Washington, D.C., Nov. 27, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Netherlands will open its fifth consulate general in Atlanta on January 7,  2019, to strengthen the economic ties between the Southeastern US and the Netherlands.

Mr. Ard van der Vorst will serve as the first Consul General in Atlanta. A seasoned diplomat, Van der Vorst was stationed in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. This will be his second official posting in the US after working in San Francisco. The new consulate will temporarily be located at 1175 Peach Street NE, 100 Colony Square, Suite 1208, Atlanta, GA 30361.

The Netherlands Consulate in Atlanta will serve Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. The opening of this office was years in the making and was spurred by the 2014 visit of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to Atlanta to promote the strong economic relationship between the Netherlands and the Southeastern US. The Prime Minister announced the formal plans for the new diplomatic post when visiting President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. on July 2.

The new consulate will not provide consular services. Passport applications will continue to go through the Netherlands Consulate in Miami.

“We see great potential in the American Southeast,” explained Netherlands Ambassador to the United States Henne Schuwer. “Atlanta is a natural home for a new Dutch representation to further strengthen our partnership with the US. The Netherlands and Atlanta have much in common. We both are gateways to a vast hinterland, we both are incubators for innovation, and we are both leaders in logistics, cybersecurity and fintech.”

Atlanta and the Netherlands have enjoyed a strong economic relationship for years.

Atlanta-based companies like Coca-Cola Enterprises and UPS have offices in the Netherlands. Dutch businesses like KLM and VanderLande Industries thrive in the Atlanta area.

Through the centuries, the Netherlands and US economic partnership has created jobs, sound investments, and promising opportunities. The Netherlands is a fixture in the top five of the largest foreign investors in the United States, and maintains its place as the No. 1 destination for American investments.

The US has a $30 billion trade surplus with the Netherlands, as it exports $59.3 billion to the Netherlands and imports $29 billion from the Netherlands. Top US exporters to the Netherlands include Texas, California, Louisiana, Illinois and Washington.

Trade and investments between the Netherlands and the five states that fall under the Atlanta Consulate support an estimated 80,000 American jobs. Exports to the Netherlands are $3.7 billion.

The Atlanta consulate joins Dutch consulates in Chicago, New York, Miami, and San Francisco, as well as an embassy in Washington, D.C.

Please follow the Netherlands Consulate in Atlanta on Twitter @NLinAtlanta starting January 7th. In the meanwhile, for more information about the relationship between the Netherlands and the United States, please visit www.NLintheUSA.com and follow us on Twitter @NLintheUSA.

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The Netherlands is a trading nation that continues to blossom from a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, and that is rooted in the strong beliefs of security, freedom and justice. For more than 400 years, the Netherlands and the United States have shared a deep bond founded on shared values and history. Our economic ties have created jobs, sound investments, and promising opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic. Simply said, the Netherlands and the US have a partnership that works.

The Netherlands diplomatic network in the US promotes strong bilateral relations between the United States and the Netherlands, especially in the areas of agrifood and horticulture, water management, sustainable urban planning, peace and justice, and creative industries.

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• Ard van der Vorst Dutch Consul General in Atlanta