Gul receives the Netherlans' hishest state medal

President Abdullah Gul started a three-day state visit to the Netherlands yesterday as the highlight of celebrations marking 400 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Gul and his wife Hayrunnisa Gul were welcomed by Dutch Queen Beatrix with a formal ceremony at Dam Square yesterday, where they also inspected an honor guard on the central Dam Square, and the president and his wife laid a wreath and observed a minute of silence at the national monument. Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Eberhard van der Laan, Mayor of Amsterdam Metropolitan Municipality, as well as delegation members were present at the ceremony. Queen Beatrix also hosted a luncheon in honor of Gul, and later decorated him the Netherlands' highest state medal, the Order of the Dutch Lion, and also granted his wife the Dutch Royal Medal. In return, Gul handed Queen Beatrix the State Medal of Turkey. Following the ceremony, Queen Beatrix hosted a reception which was closed to the press. Afterwards, Gul and Queen Beatrix inaugurated an exhibition at the Amsterdam Museum. Gul also met with executives of Turkish and Dutch companies in Amsterdam. Speaking at the meeting at Basel Conference Hall, Gul said that Turkey was willing to increase commercial relations between the two countries.  During his visit, Gul is accompanied by EU Minister and chief negotiator Egemen Bagis and Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Mehmet Mehdi Eker and approximately 100 businessmen.