By Roy Lie Atjam.
The Hague, 18 December 2018. On the occasion of 40 Year of cooperation between Yemen and the Netherlands, the Ambassador of the Netherlands in Yemen H.E. Ms. Irma van Dueren and the Ambassador of Yemen in the Netherlands H.E Ms. Sahar Ghanem organized a seminar on Integrated Water Resources Management in Yemen.
Adjacent to the seminar venue was a photo exhibition by photographer Thana Farouq and a reception. Taking the current state of Yemen into account, the event was kind of sober yet practicable. The attendance was a very mixed one with Diplomats, Dutch- and Yemeni personalities from past and present.
Sitting on the panel were:
Yemeni Deputy Minister for Water and Environment – Mr. Tawfiq Abdul Wahid Al – Sharjabi.
Dutch Foreign Affairs – Deputy Director General for International Cooperation Ms. Reina Buijs.
Yemeni water specialist Eng. Musaed Aklan.
Dutch Water Specialist Mr. Job Kleijn.
Leading Panel Discussion – Ex Ambassador for Yemen Mr. Harry Buikema.
The main focus was on the water, rather the scarcity of water on the present water situation and options for the future.
After an introduction by Mrs Reina Buijs, Director General of International Cooperation, Deputy Minister of water and environment (Yemen) Tawfeq Al-Sharjabi, Water specialist Musaed Aklan and Mr Job Kleijn former first Secretary to the Dutch Mission in Yemen gave presentations. The session was followed by followed by a vivid panel discussion and Q&A.
Ambassador Sahar Ghanem expressed her gratitude to all who made the event happened and to those who attended. All panel members have presented flower bouquets.
Asked about how he feels after the seminar Deputy Minister Tawfeq Al-Sharjabi responded, “I am pleased and look forward to the talks I will be having with Dutch water experts”. Mr Job Kleijn beliefs the war will be over soon, “so let’s look ahead, at how we will solve problems”.
A jazz trio and an Oed/Ut playing duo added to the pleasant atmosphere at the seminar.
