New Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation

NETHERLANDS, February 23 - News item | 23-02-2026 | 16:15

Tom Berendsen, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Tom Berendsen is the new Minister of Foreign Affairs. He succeeds David van Weel. Berendsen was a Member of the European Parliament from 2019, where he was head of the CDA delegation. 

Minister Berendsen: “The world around us is changing, and our freedom and prosperity are under pressure. I am optimistic that together with our European and international partners we can protect our position in the world. By looking beyond our own borders and working together with countries that share our values. And by forging new strategic partnerships. This way, we make the Netherlands and Europe stronger – for ourselves and for generations to come.”

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Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation

Sjoerd Sjoerdsma is Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. He succeeds Aukje de Vries. Sjoerdsma was a member of parliament for D66 for over 11 years. Before that, he worked as a diplomat at BZ. With the new government, the title of Minister for Foreign Trade and Development has been changed to Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.

Minister Sjoerdsma: “International cooperation is crucial for the Netherlands. Amid the global turbulence, we are therefore opting for a robust trade policy, and we will be investing in development cooperation again. We will ensure that our partners benefit, while also firmly protecting values such as democracy and human rights. This is how we will strengthen our prosperity, resilience and security.”

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