Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands accepted an invitation by Ivan Gašparovič, President of the Slovak Republic, and arrived in Slovakia for a three-day official visit.

Following a welcome ceremony held in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, the Queen signed a guest book and held a conversation with the Slovak President and his wife. President Gašparovič acquainted Queen Beatrix with Slovakia’s past and present. Their conversation addressed such topics as the EU constitutional treaty and the healthcare systems of the two countries, particularly in the context of making healthcare services accessible for citizens as much as possible. Slovakia was presented as a dynamically growing country with a favourable business environment, as demonstrated by the large share of Dutch investments in Slovakia.

Plenary talks of the Slovak and Dutch delegations, led by foreign ministers Ján Kubiš and Maxime Verhagen, were also on the agenda of the official visit. Queen Beatrix also met Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška.

In addition, the Queen paid a visit to the Bratislava City Council and attended an expert discussion on the position of national languages in the European Union that was held in the University Library. In the Danubiana – Meulensteen Art Museum in Čunovo, Her Excellency discussed Slovakia’s economic development and conditions for foreign investments with representatives of the business sector. The Queen spent the last day of her official visit in the city of Košice.