He was born in The Hague, 30 June 1948.

After secondary school and military service Ambassador Milders read Western Sociology at the University of Leiden.
Following his studies he joined the Foreign Service and was subsequently posted to Dacca, Bonn, Geneva(UN) and Brussels(EU) with intervals at the Ministry in The Hague.

In 1997 he was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary at the Netherlands Embassy in Tokyo.
In 2001 he became Director Asia and Oceania at the Ministry.
In 2005 he was appointed Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the Western European Union (WEU) in Brussels until April 2009.

Ambassador Milders is married to Mrs Ellen E. Rutgers. They have three children, currently working and studying in the Netherlands.


1. When did you arrive in Hungary and what brought you here?
My wife and I arrived in April 2009, straight from Brussels where I worked for the EU.

2. Have you ever been an expatriate elsewhere?
Bangladesh, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan

3. What surprised you most about Hungary?
Great wines and a keen sense of history

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
We always tell them to take the hop-on, hop-off bus to get a quick but comprehensive impression of the city

5. What is your favourite Hungarian food?
Rétes

6. What is never missing from your refrigerator?
Dutch cheese and a bottle of milk

7.What is your favourite Hungarian word?
Udvarias

8. What do you miss most from home?
The sea

9. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
Bookseller

10. What's a job you would definitely never want?
Bookkeeper

11. Where did you spend your last vacation?
France

12. Where do you hope to spend your next holiday?
Hungary or Croatia

13. What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
The Rolling Stones

14. What can't you resist?
Temptation

15. Red wine or white?
Red

16. Book or movie?
Book

17. Morning person or night person?
Definitely a night person

18. Dog person or cat person?
Dog person

19. Buda or Pest side?
Buda side

20. What would you say is your personal motto?
Qua patet orbis ("As far as the world extends")

Related article:

Announcement Of The Royal Netherlands Embassy In Budapest