17 000 tulips will surround the National Library of Latvia during the Latvian Presidency
Created on 2014-10-16Wednesday, October 15 marked the day when the last of 17 000 tulips presented as a gift from the Embassy of the Netherlands to the Latvian Presidency of the Concil of the European Union were planted in front of the National Library of Latvia.
Photo: EU2015.LV
The bed of tulips has a very special design. More than 17 000 red and white tulips will form the Latvian Presidency logo. The dark red tulip is a specially created sort of tulip in the color of the Latvian national flag, and will soon be given its own name.
The planting of the tulip bed was symbolically completed by the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Latvia Hendrik Gerit Cornelis van den Dool, Under-Secretary of State for European Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Inga Skujiņa and director of the National Library of Latvia Andris Vilks.
”We are proud to give a touch of Dutch to the Latvian Presidency. This gift recognizes excellent cooperation between our countries at all levels, but mostly – at the European level,” said Netherlands Ambassador to Latvia Hendrik Gerit Cornelis van den Dool.
Photo: EU2015.LV
”The Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is not only our duty, but also an opportunity for all Latvian people to engage. We are happy to have this gift from the Embassy of the Netherlands and hope that it will inspire Presidency guests and Latvian people,” stated Inga Skujiņa, Under-Secretary of State for European Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thanking for the symbolic gift.
Director of the National Library of Latvia Andris Vilks reminded that close cooperation between Latvia and Netherlands has developed over the centuries and proof of that can also be found in the National Library of Latvia.
It is expected that the red and white tulips will bloom early next spring. Horticulture specialists from the Netherlands have already been working on this flowerbed project since October 13. More photos from the event.
