Why is Pope Francis visiting Kazakhstan?

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Why is Pope Francis visiting Kazakhstan?

The 85-year-old pope is about to set off an almost 3,000-mile journey, despite limited mobility 

By Luke Coppen

The Pillar (12.09.2022) – https://bit.ly/3qA7ZXd – Pope Francis will set off tomorrow on an almost 3,000-mile journey to a country with an estimated 250,000 Catholics. Why is the 85-year-old pope, whose mobility is limited by leg pain, making a three-day trip to Kazakhstan?

The Pillar takes a look.

Where’s Kazakhstan, again?

Kazakhstan, the world’s largest landlocked country, is in Central Asia, the meeting point between Europe and Asia. It borders the geographical giants of Russia and China, as well as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Despite its considerable size, Kazakhstan has a population of just 19 million people.

Around 70% of the population is Muslim. But the Republic of Kazakhstan, as the country is officially known, is a secular state. Roughly a quarter of the population is Christian, mainly Russian Orthodox.

Pope Francis seems to have chosen to visit Kazakhstan for two principal reasons. The first is so he can attend an event known as the seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. The congress, which aims to strengthen inter-religious ties, has been held in Kazakhstan at three-year intervals since 2003. Francis will be the first pope to attend the gathering, which this year has around 100 participants from 50 countries.

The second reason for the papal trip was a meeting with the Russian Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill. But in late August, the Moscow Patriarchate signaled that the summit was off. Observers suggested that the cancellation was a tit-for-tat move after Pope Francis pulled out of a meeting with Patriarch Kirill scheduled for June in Jerusalem.

(China’s President Xi Jinping is expected to be in Kazakhstan at the same time as Francis, but the chances of a meeting appear slim.)

There are other, lesser reasons for the trip. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Kazakhstan — a significant milestone — and 21 years since John Paul II became the first pope to visit the country.

After reciting the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis asked for prayers ahead of his journey, which will be his 38th outside Italy since his election in 2013.

“It will be an opportunity to meet many religious representatives and to engage in dialogue as brothers, inspired by the mutual desire for peace, the peace our world thirsts for,” he said, adding: “I ask you all to accompany me with prayer on this pilgrimage of dialogue and peace.”

The ‘eighth sacrament’

The Catholic presence in Kazakhstan dates back centuries, but today’s community was forged in the furnace of 20th-century persecution.

As L’Osservatore Romano wrote in 2001, the year of the first papal visit, “it can be said that the history of the Catholic Church in Kazakhstan resumed in the 20th century when Stalin ordered the deportation to Central Asia of whole peoples of the Catholic tradition. Providence turned a diabolical plan into a missionary event beyond the boldest dreams of even Propaganda Fide or any missionary strategist.”

A list of priests, religious, and lay people imprisoned and exiled in Kazakhstan from the 1920s to the 1940s runs to 32 pages.

Archbishop Tomasz Peta, who is based in the capital Nur-Sultan, told AsiaNews in 2019 that, under Soviet rule, Catholics passed on the faith without priests or churches.

“Catholics created a sort of eighth sacrament: that of the prayer of the rosary,” he said. “The reason is that the only thing they could do during the persecutions was to baptize their children and pray the rosary. In some ways, the rosary has replaced the lack of the shepherds.”

A new chapter

The only previous papal visit to Kazakhstan took place in 2001, just 11 days after the terror attack on the Twin Towers. The intensive four-day visit by a frail, elderly John Paul II left a deep impression on local Catholics.

At a time when 300,000 people lived in the capital city, an estimated 40,000 people gathered in a main square on Sept. 23, 2001, for a papal Mass.

“Without exaggerating, I can say that the papal visit opened a new chapter in the history of our Church,” Archbishop Peta commented in 2019.

The first Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was held in 2003 and attended by Vatican officials. According to Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the event was modeled on John Paul II’s day of prayer for peace in Assisi in 2002.

Changes

The Catholic community has changed significantly since the first papal visit, according to Archbishop Peta.

“In general, the number of Catholics has decreased in the past 20 years since the last visit of the pope,” Peta told the Astana Times last month. “But the Catholic Church has become more international.”

“Thirty-twenty years ago, many had the idea that Catholics in Kazakhstan were mostly Germans, Poles, Belarusians, Ukrainians, and Lithuanians — nationalities that traditionally belong to the Catholic Church,” explained the archbishop, who was born in Poland. “Today in Kazakhstan there are dozens of different nationalities in the Catholic Church.”

