Everywhere in the Netherlands, you can notice that the NATO summit starts in The Hague on Monday. It may be busier on the road, there are border controls, and part of the Randstad is barely accessible. This is what those measures are needed for.
The first government leaders arrive at Schiphol on Monday. The Polderbaan is reserved for this purpose. During the NATO summit, this runway is not part of Schiphol and functions as a separate airport. The airplanes of government leaders are also parked around the Polderbaan.
For security reasons, the entire area between Schiphol, Hoofddorp, Vijfhuizen, and Badhoevedorp is prohibited for anyone who has no business there. The A5 highway, which crosses this area, is also closed during the NATO summit.
Is Trump still coming?
As far as is known, US President Donald Trump is still coming to the NATO summit. The Netherlands has not yet received a cancellation, outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on Sunday. There are fears about this now that the US has bombed Iran and may have to prepare for attacks by that country.
Schoof does not want to say whether the summit will be more heavily secured after the escalation in the Middle East. “A lot of security measures have already been taken. We are constantly scanning what is happening in the world, and of course we are doing that now.”
By road or by air to The Hague
Government leaders travel to The Hague by road or by air. As you can see in the photo below, for example, US President Donald Trump’s helicopter is already ready at Schiphol. During road transports, roads are closed. This can lead to traffic chaos throughout the western Randstad.
The NATO summit will kick off on Monday at the World Forum in The Hague with a press conference by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Not everyone may be present then. It is possible that government leaders will arrive at Schiphol on Tuesday morning. Highly secured transports will also take place then.
A public and military forum
Two events will take place during the day on Tuesday. During the Defense Industry Forum, Ministers of Defense, experts, and representatives of the defense industry will discuss innovation, cooperation, and strengthening the defense industry.
The Public Forum also takes place. There, heads of state and government leaders, ministers, experts, opinion leaders, young people, and academics speak about current issues related to peace and security.
On Tuesday evening, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs will meet during a working dinner to discuss Ukraine. The Ministers of Defense will meet simultaneously for the North Atlantic Council.
At the same time, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima have invited government leaders and heads of state of NATO countries for an informal dinner. The Prime Ministers of Australia, Japan, and New Zealand, the Presidents of South Korea and Ukraine, and the Presidents of the European Council and European Commission have also been invited.
Decisions will be made on Wednesday
The most important meeting of the North Atlantic Council will take place on Wednesday. Heads of state and government leaders will then discuss the most important decisions for the alliance.
That meeting will conclude with a press conference by Rutte. The Dutch government and other NATO allies will also give press conferences.
After the last meetings on Wednesday, all dignitaries will depart for Schiphol. Many roads in the region between The Hague and Schiphol will be closed again.
Largest summit ever in our country
The NATO summit will be attended by heads of state and government leaders, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and Ministers of Defense from 45 countries. This includes US President Trump. Extreme security measures are being taken for this.
Never before have so many heads of state and government leaders visited the Netherlands at the same time. The security measures taken for this are therefore even more extreme than in 2014. Then, a nuclear summit took place in The Hague. Until now, that summit was in the books as the largest summit ever, but as you can read in the article below, the NATO summit is now surpassing it.
The result is that a large part of the Randstad between Schiphol and The Hague has been transformed into a fortress. Several roads are closed, and there are even areas closed off from the outside world. On land, sea, and in the air, air defense is active, such as the anti-aircraft guns in the dunes near Wassenaar in the photo below.
