Middelburg, 21.04.16: Chancellor Angela Merkel was in the Netherlands for government consultations between Germany and its immediate neighbour. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and King Willem-Alexander welcomed her.
The Roosevelt Foundation presented the Chancellor with the international "Four Freedoms Award" in recognition of her action to address European crises.
In her acceptance speech Angela Merkel re-affirmed the fact that Europe must act together to resolve the refugee crisis.
After the award ceremony, the Chancellor travelled on to Eindhoven.
The focus of these second government consultations was on innovation. Before consultations began, the Chancellor visited ASML, the world's leading manufacturer of machinery for chip production.
The Netherlands and Germany have agreed to step up cooperation in the fields of innovation and energy.
In both countries, private companies, research institutes and authorities are working intensively at trans-national level to produce innovative solutions.
As well as the Chancellor, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Sigmar Gabriel, Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and a representative of the Federal Ministry of Research attended the government consultations.
Germany and the Netherlands are close partners in the fields of foreign and security policy – in Mali, in the fight against IS, in the conflict in Ukraine, and within NATO.