‘Chile and the Netherlands are like-minded countries'
Elke Merks-Schaapveld has only been the Dutch ambassador in Chile for three months. Although she came from a large diplomatic family, she first started her professional career in de private sector. After over seven years in consulting, including at KPMG Meijburg Expatriate Services, she eventually followed in her father’s and older brother’s footsteps and joined the ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prior to Chile, she spent four years as the Dutch ambassador in Cyprus, and before that, she served at the embassy in Turkey. “I’m excited to discover this part of the world and really look forward to my work as ambassador here in Chile,” she says.
Elke and her husband have two children, ages 12 and 14, and the family has settled in well. “The natural beauty of Chile has really impressed me so far. It’s also an adjustment, since Cyprus is a small island, and Chile is vast. Plus, we’re now in Santiago, a big, noisy metropolis—a very different environment.” Even so, Elke is starting to feel at home. “We’re soon expecting our first family visit from the Netherlands, which really helps bring a sense of home—being the ones to welcome guests.”
Building a social network
Despite the differences, she notes that Chile, like Cyprus, has a strong culture of networking and forming social connections; knowing the right people is essential to get things done. “Luckily, I was able to bring that focus on building relationships with me from Cyprus. Of course, Chile has its own unique culture, and I still need to get to know Chileans better, which I’m very eager to do. My biggest challenge here is to improve my Spanish and figure out how to tie the knots.”
Figuring Out ‘How to Tie the Knots’
At a policy level, it’s sometimes unclear who is responsible for what and what the planning is. As a third party (the Netherlands and Dutch companies), we need to understand when to make timely decisions and submit proposals. This can be especially relevant for projects involving multiple ministries and agencies, such as ports. Luckily, we have a solid and professional team at the embassy, which is very well connected and has great networks. In addition, I also hope to visit regions outside Santiago soon to meet our consuls. I aim for closer collaboration with them, as Chile is, of course, more than just Santiago.”
Partnering with Holland House
She is very pleased with the partnership with Holland House. “For us at the embassy, Holland House is an important platform, connecting us with Dutch companies here. Holland House supports individual entrepreneurs with ties to the Netherlands and those doing business there. The embassy works to promote sectors that are important to the Dutch economy, and companies in the Holland House network can often leverage that. This partnership allows us to share knowledge and experience.” The embassy’s trade advisors work closely with Holland House, as well as with Invest Chile and ProChile, especially on events and business ventures of shared interest. “One example of this collaboration is hydrogen, as seen during the World Hydrogen Summit.”
Key Sectors
The current focal sectors for the Netherlands, according to Elke, include water, agriculture, green hydrogen, and critical raw materials like lithium and cobalt. “Other sectors with potential are high-tech and cybersecurity”. Chile and the Netherlands also share similar values when it comes to human rights and climate. These themes show how like-minded Chile and the Netherlands are. It’s great that the Chileans have a positive image with the Dutch and vice versa.”
International Trade Remains a Priority
Next year’s plans for new projects and trade missions are still under development, but Merks hopes for a prosperous year for international trade between the two countries. “Even though our government is cutting back on embassy budgets and staff, international trade remains a high priority”.
New Political Developments
However, she notes that we’re living in uncertain times geopolitically. “We’re waiting to see what the new U.S. administration will do and how the rest of the world will react. The U.S.’s announced import tariffs could create more opportunities for Europe to do business with Latin America including Chile. Ideally European companies shouldn’t see each other as competitors but should consider more unity to compete as a bloc on the Chilean market. In the meantime, we will continue to seek connections with Chile and Holland House and to combine our strengths in knowledge and experience.”.
More information
– Watch her intro video on LinkedIn!
– Go to the embassy’s website
Text: Vanessa Vijzelman | Images: MinBuZa The Netherlands