News from Berlin - This spring, Germany will have exclusive visitors when Dutch King Willem-Alexander and his wife Queen Máxima are expected on May 26^th to 27^th. The NRW State Chancellery in Dusseldorf announced that the Royals are scheduled to visit Nordrhein-Westfalen and Niedersachsen. On the first day of the royal visit, the couple will travel around Nordrhein-Westfalen to Oldenburg, Leer and Werlte im Emsland.

The Netherlands is the largest trading partner for Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany’s most populous state, and over 3,100 Dutch companies have their headquarters in Rhine and Ruhr. The Dutch use the Rhineland area as a springboard into Germany as a whole and for their market development in general. Leading Dutch companies in the Rhineland area include the mobile telephone provider E-Plus and the delivery firm TNT; two of many thousand businesses that contribute to the economic strength of the Rhineland area. According to 2013 numbers, the Rhineland generates more than ten per cent of the Federal German GDP, and the level of productivity in the region lays approximately ten per cent above the German average. Hereby, it is seen that the Royal visit and the continued virtuous relationship between the two countries has great strategic importance.

Even though the Netherlands is a fairly young monarchy, established in 1815, the two countries have had good relations through other institutions for many years. The last time King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima visited Germany was in June 2013, which was also their first official visit. Certainly, this end-of-May visit will help promote mutual trade relations and cooperation.

News from Berlin - Berlin Global