Dutch PM calls for open, secure internet

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte opened the fourth Global Conference on Cyberspace here on Thursday with a call for open, free and secure internet.

"The entire world is just a mouse click away, but threats are also harder to find. Internet changed the world in a good way, but new security risks arose," he said.

"We all need to work for a free, open and secure internet. For the Netherlands that is an important topic, we think it is worth to defend that. The internet is connecting the world and we need to safeguard this connectivity, together," Rutte added.

The Netherlands' Global Conference on Cyberspace aims to achieve international agreements on cyberspace.

During the conference, some 1,400 representatives of around 160 countries from across the globe will discuss opportunities, dilemmas and challenges regarding the further evolution of the internet. The key objectives are to improve practical cooperation and knowledge exchange in cyberspace, to enhance cyber capacity building and to discuss norms for responsible behavior in cyberspace.

Dutch Ministers of Foreign Affairs Bert Koenders said: "In the past, cyberspace was not related to peace and justice, but it is now."

"The international community gathers here to find answers, to find a balance between free and secure internet and economic growth," he added.