The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The Secretary-General commended the Prime Minister for his country’s commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes and the rule of law and expressed his appreciation to the Netherlands and the city of The Hague for hosting the United Nations courts and special tribunals.

The Secretary-General also thanked the Prime Minister for the exemplary commitment of the Netherlands to development cooperation and for being a champion of human rights, including fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister discussed preparations for the centennial celebration of the Peace Palace in The Hague, planned for August 2013, as well as the third Nuclear Security Summit which is to be held in March 2014, also in The Hague.

The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister exchanged views on Syria, Mali, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and successful efforts to combat piracy.