The Netherlands is South Africa’s third largest trading partner in the European Union, its eighth-largest globally, and Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte plans to lead a trade mission there this month — the biggest in his country’s history.

But the relationship is not without tensions.

Rutte has urged the South African ruling ANC party not to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, ENCA reported.

Dutch companies are also unhappy that South Africa terminated a bilateral investment protection treaty between the two countries, MoneyWeb reported. It could be replaced with a single investment protection law, now under discussion.

South Africa should discuss its problems with the International Criminal Court (ICC) as part of the court rather than leaving it, Rutte said, according to ENCA.

South Africa said it would withdraw from the ICC following criticism when it failed to arrest Sudanese President Omar al Bashir – wanted by the ICC – when he visited South Africa in June. He was attending an African Union summit. The government argued it could not arrest Al-Bashir because he was a guest of the A.U., not South Africa.

Despite the ANC’s decision to withdraw from the ICC, Rutte told reporters at a press conference in The Hague that he had no doubt South Africa was “still attached to the international legal order.”

About 350 Dutch companies do business in South Africa, while 20 South African companies do so in the Netherlands, MoneyWeb reports. “That’s an imbalance but both sides are doing a lot to correct it,” Rutte said.

Rutte will accompany 65-plus Dutch companies to South Africa. His last visit to South Africa was in 2002 as a Unilever subsidiary executive, MoneyWeb reports. The goal of the mission is to sign business agreements with local companies. Sharon Dijksma, Holland’s Minister of Agriculture, also plans to attend.

The Netherlands is South Africa’s second largest export market for agricultural products.

The upcoming trip will focus on other sectors besides agriculture including transport and logistics, water, healthcare and energy – areas Dutch companies have pegged for opportunity in South Africa, Rutte said.

Although the Dutch gave the world the word “apartheid,” they were strong supporters in the struggle against apartheid, Rutte said, according to ENCA.

South Africa is a full democracy, its president and parliament are elected and it has an independent judiciary and press, Rutte said at a press conference. The country is still dealing with a legacy of poverty and youth unemployment, he said. “If there are issues, you have everything in place to deal with that,” he said.

Under a bilateral investment treaty which South Africa did not renew in 2014, investments made before May 2014 will be protected for 20 years, MoneyWeb reported.

Rutte said it’s crucial to have a new investment protection agreement for sustainable development and to provide some level of comfort. This would best be done through the E.U., he said.