NEW DELHI, May 24 (Xinhua) -- India and Netherlands on Thursday signed a wide range of Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements and initiatives across different sectors such as agrifood and horticulture, hi-tech, Information Technology, space, life sciences and health, knowledge institutions, water and smart cities.

The signing ceremony was done in the presence of visiting Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Rutte arrived in Delhi Thursday morning for a two-day official visit at Modi's invitation. According to sources in India's external affairs ministry, he held wide ranging and constructive discussions on a wide variety of regional and international issues with Modi.

The two leaders underlined the growing convergence between the two countries and agreed to deepen and strengthen the longstanding historical bonds of friendship between the two peoples spanning over four centuries, said the joint statement issued at the conclusion of talks between the two premiers.

The two leaders also called for expansion of ongoing collaboration in the fields of agriculture and food processing, water, technology, smart city development, cyber space, health care, clean energy and finance. They welcomed the opening of a new Dutch Consulate General in Bengaluru, the capital city of southern state of Karnataka.

Modi and Rutte shared the view that the world is rapidly transforming and is confronted with new challenges which require commitment and cooperation of all stakeholders.

"Not only is there a need to ensure that globalization is open and fair, but also for all like-minded countries to come together to tackle with issues such as poverty, hunger, job creation, energy security, human rights, gender inequality, climate change, terrorism, and the depletion of natural resources," said the joint statement.

They also recognized that the ongoing transformation needs to be shaped by appropriate policies and institutions, guided by responsible leadership and rules based international order. Both called for the need to reinvigorate global economic growth, and achieve higher and more sustainable growth rates accompanied by improved income and wealth distribution so as to reduce social exclusion, involuntary migration, and unemployment, particularly among the youth.