The King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander (right) with Queen Máxima. (source: TASR/AP)
At the beginning of March, the King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will visit Slovakia.
Taking place on March 7 to 9, the pair will visit Bratislava, the High Tatras, and meet with high state representatives and Ukrainian refugees as well.
"The main themes of the visit will be the importance of the rule of law, climate policy – including the transition to a circular economy – and an inclusive and diverse society," the royal family's website states.
Bratislava: business, commemmorative events, and reception for the Dutch community
In the capital, the pair will lay wreaths at the Brána Slobody (Gate of Freedom) memorial near Devín Castle. The memorial is dedicated to the victims of the communist regime attempting to cross the Iron Curtain between 1948 and 1989.
They will also take a walk through the historical city centre with Mayor Matúš Vallo and President Zuzana Čaputová. At the end of the walk, they will lay a wreath at the memorial dedicated to the murdered journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová. They were killed five years ago, in 2018.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will then meet with representatives of the Slovak press, government and police at the Primate's Palace, according to the royal family's website. In the evening President Čaputová will host a state banquet at the Reduta concert hall.
On March 8, the royal couple will meet with young Slovaks to discuss gender equality, but also with Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár at Bratislava Castle. Later, the couple will attend a business forum at which several agreements are expected to be signed between Slovak and Dutch companies. The couple will aslo visit a collection point for PET bottles and cans.
After a lunch with interim Prime Minister Eduard Heger, the king and the queen of the Netherlands will visit Tepláreň, an LGBT+ venue where two people were murdered last October. They will also speak to the victims' friends and relatives and a survivor of the terrorist attack, Radka Trokšiarová.
Towards the end of the second day of their visit, the royal couple will host a reception for the Dutch community in Slovakia and a concert at the Slovak National Theatre to thank the president for inviting the couple to Slovakia.
Eastern Slovakia: Refugees, nature conservation and fake news
At the end of their visit, the king and queen will travel to a Ukrainian refugee centre in the town of Poprad, eastern Slovakia, and the Tatras National Park.
President Čaputová will accompany the couple during their trip to the east of the country.
The couple will visit Spišská Sobota, a historical district of Poprad, and a school in the town of Liptovský Mikuláš where they will discuss disinformation and democracy with students.
