Hogstra, who is visiting India, said, ‘It is important to see what binds us now.’

India, a country of about 1.4 billion people, is often referred to as a democratic partner in a world where democracies are increasingly under pressure. This also applies to India, which is now described by The Economist as, for example, ‘incomplete democracy’ and has fallen slightly further in recent years. In the global rankings Well functioning democracies. So, Hoekstra spoke to a group of Indian NGOs about the matter.

According to Hoekstra, themes such as democracy and the rule of law require “continuous maintenance”. “The Netherlands is not free from all stains,” he admitted.

At a meeting in New Delhi, the Minister spoke further with civil society organizations on press freedom, the rights of women and girls and the rights and freedoms of all religious groups.

More Theme: ‘Chinese Stability’

As a democracy, India is also a key partner in the context in which Hoekstra describes the ‘Chinese stability’ in the South China Sea. There are regular tensions; China dominates the region. Jaisankar, India’s colleague of Hoxtra, had already spoken about this during the EU summit, and a Dutch naval vessel participated in a British exercise in the region last year. Hoekstra has now launched a special consultation on international maritime law in New Delhi.

“What we see on a much broader scale is that security and stability at sea, especially in this region, are far less guaranteed than they were five to ten years ago,” he said. “For India, it’s something they have to deal with every day.