About 150 years after the end of slavery in its former colonies, the Netherlands intends to issue an official apology for this injustice, DPA reported.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is expected to give a speech on the matter in The Hague this afternoon.

Also scheduled are speeches by representatives of the Dutch government in the former colony of Suriname, which is located in South America, as well as six Caribbean islands still under Dutch rule.

The Netherlands was once the third largest colonial power in the world and over a period of 200 years managed to enslave about 500 thousand people, notes BTA.

Most of them were captured in West Africa, then sold and forced to work on plantations in Suriname and the Antilles.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands was one of the last countries in Europe to officially abolish slavery - this happened on July 1, 1863. However, its actual end did not come until 1873.

The Netherlands will apologize for slavery during colonialism

The Netherlands

slavery