Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands officially began a four-day state visit to Mexico on Tuesday. She has been staying in the country since Saturday.

The queen is being accompanied by Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his wife Princess Máxima. Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen is also in Mexico together with a trade delegation from the Netherlands.

The visit is being seen as part of Mexican President Felipe Calderón's foreign policy push. The Netherlands is an important trading partner of Mexico and is also helping combat drugs-related crime in the country. Dutch experts have been offered to help train Mexican airport police.

photo: Queen Beatrix (ANP, Anton Corbijn)