Final Day of the Dutch State Visit to France

The second and last day of the Dutch State Visit to France began today, Friday March 11, with a touching moment.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, along with the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Bert Koenders, visited the bar “Le Carillon”, one of the targets of the terrorist attacks that killed 130 people last November. The Royal Couple met the owner of the bar, an employee, local residents and aid workers who witnessed the tragic event. Remi Feraud, the mayor of the tenth arrondissement of Paris was present as well.

Later, the King and the Queen were received by the Mayor of Paris, Anna Hidalgo, at the City Hall in the Hôtel de Ville where took place a reception at the presence among the others, of the Dutch delegation who accompanied the Royal Couple.

In his speech the King thanked the Mayor for the hospitality and said how “the Kingdom of the Netherlands feels closely connected to France and Paris. Recent events have brought us closer”. He also added that this visit was an “opportunity to demonstrate our personal commitment.”

Heureuse d'avoir accueilli le Roi et la Reine des Pays-Bas à l'Hôtel de Ville de #Paris, aujourd'hui pic.twitter.com/Cn4iIPVbm2

— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) March 11, 2016

Afterwards the Royal Couple attended at the opening the exhibition “The parade of innovation” dedicated to the innovation and they used an electric bus, the “Ebusco”, made by a Dutch company, to go at the event. During the visit at the exhibition they were informed about the progress made by the city of Paris about sustainable transport and sustainable mobility policy. At the presence of the King and the Queen were signed economic agreements between Dutch and French CEOs.

In the afternoon King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima visited the headquarter of the start-up “NUMA”: a global network company who aims to facilitate the development of all forms of entrepreneurship in France and worldwide.

Then the Royal Couple attended at the awards ceremony of the master “Future Fashion Practices” created in 2014 at the initiative of the Embassy of the Netherlands. Dutch and French fashion talents participated at the master.

Later, at the Salon de l’Horloge at the Quai d’Orsay, where is located the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the King and the Queen took part at the closing of the symposium titled: “Europe’s Security and Defence: What Next?”.

In the evening the King and the Queen hosted a return reception to French President François Hollande held at the Musée du Petit Palais where took place a concert performed by the soprano Lenneke Ruiten accompanied by Thom Janssen at the piano and the Ruysdael Kwartet.

Filed under The Netherlands
Tagged Bilateral Relations, France, King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, President Hollande of France, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, State Visit.

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