Queen Beatrix Hosts the President of Germany

At the invitation of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the president of Germany, Dr. Horst Köhler, and his wife, Eva Luise, officially visited the Netherlands from October 8th to October 10th which included the Haag, Rotterdam and the Euregio Twente. A state banquet was held in his honor at the Paleis Noordeinde. The queen lauded his country and said, “After all your country is economically and geographically – and psychologically – in the heart of Europe. It is in all our best interests that this heart continues to beat for Europe.”


On his whirlwind agenda, the president lunched with government officials at the Ridderzaal. He attended a meeting at the International Criminal Court. In tribute, the president laid a wreath at Rotterdam’s monument The Destroyed City sculpted by Ossip Zadkine. He met with Dutch business representatives at the Crowne Plaza Promenade Hotel. He attended a concert at Nieuwe Kerk with Queen Beatrix featuring the choir Carmina Mundi and visited the University of Twente. He rounded off his visit with a lunch at Twickel with the commissioner to the Queen in Overijssel, Mr. G.J. Jansen.

Photos: ANP