Palinurus said:
Thanks for bringing this one up, angelburst29.
Dutch MP
Pieter Omtzigt was mentioned in
Reply 500 (on page 34). He's a Christian Democrat and very active on the MH17 dossier from the very beginning.
His
tweet as cited is genuine but was a tiny part of an ongoing discussion about each and every aspect of this sordid affair. The
CTIVD report mentioned is also genuine but dates from April 8, 2015 and is only available in Dutch AFAIK.
So I'm afraid there's very little new info around this one, sorry to say...
There's no apparent reason (in my eyes at least) why they would cite this specific one remark just now.
Palinurus, I had recently posted something in the Ukrainian thread that might applied to the "reason" why the Dutch are repeating the BUK rocket scenario and ignoring the Russian data?
Quote:
This article has taken me by surprise ... when I think "of Dutch involvement with Ukraine" .... first thought is the MH17 criminal investigation? According to this article, the Dutch Government is involved in an April 6 Ukraine referendum ? And to add more confusion and nullify any neutral position in the MH17 investigation - as of January first, 2016 - the Netherlands is the president of the European Union. Is this one of the factors - why the Dutch have ignored Putin and Russia's investigation and analysis on MH17?
Dutch strategy to influence Ukraine “yes” vote leaks out
http://www.nltimes.nl/2016/02/18/dutch-strategy-to-influence-ukraine-yes-vote-leaks-out/
Thursday Feb 18, 2016 - The Dutch government recruited dozens of Dutch celebrities and opinion leaders to convince the public to vote “yes” in the so-called Ukraine referendum, according to a comprehensive communication strategy around the referendum that RTL Nieuws managed to get hold of.
The Ukraine referendum takes place on April 6th. In the referendum, the Dutch public can vote whether or not to accept an association agreement between the European Union and the Ukraine.
The strategy calls these Dutch celebrities “support channels”. Their goal is to talk about the referendum in a positive light, so that the Dutch are more inclined to vote in favor of the referendum. The list includes actress Victoria Koblenko, former soccer player Evgeniy Levchenko, Hilversum mayor Pieter Broertjies, publicist and D66 senator Petra Stienen, gay interest group COC and the Clingendael Institute.
All ministers will be given a copy of this communication strategy and it will be discussed in the council of ministers on Friday.
The communication strategy advises the politicians not to call the agreement with the Ukraine an “association agreement”, but a “cooperation agreement” instead. The team who drew up the strategy sees association agreement as a far too complicated word which is difficult to understand.
Politicians should also emphasize that the referendum is not about the quarrel with Vladimir Putin and Russia, or about the European Union’s management. It is only about the cooperation agreement with the Ukraine, and how it will be good for the Dutch market and for “ordinary Ukrainians”. It is simply a trade agreement with a country neighboring the EU which will open the door to “a market of 45 million people”, which will be good for the Dutch economy.
The document also contains answers to a number of questions. On the question of what the government will do if the public votes no, for example, the answer is: “At a valid no the government will reflect on the next steps and also discuss it with the parliament. The content of the public debate about the agreement will play an important role in that.”
The strategy finally also outlines what the cabinet should absolutely not do. The intention is to keep the discussion away from the geopolitical struggle between Russia and Europe for more influence in the Ukraine. The government does not want to give the “security argument” for or against Russia and Putin too much weight. The strategy team thinks that this will feel too much like “power games” and “scaremongering” to the public.
Published Jan. 1, 2016:
Netherlands takes over EU presidency as asylum issue looms
http://www.nltimes.nl/2016/01/01/netherlands-takes-over-eu-presidency-as-asylum-issue-looms/
Starting today the Netherlands is the president of the European Union. And with divided politicians, critical citizens and international tensions putting the Union under pressure, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his ministers are set to have a difficult term, according to broadcaster NOS.
The main cause of the so-called refugee problem is the war in Syria – as long as the war continues, people will flee from it. The first tentative negotiations with involved parties may start late in January, but so far the international community have been unable to contain, much less resolve the conflict.
Another contribution to this problem is division in the EU. Despite numerous crisis talks and summits, most of the agreements made regarding the reception of asylum seekers, the asylum procedures, hotspots on the borders of Greece and Italy and guarding the borders better are yet to be implemented.
The Netherlands will also have to deal with the so-called Brexit during its term as EU president in the first six months of this year. The United Kingdom government plans to hold a referendum on whether the UK will remain in the EU before the end of this year. British Prime Minister David Cameron made a number of demands and thinks that his country will only stay part of Europe if they are granted.
Then there is the Ukraine. In addition to dealing with the aftermath of the MH17 disaster and war in the east, there is also the association agreement to deal with. The EU and Ukraine agreed on closer political and economic cooperation in 2014, but the Netherlands will hold a referendum on the matter on April 8th. While the results are by no means binding, a “no” will put the Dutch government in a difficult position. Disappoint their own people? Or go back on the “yes” they already gave in 2014.
And that is not even most of it. The bulk of the work the Dutch officials have to do happens behind the scenes. The EU President takes part in every EU meeting, draws up agendas, prepares decisions and formulate compromises. And while most meetings will be held in Brussels, the Netherlands will have to accommodate many ministers and officials during its term as president.
Published on Nov 26, 2015:
Ukraine president: Voting no on referendum is a “yes” vote for Putin
http://www.nltimes.nl/2015/11/26/ukraine-president-voting-no-on-referendum-is-a-yes-vote-for-putin/
Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko is very hopeful that the Netherlands will vote for the association agreement with Ukraine in the referendum in April next year. He stresses the importance of Dutch people’s right to express themselves in a referendum, though he calls the voting “corn on Putin’s mill”, in an interview with NRC on Thursday.
In the referendum next year, Dutch citizens will vote on the Association Agreement that the European Union closed with Ukraine. The agreement hasn’t been ratified by the Netherlands yet. A majority in the Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament, believes that the outcome of the referendum should be adopted as the Netherlands’ stance, if the outcome is valid, the Telegraaf reported on Wednesday. The validity of the outcome is determined by a number of factors, including that a minimum of 30 percent of Dutch citizens should cast their vote.
President Poroshenko issued a cautious warning in the interview with NRC. “Everyone in the Netherlands needs to know that a vote in the referendum is a vote for or against the Ukrainians who gave their lives for European dignity and values”, he said. He added that the MH17 disaster improved the relationship between the Netherlands and Ukraine. “You can’t arrange it. It just happened. Within three hours there was an ocean of flowers at the embassy in Kiev, from people who had never been in the Netherlands. Pain unities peoples.”
It doesn't hurt to have this info here now.
