A round table discussion with DG Agriculture, The Netherlands and Ladies Ambassadors in The Hague
By A. Rangarajan.
The meeting and working luncheon of Ladies Ambassadors in The Hague was hosted by H.E. Mrs. Rahma Salih Elobied, Sudan’s Ambassador to the Netherlands at her residence in The Hague. The Guest of honour was Mrs. Marjolijn Sonnema, Director General of Agro and Nature, Ministry of Economic Affairs, The Netherlands.
H.E Ms. Irene F. Mkwawa Kasyanju, the Tanzanian ambassador to the Netherlands and President of the Association of Ladies Ambassadors accredited to the Netherlands was present and was providing leadership the group. Opening the proceedings, H.E. Mrs.Rahma Salih Elobied, welcomed the guests gathering and thanked the ambassadors present for attending in good numbers .
She alluded to the warmth of the atmosphere, when pointing to the fine sunny afternoon on the occasion of the lunch. Speaking next as president of the group, H.E Ms Irene F. Mkwawa Kasyanju spoke about the purposefulness of the group’s regular meeting and on this particular occasion she extended a special welcome to ladies ambassadors from Vietnam and Cuba who were recently posted and were attending the group’s meeting for the first time. She also mentioned that total number of ladies ambassadors now accredited to the Netherlands was now an impressive 33.
This was followed by Mrs. Marjolijn Sonnema, who outlined her organisation’s work within in the Ministry of Economic Affairs – Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment. Amongst other things, she pointed to the principle of golden triangle which lay at the heart of the Netherlands becoming an agricultural powerhouse (second to the US) as a successful partnership between private sector, the public sector and academic institutions.
Her directorate’s work also involved co-ordinating EU legislation on Parks and nature reserves. Mrs Sonnema, then appraised the gathering on the changing trends in the agricultural sector and concerns going beyond more and intense production to UN Sustainable Development Goals. This involved animal welfare, humane farms, organic farming and control of pollution as a fallout from intense agricultural practices and adopting climate smart agriculture as a way for future. She mentioned that there were 42 country missions attached to the Ministry of Agricultural work.
What followed was a lively and intense discussion, with some ambassadors wanting to know how their countries could join these missions in the Agriculture Ministry. Yet others described the special challenges faced by their countries’ agricultural sectors when it comes to increasing the revenue share with respect to exports to the EU. Many saw possibilities of fruitful cooperation between the Netherlands Agricultural ministry and their respective countries agricultural sector.
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Attended, H.E. Ms. Adia Sakiqi, Ambassador of Albania, H.E. Ms. Dziunik Aghajanian, Ambassador of Armenia, H.E. Mrs. Heidemaria Gürer, Ambassador of Austria, H.E. Ms. Vestine Nahimana, Ambassador of Burundi, H.E. Ms. Odette Melono, Ambassador of Cameroon, H.E. Ms. Sabine Nölke, Ambassador of Canada, H.E. Ms. Andrea Gustović-Ercegovac, Ambassador of Croatia, H.E. Ms. Jana Reinišová, Ambassador of the Czech Republic, H.E. Ms. Soraya Elena Alvarez Nuñez, Ambassador of Cuba, H.E. Ms. Rose Makena Muchiri, Ambassador of Kenya, H.E. Ms. Vjosa Dobruna, Ambassador of Kosovo, H.E. Mrs. Ilze Ruse, Ambassador of Latvia, H.E. Ms. Janet Lowe, Ambassador of New Zealand, H.E. Ms Rosa Maria Bettencourt Amarante de Ataíde Batoréu Salvador e Brito, Ambassador of Portugal, H.E. Mrs. Brândușa Predescu, Ambassador of Romania, H.E. Ms. Rahma Salih Elobied Salih, Ambassador of The Sudan, H.E. Mrs. Irene F. M. Kasyanju, Ambassador of Tanzania, H.E. Ms. Mirjam Blaak Sow, Ambassador of Uganda, H.E. Mrs. Sahar Mohammed Abduljabbar Ghanem, Ambassador of Yemen, Ms. Abir Ali, Chargé d’affairs of Lebanon and H. E. Mrs. Ngo Thi Hoa, Ambassador of Vietnam.
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Photography by Janne Gerritsen.
