Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on Wednesday extended a warm welcome to President Armano Guebuza of Mozambique (Moçambique) and his wife, who arrived in The Hague for a three day official visit.
Mr. Guebuza is the third President of the southern African country, and also the third President of Mozambique, to officially visit the Netherlands during the reign of Queen Beatrix.
In her speech at the gala dinner at Noordeinde Palace Queen Beatrix said Mr. Guebuza is "especially welcome" since "he knows our country so well". He was present at the previous visits, of Mr Samora Machel in 1983 and of Mr Joachim Chissano in 1989, as a minister, and he visited the Netherlands also in 2004.
Queen Beatrix mentioned the long standing relations of the Netherlands and the African nation; the Dutch East India Company (VOC) even established a short lived fort in the region of present day Maputo; Fort Lijdzaamheid as it was called, wasn't a success.
Dutch interest in Mozambique grew during the years of the country's struggle for liberation of Portuguese colonial rule, and in the difficult first years of independence.
Dutch-Mozambiquean relations and cooperation grew from that time, and the Queen praised Mozambique for its progress in the fields of decentralisation, development of a democratic and multiparty system and economic growth. "It holds promises for the future", the Queen said.
Mozambique is still one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, but it is looking forward.
In his answer Mozambique President Armano Guebuza, 65, thanked the Netherlands for its continued support and he asked for more investments in his country. ,,The right not to be poor is also a human right", he stipulated in the ornate Ballroom of the Palace.
At the Palace some one hundred guest were invited for the gala dinner, seated at the long head table covering the length of the room, and six smaller tables with ten or nine people each.
Among the guests were besides the delegation from Mozambique, members of the Dutch government, offices of state, parliament and organisations with close links to the African country. The Dutch royal family was poorly represented. Only Queen Beatrix and Princess Máxima were present.
© RB; Galadinner Photos by © Capital Photos, Frank van Beek; HJ
Comments