Welcome ceremony for President Ram Nath Kovind held in the Netherlands

A welcome ceremony of President Ram Nath Kovind along with his wife and the First Lady Savita Kovind was held at Dam Square in Amsterdam on Tuesday along with a reception by King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima of Netherlands.

President Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind also participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at Dam Square.

The Indian President inspected the Guard of Honour with the King of Netherlands Willem Alexander.

President Kovind is on a three-day visit to the Netherlands at the invitation of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. This is the first presidential visit to the Netherlands in 34 years since the visit of President R Venkataraman in 1988.

The visit comes at a time when India and the Netherlands are marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Earlier, President Kovind and Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Hoekstra named a new breed of yellow tulip flowers 'Maitri' - symbolic of the special and enduring friendship between India and the Netherlands.

Deputy PM Hoekstra said that the visit of President Kovind signals the depth and breadth of friendship, bilateral relationships, and trade relationships between the two countries.

"India and the Netherlands celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations. Today President Kovind and I named a tulip 'Maitri' (=friendship). At this time, it is important to discuss our shared values with an important partner like India and continue to strengthen our cooperation," tweeted Hoekstra.

"It is a friendship we cherish, a great bilateral relationship and it also is a signal that we are both willing to invest and make this blossom even more in future and in years to come," the Deputy PM further said.

( With inputs from ANI )

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