Obama to meet Rutte, van der Laan in Amsterdam

U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Amsterdam later this month. The U.S. head of state will visit the Dutch capital before attending the Nuclear Security Summit in the Hague. “President Obama and Prime Minister Rutte will give a moment’s thought to current political and economic issues,” the Dutch government’s news service said in a press release. The meeting is slated for March 24.

Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan is also slated to meet with President Obama. The President is also planning on visiting the Rijksmuseum. It will be the first officially planned bilateral discussion between President Obama and the Prime Minister since they chatted in the Oval Office of the White House on 29 November 2011. The Nuclear Security Summit is scheduled for March 24th and 25th, with 60 heads of state set to attend, including embattled Russian President Vladimir Putin. Airspace will be partially closed and closely monitored during the event, with Dutch F-16s constantly in the air over the 48-hour period. Border checks will also be enforced for visitors from Schengen area countries.