The Ambassador of Kuwait, H.E. Shamlan Abdulaziz Al-Roomi with Dutch and Kuwaiti students celebrating Kuwait’s 57th anniversary.
By Guido Lanfranchi.
It was in 1961 that Kuwait, a flourishing state along the shores of the Persian Gulf, became an independent state, with Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah as its Emir.
Today, 25th of February 2017, 57 years after Emir Abdullah’s coronation, Kuwait celebrates its 57th National Day.
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On February 20th, the Embassy of Kuwait to The Netherlands decided to celebrate this anniversary with the diplomatic community of The Hague.
H.E. Ambassador Shamlan Abdulaziz Al-Roomi and his colleagues personally welcomed each guest entering the beautiful reception room of the Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus in Scheveningen.
Plenty of Ambassadors, diplomats, and government officials entered the room and enjoyed drinks and conversations with each other.
The formal celebration began with the sound of the national anthem, followed by a word of welcome from the Embassy. Then, Ms. Yoka Brandt, Secretary-General of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took the word. She praised the long-lasting relationship between the Netherlands and Kuwait, which dates back to the 18th century.
Back then, the quest for trade opportunities led a Dutch explorer to Kuwait, making him the first European to land in the Emirate. Since that time, relations have dramatically improved, as the two countries now enjoy solid bilateral relations, and The Netherlands is currently Kuwait’s biggest trading partner among all the European nations.
Ms. Brandt also stressed the deep similarities between the two countries. Both the countries, she noticed, are relatively small states in a regional scenario of bigger nations.
Nonetheless, both are very active and influential in their own regions and beyond, by means of their economic strength, their efforts in humanitarian aid, and their relentless diplomatic work as mediators.
Nowadays, with both The Netherlands and Kuwait holding a seat at the United Nations Security Council, the activity and the work of this two nations at a global level is more relevant than ever.
Ms. Brandt closed her remarks by mentioning the “Diwaniya” project, an outstanding initiative launched by the governments of Kuwait and The Netherlands to strengthen bilateral relationships between the two countries.
This initiative brought together students from Kuwait and The Netherlands and provided them with the opportunity to meet and discuss a broad range of issues.
These students too were among the event’s attendees, and mingled with all the other participants, answering questions about their experience and showing their enthusiasm.
After the speech, Ms. Brandt and Ambassador Al-Roomi cut the celebration cake, with the presence on the stage, among others, of H.E. Peter Hoekstra, Ambassador of the United States to The Netherlands.
After the cut of the cake, the guests were invited to enjoy the outstanding buffet arranged by the Kuwaiti Embassy.
The guests remained at length in the Kurhaus reception room, savoring the food and talking to each other.
As the celebration slowly moved towards the end, Ambassador Al-Roomi greeted one by one the guests leaving the hall, who repeatedly thanked him and the Embassy for the National Day reception.
