"This visit is of great importance to the Netherlands. It is the first visit of the head of state of Russia since the attendance of Tsar Nicholas II at the first Hague Peace Conference in 1899," Jan Pieter Balkenende said, noting Russia's political and economic weight in today's world.
Balkenende also said Putin's visit had made it possible to foster historical, economic, political, and cultural ties between the countries.
He said that he would like to discuss ways to improve bilateral relations during talks with Russian delegates later today.
According to Balkenende, the Netherlands and Russia are important economic partners.
"For the Netherlands, Russia is the largest market east of the EU, and the Netherlands is one of the largest investors and trading partners for the Russian Federation," Balkenende said, adding that he also planned to discuss the societal issues facing both countries.
"For example, how to achieve successful integration and stability in our societies that are increasingly multicultural. This is being discussed intensively in the Netherlands, and I believe a relevant issue in the Russian Federation as well," the prime minister said.
He said he also expected open debates on regional and global issues. "We are all part of the European family and share common interests," Balkenende said.
The premier said the two countries closely cooperated in international and bilateral issues and within regional organizations such as the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and NATO.
"Globally, we must join in fighting poverty, pollution, and climate change," he said.
Balkenende said bilateral cooperation should be intensified in the fight against terrorism.
"We both have our own experiences with extremism, terrorism, and fundamentalism," he said. "We must further share our ideas about combating these developments, while upholding our respect for minorities and human rights."
The prime minister said his country was interested in trade and economic cooperation with Russia.
"I believe Dutch companies have much expertise and experience to offer in the fields of energy, water management, agriculture, and technology," Balkenende said.
"The Russian market is very large, and I believe there is also a strong interest from Russia in attracting this expertise," he added.
Balkenende also said the Netherlands was equally attractive for Russian enterprise.
"For Russian businesses, the Netherlands is interesting because it is such a diverse market," he said. "Doing business here will strengthen our capacity for diversification, which will also be of benefit in Russia."
He said further relations between Russia and the EU would open new opportunities for bilateral trade and economic relations.
"I hope that traditional trade relations in the sphere of raw materials, food stuffs, and flowers will expand further into industrial technology and innovation," he said, adding that Dutch companies and knowledge institutes could help Russia develop its businesses with higher added value.
He said the Netherlands was also interested in furthering cultural ties.
"These relations have intensified in the last years, and we are looking forward to further increase our cultural exchanges," he said.
Balkenende said the counties shared a common cultural history.
"Of course, the most famous example is the stay of Tsar Peter the Great in the Netherlands." He said the celebration of the 300th anniversary of Peter the Great's visit to the Netherlands in 1997 had given a good boost to bilateral cultural relations.
"The intensity of our cultural cooperation as well as its variety - from common cultural heritage and Hermitage cooperation projects between St. Petersburg and Amsterdam institutions to contemporary music, visual and performing arts - illustrate the quality of our cultural relations," the premier said.
