THE HAGUE, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Netherlands will take part in the upcoming G20 summit for the first time since 2010 as Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has received a personal invitation from German chancellor Angela Merkel, the Dutch media reported on Thursday.
As the 18th largest economy of the world, the Netherlands is not a member of the G20. Only by invitation of other G20 countries can a Dutch delegation be present. The last time the Netherlands attended was in 2010, by invitation of the host country Canada.
Rutte will travel to Hamburg with his finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem and foreign affairs minister Bert Koenders. Rutte will take part in four sessions, regarding growth and trade, energy and climate, Africa and migration, and digitalization, said Dutch daily FD.
"Especially in view of the international developments, it is good that the Netherlands as a large economy is present again," Rutte told Dutch television NOS.
He listed free trade as one of the important issues on the agenda. "The Netherlands by tradition is a country that propagates free trade... But free trade should go hand in hand with not being naive: free and fair should go together."
The G20 consists of 19 individual countries plus the EU. Collectively, the G20 economies account for around 85 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), 80 percent of world trade, and two-thirds of the world's population.
