Pictured H.E. José De Bouza Serrano, Ambassador of Portugal to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Association for the Furtherance of Peace as represented by Their Imperial and Royal Highnesses, Archduchess Herta Margarete of Austria-Tuscany, President, Archduke Sándor of Austria-Tuscany, Vice-President and Baron Henri Estramant, Adviser, presented the “Flame of Peace Award” to two most deserving as well as prominent recipients at the city of peace, The Hague, namely Portuguse ambassador José de Bouza Serrano and Carnegie Foundation Chairman, Dr Bernard Bot.
The conferment took place inside the quarters of the Carnegie Foundation which manages the Peace Palace in The Hague, on Friday, June 17. Among the prominent guest was the former Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, Ms. Sybilla Dekker.
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Outgoing Portuguese Ambassador José de Bouza Serrano was given the Flame of Place on the following bases:
Ambassador José de Bouza Serrano, is awarded the Flame of Peace in recognition of his exemplary career as a top Portuguese diplomat as well as an author in the field of diplomacy and protocol.
All in all, Ambassador de Bouza Serrano has spent his career not only serving Portugal but contributing himself to the process of European unification by his arduous promotion of Portuguese culture and heritage vis-à-vis the European Union as well as in the countries wherein he served diplomatically including Spain, Italy, Denmark or the Netherlands.
Not least, during his tenure as Presidential Chief of Protocol that Ambassador Serrano largely contributed to expand his country’s reputation and savoir-faire vis-à-vis foreign powers for his professionalism in handling high-level visits which included HRH The Prince of Wales or Benedictus XVI, Bishop of Rome.
More important than the high calibre of the guests he received in Portugal is the fact that he through his offices served as a dialogue-maker contributing thereby to international understanding.
Whereas the laudatory speech for Dr Benard Bot read as follows:
Dr Bernard Bot is bestowed the Flame of Peace owing to his exemplary service as Chairman of the Carnegie Foundation; in the latter function for implementing programmes and projects which foster peaceful conflict resolution, dialogue, and multilateral diplomacy. For following a policy of peaceful conflict resolution in spite of many challenges he faced during his tenure as Minister of Foreign Affairs and his career as successful top diplomat of the Netherlands, in former East Germany, Brussels and Turkey.
Dr Bot also took the opportunity to express his appreciation for the award as well as to explain its meaning to him personally. In this own utterances:
“The Flame of Peace can only shine brightly if more nations are aware of the potential and the role the Peace Palace can play in settling international disputes of all sorts. Instead of trying to settle international controversial issues by means of arms, judicial settlement or arbitration is far better suited to bring warring factions and nations around the table.
This is and was the message Carnegie tried to convey to the world: the Peace Palace as a true Temple of Peace. In my eight years as president of the Carnegie Foundation I have always tried to convey this message to everybody with a willing and open mind. Much has been accomplished, much remains to be done. For me the Peace Palace will always remain a symbol of hope. I am glad that your initiative will contribute once again to this lofty objective.”
For more information
Association for the Furtherance of Peace: http://www.flameofpeace.org/page.php?[en]15
Carnegie Foundation at the Peace Palace: https://www.vredespaleis.nl/?lang=en
