MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Red carpet for frigates buyer.

Chilean Defence Minister Michele Bachelet received this week a privileged red carpet treatment in Holland where she was invited by her Dutch counterpart Henk Kamp and Secretary of State Cees van der Knaap.

According to the Chilean press Ms. Bachelet was received with full military honors in the Plein Platz in the heart of The Hague and for the first time ever at ministerial level meetings both national anthems (Dutch and Chilean) were played, a privilege that until a recent Parliamentary debate, following a Defence ministry request, was only protocol for heads of state.

The agenda of Ms. Bachelet and Dutch ministers included international security, peace operations under United Nations command (Chile and Holland are involved in the Bosnia-Herzegovina task force) and military procurement following the Chilean government's decision to purchase four Dutch frigates. Ms. Bachelet later visited the Vlissingen KSG naval yards and is scheduled to tour Den Helder naval base where the four Dutch frigates for the Chilean Navy are being refurbished as well as Chilean crew trained.

Holland apparently is Western Europe's main ship builder, 111 in 2001, and also has the busiest port in the world Rotterdam with an annual turnover of 315 million tons of cargo.

Holland is one of the several countries Chilean Defence minister Bachelet is visiting during her European tour.