Netherlands embassy celebrates ‘King’s Day’

AMMAN — The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Jordan on Tuesday celebrated the 55th birthday of King Willem-Alexander.

The Dutch King’s birthday celebrations are generally known as King’s Day.

In an interview with the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Dutch Ambassador to Jordan Harry Verweij said that this year’s celebrations take place against the “sad backdrop of war and its horrific consequences on our and other continents, which reminds us all of the fragility of peace and the suffering of those who are victims of armed conflicts”.

King’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on the Netherlands’ deep-rooted relations with Jordan over the past few decades, the ambassador said, adding that Jordan and its Royal family have been long-standing friends and allies to the Dutch royal family and the Netherlands. 

He added that this decade-long relationship between the Kingdoms is characterised by successful cooperation in a number of areas from trade to security, agriculture and education, among others.

The Netherlands actively supports Jordan in its efforts to host refugees and is one of the Kingdom’s major donors, Verweij noted.

In 2019, the Netherlands designated Jordan as “a focus country for development cooperation” and pledged to invest 200 million euros to support Jordan with the hosting of refugees, targeting both refugees and their host communities. 

Since then, the Netherlands and Jordan have enjoyed expanded cooperation in a number of fields, in particular agricultural water management, vocational training, private sector development, human rights, security and trade.

Dutch support to Jordan focuses on “pioneering solutions through Dutch-Jordanian partnerships to create long-lasting prospects for youth, women and vulnerable communities”, added Verweij.

On the topic of trade cooperation between the countries, Verweij noted that the Netherlands is committed to strengthening bilateral trade. 

A number of Dutch-supported projects focus on opening new markets for Jordanian businesses, namely those exporting olive oil, fruits and vegetables, apparel and cosmetics. Furthermore, these projects also work on promoting investment opportunities for Dutch businesses in Jordan.

On the political front, the two Kingdoms will continue to give their support to the Middle East peace process. The Netherlands considers Jordan a key partner in achieving peace and stability in the region and values Jordan’s humanitarian role in the hosting of refugees.

King’s Day is a Dutch “Orange-day”, the colour referring to the family name of the Royal House, Orange-Nassau. Everyone who has visited the Netherlands during those celebrations will surely remember the festive and relaxed atmosphere all over the country and the creative orange outfits of all who participate in the celebrations, the ambassador noted. 

King Willem and his family are part of the festivities themselves, which occur every year in a different part of the country, Petra reported.