 of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. We're delighted that you honor us with your visit and your majesty, the visit that coincides with this historic occasion. It was one of the first to which our forefathers turned. At that time, the Netherlands was a bastion of freedom and tolerance on the European continent, having fought its own long and costly war for independence. John Adams, who later was to become our second. Today, our challenge lies not only in a desire for peace or in its advocacy, but in accepting the responsibility to do that which is necessary to maintain peace. It is an arduous task, often a thankless one. Dellowed out the first foreign salute for the American flag flown by a naval vessel. Today, we return the honor. We've been side by side for 200 years. Such friendship is appreciated here. Majesty, welcome to the United States. To my fellow country, in a certain sense, we can regard our visit as a milestone on a journey that started some too. When our countries were joining hands to preserve freedom for the world and human dignity for mankind, in 1952, my mother came here to pay tribute to what the United States had done for us, given each other, since the very beginning of this great and proud nation, both in times of danger and in times of joy. Due to her presence, her affiliation with the great, the 9th of April, the United States, the United States, and the United States, is all in the process.