Their Majesties received a ceremonial welcome at the Presidential palace with the traditional bread and salt ceremony, symbolizing life and health, and inspection of the honour guard.

In the subsequent meetings at the Presidential Palace and various other locations, the dignitaries reflected on common challenges such as the unprovoked and unjust war in Ukraine and the need to stand together in supporting Ukraine and democracy in Europe. Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Wopke Hoekstra and Vice Minister for Culture and Media Ms Gunay Uslu accompanied the royal couple in their discussions on other important topics such as the need to transition to a cleaner economy, the protection of journalists, tackling discrimination based on sexual orientation and the weakening of social cohesion by disinformation.

At Devin castle, where Slovakia is separated from Austria by the modest Morava river, the principals commemorated the fight for freedom and the tragic fate that met people trying to flee Czechoslovakia during the Communist regime. Their Majesties laid wreaths at “Brana Sloboda”, the Gate to Freedom Monument.

The ceremony was followed by a walk through the Stare Mesto (Old Town) of Bratislava, guided by the Mayor of Bratislava, Matúš Vallo.

The walk ended at the monument dedicated to  journalist Ján Kuciak, who was murdered at his home together with  his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, while he was investigating links between organized crime and politicians. All principals laid flowers to honour their memory and underline the importance of media freedom and protection of journalists.

 

The ceremony was followed by a discussion with journalists and police and government representatives.  The website https://bezpecna.zurnalistika.sk/ was launched, an online platform to monitor threats against journalists and assist and support those who have been threatened. The platform is modelled after the Dutch system “PersVeilig”.

The first day of the State Visit concluded with a state banquet hosted by President Čaputová and her Partner Juraj Rizman at Reduta. In his speech, the King lauded Slovakia’s efforts to take responsibility for building a strong Europe – with freedom, equal rights, and opportunities for all European citizens. He thanked the president for her role as a champion for human rights and passionate defender of democracy and the rule of law.

8 March - Gender Equality, Economic Relations, Circular Economy, LGBTQI+/Teplaren

Day two, International Women’s Day, kicked off with a dialogue of the President and the King and Queen with high school and university students and young adults on gender equality and women’s emancipation. The King called on girls and women to “not copy men. Modern society needs all its unique talents to flourish since diversity is a strength, not a weakness”, he stressed.

Bratislava's iconic castle was turned into a business forum on 8 March as 220 Slovak and Dutch business leaders met to do business and exchange expertise on waste management, recycling, circular construction, healthcare, soil remediation and the reconstruction of Ukraine. The State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy Peter Švec hosted a roundtable with the CEOs of Dutch companies ING Bank, ING hubs, Heineken, Philips Healthcare, Neways, ACTION, Union (Achmea), Koppert, CTP and Blue Cycle. They agreed on a number of joint actions  to encourage greater female participation in the Slovak workforce, to improve the Slovak Talent Pipeline and to reduce business barriers. Their Majesties, President Čaputová and Interim Minister for Foreign Affairs Kacer met with the Dutch companies and also participated in roundtable discussions on Healthcare, Reconstruction Ukraine and Smart Circular Solutions at the Business Forum. 

A workshop on soil remediation moderated by NGO leader Pavol Demeš and hosted by State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment Michal Kiča, led to an agreement on a  UN Global Water Action Commitment to protect the largest drinking water reservoir in Central Europe. Experts of the Dutch Risk Reduction team, which helps governments to address  water related emergencies worldwide, contributed to the discussion and will share their experiences with their Slovak counterparts.   

The importance of recycling and the transition to a circular economy was put in the spotlight with the participation of Their Majesties and President Čaputová in a demonstration of the innovative Slovak deposit refund scheme for PET bottles and tin cans. The system is fully data-based, working with state-of-the-art sensing technology developed by Sensoneo.

At the government lunch, hosted by interim Prime Minister Eduard Heger, and attended by Minister Kacer, State Secretary Kutas, Minister of Economy Hirman and State Secretary of Defense Majer, the principals spoke about the need to cooperate on the challenges that Europe currently faces, such as the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and the growing level of disinformation in our countries. 

At the LGBTQ bar Tepláreň, Their Majesties met with the families and friends of Juraj Vankulič and Matúš Horváth, who were murdered in a hate crime outside the bar in October 2022. Radka Trokšiarová, who was severely wounded in the shooting, and Roman Samotný, the owner of the bar, expressed their gratitude to the royal couple for their support. They regarded the visit as an important signal to the Slovak people. 

The second day of the visit ended on a lighter, musical note. The royal couple met with members of the Dutch community and hosted a concert and reception to thank the President and all Slovaks for their hospitality and friendship.

Dutch trumpeter Eric Vloeimans, Juan Pablo Dobal, Oliver’s Cinema & Holland Baroque (including Slovak Violinist, Miloš Valent) enchanted the audience with a unique performance at the Slovak National Theatre.

9 March: Ukraine Centre, Spišská Sobota, Schools Changing the World, River Belá

On the third day, King Willem Alexander and Queen Máxima were accompanied by the President and Mr Rizman to the east of Slovakia. They visited Poprad, Spišská Sobota, Liptovský Mikuláš and the Tatra National Park. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused an influx of Ukrainian refugees into Slovakia, of whom an estimated 80-100,000 have settled in the country. Their Majesties and the presidential couple paid a visit to the community centre of NGO Caritas in Poprad, which has become a hub for Ukrainian refugees. The center offers psychological counselling, a helpline, a shop for essential items and clothing and a daycare center for Slovak and Ukrainian children.

It was hard to leave such a special place, but the visit continued to Spišská Sobota. There, the couples visited an important treasure of Slovak heritage:  the parish church of St. Juraj dating to 1273, with its late gothic altar and impressive tomb.

In Liptovský Mikuláš the royal guests and presidential couple were welcomed by children from the Elementary School of Milos Janoska, which participates in the “Schools Changing the World Program”. Through this program, developed in Slovakia, children learn citizenship skills from an early age, including critical thinking. They learn to recognize fake news and disinformation - very important, as Slovakia is a target for disinformation from both state and non-state actors.

The principals engaged in a conversation with teachers, parents and students and participated in a quiz on disinformation.

The State Visit ended in the beautiful nature of the High Tatras with a short walk along the river Belá - one of the last wild rivers of Europe – guided by ecologist Erik Baláž and Miroslava Plassmann, Director of WWF Slovakia. They explained the successful conservation activities being undertaken to bring back the full wilderness and biodiversity to the National Parks of Slovakia, which is also a priority of President Čaputová.

At the conclusion of the State Visit, Their Majesties sent words of gratitude to Slovakia: "Over the past 30 years, Slovakia and the Netherlands have grown increasingly close. This state visit is an underlining of the friendship that has developed. Thank you for this special friendship. Ďakujem!"