO Summit in Lithuania today.

He thanked Prime Minister Rutte for his years of service and said his expertise and friendship would be greatly missed by the UK and others when he eventually leaves office.

The leaders reaffirmed their staunch commitment to upholding security in our region. This includes ensuring NATO is fully equipped to take on the challenges of the future.

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Rutte discussed the importance of providing Ukraine with the kind of long-term defensive capabilities they need to win this war and secure a lasting peace. They praised the progress that has been made through the new international coalition, established by the UK, the Netherlands, and others, to provide Ukraine with combat air capability.

On tackling illegal migration, the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Rutte welcomed the strong cooperation between our countries so far. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of making use of international forums such as the European Political Community to make multilateral progress on this issue.