State visit by the President of Portugal - programme
At the invitation of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, will pay a state visit to the Netherlands on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 December.
Portugal and the Netherlands have maintained diplomatic relations since 1664 and share a long-standing international orientation and seafaring heritage. Within Europe, the Netherlands and Portugal are of one mind on subjects such as climate policy and digitalisation. Economic ties between the two countries are good and they have partnerships and commonalities in the maritime sector, the tech industry, renewable energy, the water sector and the dredging industry, among other areas. The joint use of the sea by different sectors and the European Union’s open strategic autonomy are topical issues in both Portugal and the Netherlands, which the countries are together working to promote.
In 2017, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima paid a state visit to Portugal. In 2022, President Rebelo de Sousa visited the Netherlands for the opening of an exhibition at the Kunstmuseum in The Hague. The King subsequently received the President in audience at Huis ten Bosch Palace.
Tuesday 10 December
Morning
Welcome ceremony
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will officially welcome the Portuguese president in Dam Square in Amsterdam. After the delegations have been introduced, the Johan Willem Friso Royal Military Band will play both countries’ national anthems. This will be followed by an inspection of the guard of honour. At the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, Dutch dignitaries will then be introduced, after which a reception will be held. There will also be a private lunch with the King and Queen.
Wreath-laying ceremony
President Rebelo de Sousa will lay a wreath at the National Monument on Dam Square.
Afternoon
Economic seminar
In the afternoon King Willem-Alexander and President Rebelo de Sousa will attend an economic seminar in Amsterdam. The seminar will focus on the transition on to a sustainable blue economy. This involves reducing adverse impacts on oceans, seas and coastal areas and creating a sustainable economic model based on knowledge and innovation, a circular economy and respect for the sea. Speeches will be given by the Portuguese Minister of Economic Affairs and the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Reinette Klever.
Visit to the Portuguese synagogue
The King and the Portuguese president will visit the Portuguese synagogue in Amsterdam. Femke Halsema, mayor of Amsterdam, will be present during the visit. The King and the president will be informed about the building and the objects kept there, and will view the Torah ark, a wooden cabinet containing the Torah scrolls. They will then visit the winter synagogue and the library.
In the 17th century, the Portuguese synagogue was the largest synagogue in the world, and it still serves as a place of worship today. The interior has remained unchanged since 1675, and the synagogue is lit not by electric lights but by hundreds of candles in chandeliers. Ets Haim, which is the oldest operating Jewish library in the world, houses a collection of some 30,000 printed works.
Meeting with researchers
In the late afternoon, President Rebelo de Sousa will meet with Portuguese researchers who are working in the Netherlands.
Evening
State banquet
In the evening, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will host a state banquet at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. The King and the Portuguese president will each give a speech. The state banquet will also be attended by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange.
Wednesday 11 December
Morning
Visit to the States General
President Rebelo de Sousa will visit the States General in The Hague on Wednesday morning. At the Senate of the States General he will meet with the President of the Senate, Jan Anthonie Bruijn, and the President of the House of Representatives, Martin Bosma.
Afternoon
Government lunch
Prime Minister Dick Schoof will receive President Rebelo de Sousa at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague. A government lunch will be held there which will also be attended by the King and Queen. It will be preceded by the signing of a number of memorandums of understanding. Prime Minister Schoof and President Rebelo de Sousa will each give a speech during the lunch.
Visit to the Peace Palace
The Portuguese president will visit the Peace Palace in The Hague where he will meet with the president of the International Court of Justice of the United Nations and the secretary-general of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. President Rebelo de Sousa will also speak at the Peace Palace with representatives of the Hague Academy of International Law.
Visit to Deltares
In the afternoon President Rebelo de Sousa will be in Delft where he will visit Deltares, a research institute that works on innovative solutions to keep deltas, coastal areas and river areas safe, sustainable and habitable. The president will be given a demonstration of the institute’s various research and test facilities.
Evening
Return hospitality
In the evening, the Portuguese president will host a musical performance and a reception for the King and Queen at KIT, formerly known as the Royal Tropical Institute. After the reception King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will take leave of President Rebelo de Sousa.
RVD, nr. 324
