Self proclaimed oldest and closest.
Luckily i studied history and can easily debunk your short-sighted statement:
The U.S. partnership with the Netherlands is one of its oldest continuous relationships and dates back to the American Revolution. Starting in the late 16th century, the Dutch and other Europeans began to colonize the eastern coast of North America. The Dutch named their territory New Netherland, which became a colony of the Dutch Republic in 1624. The Dutch colonial settlement of New Amsterdam later became New York City. The present-day flag of New York City is based on the flag of Republic of the United Netherlands.[2]
Though the action was disavowed by the government of the Netherlands, on November 16, 1776, the fort at St. Eustatius gave the first formal salute (firing its guns nine times) to a ship flying the American flag.[3] On 19 April, 1782, John Adams was received by the States General in The Hague and recognized as Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. By doing so, it became the second foreign country to recognize the United States[4](after France on February 6, 1778).[5]The house that Adams purchased in The Hague became the first American embassy in the world.[6]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands%E2%80%93United_States_relations
First nation to unofficially recognize the US independence.
Second nation to officially recognize the US independence
100% of foreign debt was held by the Dutch at the end of the independence war. (we basically financed the whole war to spite England)
The declaration of independence was directly based on the Dutch declaration of independence from the Spanish.
When the Dutch abjured the Spanish king in the year 1581, they had the same 'legalistic' approach as the Americans later and they declared to the world:
`As it is apparent to all that a prince is constituted by God to be the ruler of the people... and whereas God did not create the people slaves to their prince, to obey his commands, whether right or wrong, but rather the prince for the sake of the subjects... And when he does not behave thus, but on the contrary oppresses them... they may not only disallow his authority, but legally proceed to the choice of another prince for their defence...'Aren't these words reminiscent of Jefferson's text in the American Declaration of Independence:
`we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men... are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights :... that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute new government...'
The word Dollar even derives from the Dutch word Daalder.
Currently The Netherlands is second/ Third foreign investor in the USA
https://howmuch.net/articles/foreign-investment-usa
8th president of the US Martin Van Buren was a Native Dutch speaker and is the only president in history that spoke English as a second language
On top of this; Dutch Soldiers have fought in nearly every war the USA got themselves into since WW2. (think we only missed Vietnam)
I can provide you with more information if you are interested; but at the very least, this is more then enough proof to stake that the Netherlands is indeed: "one of the oldest and closest friends of the US." without it being "self-proclaimed".
I'm from the Netherlands, one of the oldest and closest friends of the US.