Dutch King and Queen pay respects to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat

The King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima on Monday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi.

they met President Ramnath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander (2nd from left) and Queen Maxima (2nd from right) met President Ramnath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo courtesy: Twitter/@MEAIndia

They arrived in India on Sunday for a five-day state visit. The Royal couple was given a traditional welcome at the airport in New Delhi where several officials lined up to receive them.

This is Willem-Alexander's first state visit to India following his ascension to the throne in 2013. The Netherlands is home to a 235,000 strong Indian diaspora, the largest in mainland Europe. The visit is expected to boost economic and political cooperation between the two countries. 

Earlier on Monday, they met President Ramnath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also called on the Dutch King.

 The royal couple will also attend the inaugural session of the 25th Technology Summit in New Delhi, for which The Netherlands is the partner country. Apart from the official programme in Delhi, the King and the Queen will visit Mumbai and Kerala.

India and the Netherlands have a bilateral trade turnover of USD 12.87 billion (2018-2019). The Netherlands is the 5th largest investor in India with a cumulative investment of USD 23 billion between 2000 and 2017.