The programme for King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima’s upcoming state visit to Indonesia has been released by the Royal House.
Their Majesties will visit Indonesia from 10-13 March and will tour Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and the islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra during their visit.
Per the Royal House, “The state visit affirms the close, wide-ranging relationship between the two countries and will be geared towards future cooperation,” and will include a programme that focuses on “the 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.”
On Tuesday, Their Majesties will arrive in Jakarta and lay a wreath at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery for those who were killed in the Indonesian War of Independence. Following this, they will travel to the Presidential Palace for an official welcome ceremony hosted by President Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana Widodo, and a lunch for the Dutch and Indonesian delegation.
After attending a joint press conference, Their Majesties will lay a wreath at the Menteng Pulo Cemetery in honour of Dutch soldiers who died in the Second World War and during the War of Independence. They will travel to the Pipiltin Cocoa chocolate factory to view how the farmers use sustainable methods to harvest cocoa and how this improves the quality of their products.
That evening, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will meet with the trade missions and attend signings of a partnership agreement between Dutch and Indonesian businesses. Later, they’ll visit the Erasmus Huise to view a photo exhibition of Indonesian photographers and attend a reception for the Dutch community in Indonesia.
On Wednesday, Their Majesties will travel to Yogyakarta. They will meet with the Sultan of Yogyakarta at the Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Palace for lunch before visiting a section of Kampong that has internet connections, which have “enabled residents to collectively improve their living conditions and quality of life.”
They will also visit the Universitas Gadjah Mada to view the academic and scientific partnership between the countries and meet with students working in digital startups who study at the Innovative Academy.
That evening, Their Majesties will visit the Prambanan temple complex and meet with religious leaders to learn how religious tolerance is encouraged in the area and in Indonesia altogether. They will also attend a Ramayana performance and concert hosted by Rubah di Selatan.
On Thursday, the King and Queen will visit the island of Kalimantan for a day of nature conservation engagements, beginning at Sebangau National Park to visit a research centre that focuses on water management and reforestation and meet with loggers who now look after the Park’s management in sustainable ways.
Later, they’ll visit the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rescue Centre and the Dayak Model Farm and attend a training session that uses football to help Indonesian boys “speak out against gender-based violence.”
On Friday, their last day in Indonesia, Their Majesties will visit Sumatra, travelling to Lake Toba for engagements relating to ecotourism and water quality.
At a visit to a Batak village, recently designated as a sustainable tourism spot by President Widodo, they will learn about future developments for the area. They will then visit the Del Institute of Technology to hear about ways the institute is working to promote sustainable tourism, and the projects pertaining to combatting overfishing and discharging water waste to improve water quality.
Their final engagement in Indonesia will see King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visiting Samosir Island, located in the middle of Lake Toba, to view the Silima Lombu ecovillage, which was created as a way to show how sustainable tourism and organic farming can be an achievable goal for the villagers.
During their state visit, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Stef Blok while other government ministers—Foreign Trade and Development, Infrastructure and Water Management, Medical Care and Sport, and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality—conduct a parallel trade mission to Indonesia at the same time.
