State visit to the Czech Republic – programme

News item | 19-05-2025 | 17:42

The visit will reaffirm the friendship between the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. The two countries are partners with shared values, a common history and aligned priorities across a range of areas. They work closely together within the European Union and NATO. They engage in joint efforts, learn from each other and strengthen one another. Topics on the agenda during the state visit include defence industry cooperation, trade promotion, energy security and the energy transition, and enhancing societal resilience. Mr Beljaarts will lead an economic programme focusing on sustainable mobility, digitalisation and circularity.

Wednesday 4 June

Morning

Welcome ceremony

President Pavel and his wife Eva Pavlová will receive the King and Queen during an official welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Prague, which will be followed by a tête-a-tête and a delegation meeting. After this, President Pavel and the King will give a brief statement to the press.

Wreath-laying

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, President Pavel and Ms Pavlová will lay a wreath at the monument to the Czech politician and women’s rights champion Milada Horáková, who was also a resistance fighter in the Second World War and against the communist regime. The date of her death is now the remembrance day for victims of the communist regime in the Czech Republic.

Afternoon

Visit to the Senate, Chamber of Deputies and Prime Minister
In the afternoon, the King and Queen will visit the Czech Republic’s Senate for a meeting with its president, Miloš Vystrčil. This will be followed by a visit to parliament and a meeting with the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová. In the afternoon the King and Queen will meet with the Czech Republic's Prime Minister, Petr Fiala.

Visit to People in Need

The King and Queen will join President Pavel and Ms Pavlová on a visit to a location of People in Need, an NGO that runs programmes promoting social integration in more than 40 countries. In Prague, People in Need provides easily accessible support to families, children and young people in difficult circumstances, and supports Ukrainian refugees. The visit will also include a before-school club and a ‘hangout’ for young people. The King and Queen, President Pavel and Ms Pavlová will speak with care providers about the various activities and the impact of the programmes.

Defence cooperation

A visit to the military airbase Kbely Airport will focus on defence cooperation between the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. The King and Queen, President Pavel and Ms Pavlová will inspect defence materiel produced in the Czech Republic and purchased by the Netherlands for use by the Ukrainian army. They will also speak with representatives of the Dutch and Czech defence industry about the need for a stronger European defence industry and how cooperation between the Czech Republic and the Netherlands can help achieve this.

Evening

State banquet

In the evening, President Pavel will host a state banquet for the King and Queen in the presidential palace, at which he and the King will both speak.

Thursday 5 June

Morning

Inauguration of the Liberty Bell at St Salvator Church
The King and Queen, the President and Ms Pavlová will visit the St Salvator Church, where a new church bell will unveiled and blessed. Most of Prague’s church bells were seized during the First and Second World Wars and melted down to make weapons. The Dutch bell foundry Royal Eijsbouts crafted a new bell from Russian weaponry used in the war in Ukraine. 

Visit to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a news organisation based in Prague that focuses on countries and regions where media outlets cannot operate freely, or where freedom of expression is under pressure. The Netherlands and the Czech Republic both recognise the important role that independent media play in the fight against disinformation. Both countries encourage digital resilience, both in government and for businesses and individuals. The King and Queen, President Pavel and Ms Pavlová will visit the newsroom, and in one of the studios they will speak with staff from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other media outlets from the Eastern European region. Their discussion will touch on the importance of independent media, safety for journalists, and disinformation.

Afternoon

Visit to the Dolní Břežany science and technology park

The science and technology park in Dolní Břežany is home to a cluster of businesses, startups and research facilities working on laser and biotechnology. Similar to the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, it is a site where government organisations, businesses, and research and educational institutes can collaborate on high-tech applications and innovations. The King and Queen, President Pavel and Ms Pavlová will attend a meeting of CEOs of Dutch businesses to discuss economic opportunities and cooperation with the Czech Republic, and the opening of a business forum. A tour of the research facilities will follow. This visit will close with a number of strategic sessions with representatives of Czech and Dutch businesses and knowledge institutions. Topics at these sessions will include applications for digital technology and innovations in production processes in manufacturing, the energy transition and sustainable mobility.

Reception for the Dutch community

A reception for the Dutch community in the Czech Republic will take place at the ambassador's official residence in the late afternoon.

Evening

Return hospitality

In the evening, as thanks for the hospitality they have received in the Czech Republic, the King and Queen will host a performance by the Dutch National Ballet, which will include a work by the Czech-Dutch choreographer Jiří Kylián.

Government Information Service, no. 137