Speech by King Willem-Alexander at the reception at the Capitol of Toulouse, Occitania, France
Monsieur le Maire,
Mesdames et messieurs les conseillers municipaux,
Excellences,
Mesdames et Messieurs,
Je vous remercie du fond du cœur, monsieur le Maire, pour votre accueil à Toulouse; la ville rose!
Mes remerciements vont aussi à vous, monsieur le Ministre, et à vous, monsieur le Préfet. Nous avons passé une excellente journée.
Ici, en Occitanie, nous avons encore renforcé les fondements de la coopération entre la France et les Pays-Bas. Vous faites preuve d’un engagement personnel à cette fin que nous apprécions fortement !
Quel plaisir de voir autant de représentants d’entreprises françaises aujourd’hui.
Quel que soit votre employeur - Airbus, Air France-KLM, Collins, Thales, Agreenculture ou une autre des nombreuses entreprises de pointe en Occitanie - vous contribuez tous au succès de cette région
We know your reputation as one of the most important centres of innovation in France, and indeed in all of Europe. And we know how strong your ties are with Dutch partners. Hundreds of Dutch professionals have made this region their home. It’s good to see so many of you here today. This has become your city too.
The Queen and I came to Toulouse with high expectations. And in fact, you exceeded them. We saw today how close and comprehensive our ties are. And how well France and the Netherlands work together, amplifying each other’s strengths.
We’re pooling our expertise in civil aviation.
We’re working together to strengthen our defence.
We’re collaborating to make aviation cleaner and more energy-efficient.
We’re exploring the untold possibilities of quantum technology and robotics together.
And we’re investing jointly in training for the aviation technicians of the future.
For me, this visit also has a personal dimension. As a pilot, I will soon have the opportunity to fly the A321neo, one of the new Airbus planes in KLM’s fleet.
This morning we visited the location where its big sister, the A350, is assembled. It was exciting to get a glimpse behind the scenes of this European success story. And of course, I’m looking forward to the training programme I’ll be following so I can start flying the new aircraft myself.
Today was not just about aviation, but also about agriculture. And it’s interesting to see how innovations in one sector can boost another sector. Thanks to satellite technology and robotics, our agriculture is becoming more and more sustainable and productive.
France and the Netherlands are world leaders in this area. We saw an excellent example today when we visited the urban farm Le Domaine de Candie.
Unfortunately, time was too short for us to visit the offshore wind farms that are under construction off the coast. I know that sector is also well-represented here today, and that there will be plenty of focus on the subject tomorrow. It’s something that is crucial for our long-term energy security, and I hope to be able to talk to some of you about it this evening.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to congratulate everyone who has contributed to the agreements that were concluded today. Thanks to you we have been able to make the strategic partnership between France and the Netherlands even closer.
Ever since President Macron’s state visit to the Netherlands in 2023, our goal has been to deepen our economic and research partnerships, and promote mutual investment. You’ve all put your shoulders to the wheel, and today we see the results.
I am sure that many more great initiatives will follow. After all, France and the Netherlands are close partners in Europe, and together we have everything to gain. So, enjoy this wonderful evening, and take this opportunity to build connections.
L’union fait la force!
Merci!