Brief remarks by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander at a lunch hosted by the Mayor of Stockholm, Anna König Jerlmyr, and the President of the City Council of Stockholm, Cecilia Brinck, in Stockholm City Hall
Ms Brinck,
Ms König Jerlmyr,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for your warm welcome here at Stockholm’s City Hall. My wife and I are delighted to be guests in your beautiful city. A city with style, and one that combines its rich past with an open and youthful spirit.
It’s impressive to see the large-scale innovations you are working on, like the Slussen project: the spectacular new bridge between Gamla Stan and Södermalm. It’s clear that this is a nation of engineers, who won’t shy away from any challenge!
Another striking thing here is the rise in electric vehicles, both on two wheels and on four. That trend is well under way in the Netherlands, too. It symbolises the climate ambitions we share. I’m extremely impressed by the target you have set yourselves: a fossil-free city by 2040. That’s a bold ambition!
Ambitions are great, of course, but the challenge lies in achieving them in practice. Our visit gives us the opportunity to see how Stockholm is approaching this, for example at Stockholm Exergi.
Sustainability is a topic of major interest to us and everyone travelling with us on this visit. We feel sure that Sweden and the Netherlands have a great deal to offer each other as we work towards a climate-neutral and circular economy.
The same goes for healthcare. Our countries lead the way in expertise on healthy ageing, with the aid of smart technology. And I’m sure we can help each other move forward even further in this field.
For all these reasons and more, Stockholm is a wonderful place. Not to mention the fact that, in this city, women’s talent is able to flourish. Stockholm is renowned as the best place for talented women to develop further. That’s surely the best recommendation a city could wish for.
So thank you once again for your hospitality. We can’t wait to enjoy the rest of our day in Stockholm!