By Roy Lie Atjam
Amsterdam, 17 March 2022. The Consular Corps Association organized a post-pandemic event welcoming the lent.
The event had been organized by Diplomat Magazine and the Consular Corps Association, was dedicated to the opening of the Flavor Food Festivals at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Amsterdam.
Dr Mayelinne De Lara of Diplomat magazine delivered the welcome address, thanking the guests for accepting the invitation and praised the pleasant coordination with the Consular Corps Association and Leonardo Royal Hotel Amsterdam. De Lara went on to say: “after more than 20 successful Food Festivals at Leonardo Royal Hotel in The Hague, celebrating the authentic food from many countries, we have decided to reach out to a larger public and allow more people to taste many of the best.
Chefs and artists came from around the world with their spices and sounds, from now on, Leonardo Royal Hotel in Amsterdam will welcome the most popular cuisine starting with Tunisia, one of the most successful ever.”
H.E. Mr. Slim Ghariani, Ambassador of Tunisia was the next speaker. Ambassador Ghariani talked about the uniqueness of the Tunisian food and its combination of fresh ingredients, notably the olive oil and excellent wines. Ghariani invited the audience to attend the Tunisian Flavors Festival the first in a series to be hosted at Leonardo Royal Hotel Amsterdam on 24-26 March 2022.
The main speaker at the event was Mr Paul Russell, President of the Consular Corps Amsterdam and Honorary Consul-General of Luxembourg. Russell analysed the importance of the consular work as a valuable pillar for embassies. He is looking forward to perpetuating the cooperation with Diplomat Magazine, the Leonardo Royal Hotel and other institutions.
Erik-Jan Bausch, General-Manager Leonardo Amsterdam concluded the line of speakers. He recounted how the Hotel had to suspend parts of its hospitality activities for a while but is now picking up steam. Bausch is elated to see activities returning to normal and can’t wait to move forward.
A slew of Ambassadors, diplomats, honorary consuls, representatives of international institutions, the business community attended the meet and greet event.To mention a few: Angola, Albania, Austria, Brazil, Botswana, Bulgaria, Chad, Colombia, Croatia, Curacao, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Singapore, Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, IOM. Special guest was Colonel (Peter) Wilming, Deputy Governor of the Capital.
A live jazz band and a singer entertained the guests with soft rock music and hits from their international repertoire. There was a constant flow of drinks and snacks.
The organizers of the event could look back on a bustling informative networking evening.
