(kus) On the occasion of the 68th Frankfurt Book Fair, Lord Mayor Feldmann received I.I.M.M. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium in the Kaisersaal. Upon arrival at the Römer Town Hall, the royal couple were introduced to Doyenne Aleksandra Dordevic, Donatus Landgrave of Hesse and City Council Chairman Stephan Siegler, among others.
Afterwards, Lord Mayor Feldmann welcomed them with a short speech in the Kaisersaal: "For Frankfurt am Main, the city of books and trade fairs, it is a special honour and a high distinction that the joint guest country appearance of Flanders and the Netherlands at this year's Book Fair will be opened personally by the royal heads of state. The motto of the joint appearance of Flanders and the Netherlands, "This is what we share", is also well suited to Frankfurt, because here more than 175 nations peacefully share a common homeland. We European neighbours need to underline much more often what we share. For example, as the seat of European institutions, Frankfurt and Belgium share a special role as advocates of European values. Especially in times of great challenges, we can support each other in this."
At the end of their visit to City Hall, the royal couple signed the city's Golden Book and took time to talk to the invited guests, among them honorary citizen Friedrich von Metzler, city dean Johannes zu Eltz as well as DGB chairman Harald Fiedler.
