On the picture Peruvian Diplomats credited in the Netherlands; Mr. Omar Tovar, Vice-Consul, Mrs Francis Chavez, Third Secretary, Mr Lucas Otero, Second Secretary, Mrs Veronique Micléa, spouse of the Ambassador of Peru, H.E. Ambassador Carlos Andrés Miguel Herrera Rodríguez, Mrs. Susan Ortega Olortegui, spouse of Javier Pella and Mr Javier Pella, Minister Cousellor.
By Roy Lie A Tjam.
The 27 July marked the 196th anniversary of the independence of Peru, which was celebrated with a reception held at the residence of H.E. Ambassador Carlos Herrera, and Mrs. Véronique Micléa.
Dutch authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, businessmen, academics and representative of the Peruvian Community in the Netherlands, all attended the reception. Guests strolled along the beautiful garden admiring a sculpture by the artist Lika Mutal, which sits prominently sits in the garden.
After cordially welcoming the guests, Ambassador Herrera enumerated activities both in Peru and in the Netherlands, since the last National Day to date. Some of the topics he touched upon were the effects of the “Coastal Niño” phenomenon, ..“which struck our country at the beginning of this year. The Netherlands offered its vast experience in water management to help Peru in the efforts of reconstruction. The Special Envoy of the Netherlands for Water Affairs, Mr. Henk Ovink, visited Peru and met our president and high-ranking officials as part of this process.”
“The People of the Netherlands and Peruvians living in this country have also expressed their solidarity. As a result, the account that the Peruvian Consulate in Amsterdam set up for fund raising reached close to sixteen thousand euros which were sent to Peru for helping those ones in need.”
“Rotterdam will also be, by the way, and in a few days, the scenario of a new important milestone: the arrival of the Peruvian Navy Training Ship “Unión”. This tall ship is the biggest of its type in Latin America and the second in the world. It is a sort of itinerant Embassy of Peru, being a distinctive symbol of our national and maritime power in the fields of diplomacy, culture, trade, and military, and will arrive in the Netherlands with the purpose of strengthening the ties between both of our countries.”
“In other areas of interest, the Netherlands remains as one of the top markets for our exports and keeps growing. Last year we saw an increase in 13% of our exports, reaching almost a thousand million USD$. Being an important buyer of our avocados, mangos, grapes, and cacao, The Netherlands is the second largest business partner worldwide for fruits and vegetables.”
“The Netherlands also scores high as a country of origin for Foreign Direct Investment in Peru, occupying the fourth position, with a focus on four main sectors: Finance, Mining, Industry, and energy.”
“At the multilateral level, next year Peru and the Netherlands will be non-permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations, which is an excellent opportunity to strengthen our ties in order to promote global objectives of common interest.”
“I close this brief account with one of the favorite topics in this Embassy: Culture, and within this subject, one of the most relevant issues for Peruvians: the gastronomy. In the last twelve months, we had a presentation from Jorge Eduardo Benavides linking gastronomy and literature and two major events including the first Peruvian Gastronomic Festival at the Crown Plaza in The Hague.”
“We are focusing on a program of “training of trainers” which we expect that can lead to a new generation of Dutch chefs able to work accurately with the Peruvian flavors in the local market. As a result, the prestigious hotel school will host a Peruvian Gastronomic Night at the beginning of September, in which the students will create a Peruvian Menu at their premises in The Hague.”
“It is also important to mention the increasing number of Peruvian Restaurants in the Netherlands. We have already a Food truck that goes around the Netherlands promoting our gastronomy, and five restaurants distributed in Amsterdam, in Rotterdam and The Hague. We are certain that there are more Peruvian restaurants to come.”
The Embassy offered a buffet lunch prepared by Alberto Lara, young chefs who, in a brief period, have contributed to the spread of the traditions and rich flavors of the Peruvian cuisine.
