THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and King Willem-Alexander will attend the Winter Olympics in Sochi next month, despite the Netherlands’ recent troubled relationship with Russia.
Rutte says on Friday he will attend with King Willem-Alexander, an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee, and Queen Maxima.
Leaders of countries including the United States, France and Germany are not going to the Sochi Games, which are a pet project of President Vladimir Putin.
The heavyweight Dutch delegation is visiting Sochi despite calls by rights activists for a boycott and a string of diplomatic incidents in 2013 that overshadowed what was supposed to be a year celebrating Netherlands-Russia ties.
Rutte says his country “has repeatedly voiced concerns about the human rights situation in Russia and will continue to do so.”
