NETHERLANDS' honorary consul Jaap W Vaandrager said that he is keen to enhance commercial relations between Bahrain and the Netherlands, to support entrepreneurs and government organisations by organising exchange visits.

"It is very important for me to give back to society," he said during an episode of the TV show His Excellency Cooks with Bahrain TV, where Mr Vaandrager spoke of his 17 years in Bahrain.

"I'm really trying to bridge Bahrain and Holland by organising trade shows. Last February we had a trade show at the Gulf Industry Fair and we wrote to the trade delegation in Holland telling them of it. We were very pleased to see we had more than 22 participants, which was very encouraging."

"My wife and I love that our children were born here. The healthcare is very well organised and our children are very happy with the schooling system."

Mr Vaandrager said that having lived in Bahrain for 17 years and developed a sense of belonging to the country, he stayed in Bahrain during the unrest with his family and did not leave like many others.

He said that Bahrain is like a "jump board" for other Gulf countries, a base for expansion, the land of opportunities, and he is very optimistic about the future of Bahrain, saying that communication is the key to solving Bahrain's issues and moving forward.