Statement by the Press Secretary on the visit of Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende's Visit to Washington

President Obama will welcome Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of The Netherlands to the White House on Tuesday, July 14th.  The Netherlands and the United States enjoy strong bilateral relations and partner together around the world to promote peace, prosperity, and democratic freedoms.  The Netherlands is a steadfast NATO ally and a leading contributor in Afghanistan and a key participant in NATO’s training mission in Iraq.  The President looks forward to consulting with the Prime Minister on a broad range of strategic issues of mutual concern, including implementation of the strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, coordination to address the global economic recovery, and developments in Iran, Middle East peace efforts, climate change and energy.  

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