The Kings begin their first state trip of 2024 on Wednesday, a route through the Netherlands. The visit aims to advance the strategic autonomy of the EU and the promotion of the green agenda.

It is also the first trip with Camilo Villarino at the head of the King's Household. It has been 23 years since a Spanish state visit to the Netherlands took place, despite the historical ties between the two countries, which date back four centuries. The two countries are the fourth and fifth economies of the European Union, behind Germany, France and Italy. The King will visit the port of Amsterdam, the focal point of the project to create a corridor that transports green hydrogen from Bilbao to the Dutch capital. The project is one more step towards the energy independence that Europe has been insistently seeking since 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic broke out, says Ignacio Urbasos Arbeloa, Energy and Climate researcher at the Elcano Royal Institute. It will be the second corridor of this type, after the one announced last year between Algeciras and Rotterdam.