At the invitation of President Joko Widodo, Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will pay a state visit to the Republic of Indonesia from Tuesday, 10 March to Friday, 13 March 2020.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will be accompanied on their visit by foreign minister Stef Blok. The state visit affirms the close, wide-ranging relationship between the two countries and will be geared towards future cooperation. The programme will focus on economy, nature conservation, culture, science and the many ties that exist between the peoples of Indonesia and the Netherlands, based in part on their shared history.
The King and Queen will start their state visit in on Tuesday, 10 March, in Jakarta by laying a wreath at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery to honour the war dead, especially those who fell during the Indonesian War of Independence in 1945 to 1949. This will be followed by an official welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Bogor, where President Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana will receive the King and Queen. This audience will be followed by a meeting of the Indonesian and Dutch delegations. Afterwards, President Widodo will host a lunch, where a joint press statement will also be held.
In the afternoon King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will lay a wreath at Menteng Pulo Cemetery, the resting place of almost 4,300 Dutch soldiers who died during the Second World War and the Indonesian War of Independence.
They will then continue on to the Pipiltin Cocoa chocolate factory, which works with farmers from various regions in Indonesia. The farmers are trained in sustainable cocoa production methods and ways of improving the quality of their products.
In the evening the King and Queen will meet the members of the trade mission and will be present at the signing of various partnership agreements between Indonesian and Dutch businesses. Afterwards, they will visit a photo exhibition at the Erasmus Huis entitled ‘Innovation’, part of a competition for young Indonesian photographers. The day will end with a reception for the Dutch community.
The visit will continue in Yogyakarta on 11 March, Kalimantan on 12 March and will conclude in Sumatra on 13 March.
