Dutch King and Queen Begin State Visit to the Slovak Republic

At the invitation of the President of the President of the Slovak Republic, Zuzana Čaputová, Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima started today, Tuesday March 7, a three-day state visit to Slovakia.
Upon the arrival in the capital Bratislava, the King and the Queen were officially welcomed by President Čaputová and her partner Juraj Rizman in a welcoming ceremony held in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace. The King and the President inspected the guard of honour and the national anthems were played. Inside the palace the Royal Couple signed the guest book, posed for the official photos with the Presidential Couple and then the King and the President held a press conference.
Afterwards the King and the Queen laid a wreath at the “Gate of Freedom”, a memorial build for “the victims who tried to cross the Iron Curtain and escape from unfree Czechoslovakia to the free world between years 1948 – 1989”.
Then the Royal Couple, accompanied by the Presidential Couple and the Mayor of Bratislava, Matúš Vallo, took a walk through the city center and arrived at the monument dedicated to the investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, murdered in 2018.
At the Primaciálny Palace, seat of the Mayor, at the presence of Slovak media, government representatives and members of the police and the judiciary sector, the King and the Queen took part in a meeting focused on press freedom and security.
The first day ended with a state banquet hosted by President Čaputová and her husband at the Reduta music building.
In his speech King Willem-Alexander expressed his pleasure “to pay tribute to your country in this year of celebration of the Slovak Republic’s 30th anniversary”, adding that Slovakia has “a true friend in the Netherlands”. The King also praised “Slovakia’s economic progress” and stated that “The Netherlands is very keen to contribute to a strong and healthy Slovakia”.

Bij het Presidentieel Paleis in Bratislava wordt het Koninklijk Paar begroet door president Zuzana Čaputová en haar partner Juraj Rizman. Na de welkomstceremonie is er in het paleis een gesprek met de president en haar partner. ⁰https://t.co/jGvR8iEICL #NLSlovakia pic.twitter.com/dR8e7SBref

— Koninklijk Huis (@koninklijkhuis) March 7, 2023

Filed under The Netherlands
Tagged King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Slovakia, State Visit.