Unveiling of plaque marking 100 years of the Netherlands-Finland Association, 27 October 2024
Your Excellency, IIkka-Pekka Similä,
Board members of the Netherlands-Finland Association,
Good morning everyone,
How wonderful that with this plaque we are providing a lasting reminder. A reminder a year after the centenary of the founding of, what was then called, the Finnish-Dutch Association. An association through which many business-owners in The Hague were able to develop trade relations with Finland. At the same time it was also intended to strengthen cultural ties between Finland and western Europe.
Over the years the emphasis shifted away from commerce and more towards social interaction and cultural ties. A Dutch-Finnish trade organisation, now the Finnish-Dutch Chamber of Commerce, therefore emerged alongside the association. The association widened its aims to include promoting friendly ties in the widest sense. It will be clear to everyone that this is precisely what is needed at this point in time.
For all these reasons, I am pleased that we are here today. Not least because this plaque makes visible a piece of The Hague’s history as an international city. My hope is that as they pass by, the people of The Hague will pause, read the plaque and also take a moment to glance up at the magnificent facade of this building that once housed the Hotel Des Deux Villes.
