On Tuesday 30 October, US Ambassador Hoekstra visited fruit center Barendrecht and cheese village Bodegraven. Talks with entrepreneurs and municipal authorities took place. The visit is part of the Ambassador's continuous efforts to get to know the Netherlands better.
In the morning in Barendrecht the working visit started at Olympic Fruit, where the ambassador got an explanation about the developments and challenges in the fruit industry. At Hillfresh, Hoekstra became acquainted with many types of fruit in the warehouse. Then there was a lunch with the full college of mayor and aldermen at Barendrecht Townhall.
In the afternoon in Bodegraven the Transatlantic Christian Council (TCC) office was visited. This non-profit organization coordinated this day for the ambassador. One of the objectives of TCC is to build bridges between Europe and America. This in order to reinforce each other on themes such as the protection of life, family and freedom (of religion, education, market) from a Christian perspective. TCC lobbies for this at international organizations.
A reception and meeting by mayor and aldermen at the Townhall of Bodegraven-Reeuwijk was followed by a tour of the artisanal operating cheese company Van der Sterre, with a lot of exports to the US and many other countries. The visit ended with a nice and splashy presentation at Boska cheesewares, with several shops in the US, also in Manhattan.
In the evening, TCC held a well-attended Business Network meeting at Fort Wierickerschans.