The Kazakh Church has also emerged in recent years as what the New York Times writer Ross Douthat calls “the strange core of traditionalist Catholicism.”

On Dec. 31, 2017, three local bishops signed a “Profession of the Immutable Truths about Sacramental Marriage” in response to the “opening” toward Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics in Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia.

One of them was Bishop Athanasius Schneider, a descendant of Black Sea Germans from Odessa, in present-day Ukraine, who has emerged as a leading figure in the traditionalist movement.

The Catholic writer Dan Hitchens noted at the time of the letter that “Kazakhstan is not a capital-T Traditionalist country: the Extraordinary Form is not especially widely celebrated. But many practices associated with pre-Vatican II liturgy are common. Reception of the Eucharist on the tongue and kneeling is the norm.”

He quoted a priest in Kazakhstan who described the nation’s Catholics as “rather traditional and conservative.”

“For us,” the priest said, “it means being faithful to Holy Church, to Catholic teaching, to God.” He underlined that the community had suffered for the faith within living memory.

Political upheaval

Kazakhstan has also seen notable political changes since 2001. Back then, it was led by Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled for three decades before standing down as president in 2019.

The first official act of his successor, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, was to rename the capital city Nur-Sultan in his predecessor’s honor. (It was previously known as Astana.)

Tokayev’s reign has been turbulent. He declared a state of emergency in parts of the country at the start of 2022, following protests against a rise in fuel prices. More than 200 people are believed to have died in the unrest and resulting crackdown, dubbed “Bloody January.” At the start of September, Tokayev announced a snap presidential election in the fall.

The Ukraine war has presented a dilemma for the president, given Kazakhstan’s close economic ties to neighboring Russia. Tokayev has declined to recognize separatist republics established in Ukraine with Moscow’s backing. But he hailed the “strategic partnership” between Kazakhstan and Russia during a meeting with Vladimir Putin in August.

The papal visit’s motto is “Messengers of Peace and Unity,” a sign of Francis’ desire that the trip will promote peacemaking and strengthen interfaith ties.

The pope’s presence should also offer encouragement to Catholic minorities — not only in Kazakhstan but also in surrounding countries. Thousands of pilgrims from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and even Mongolia are reportedly planning to attend the papal Mass in Nur-Sultan on Sept. 14.

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Photo: Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Link to this article on HRWF website:  https://bit.ly/3qzxPuD 

The SCO Samarkand Summit: Dialogue and Cooperation in an Interconnected World

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The SCO Samarkand Summit: Dialogue and Cooperation in an Interconnected World

By Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in the SCO has fallen on a dynamic period, fraught with various events and trends – the period of the «historical rift», when one era comes to an end and another begins – thus far unpredictable and unknown.

The modern system of international cooperation, based on the universal principles and norms, begins to falter. One of the main reasons for this is a deep crisis of trust at the global level, which, in turn, provokes a geopolitical confrontation and the risk of reviving the bloc thinking stereotypes. This process of mutual alienation complicates the return of the world economy to its former course of development and the restoration of global supply chains.

The ongoing armed conflicts in different parts of the world destabilize trade and investment flows, exacerbate the problems of ensuring food and energy security.

Along with this, global climate shocks, growing scarcity of natural and water resources, decline in biodiversity, spread of dangerous infectious diseases have exposed the vulnerability of our societies as never before. They lead to destruction of existential common goods, threatening the basis of people’s life and reducing sources of income.

In these circumstances, it is obvious that no country alone can hope to avoid or cope with these global risks and challenges.

There is only one way out of the dangerous spiral of problems in an interconnected world where we all live today – through a constructive dialogue and multilateral cooperation based on consideration and respect to the interests of everyone. It is exactly at the time of crisis, when all the countries – whether they are large, medium or small by size – must put aside their narrow interests and focus on such mutual interaction, unite and multiply the common efforts and possibilities to counter the threats and challenges to peace, security and sustainable development that are related to each of us.

The effective international cooperation makes the world more stable, predictable and prosperous. This is the most viable, accessible and closest way to solving common problems of our time as well as a universal insurance policy against the future challenges and shocks.

A Model for Successful Regional Cooperation

The international cooperation that lays in the interest of everyone is impossible without multilateral institutions. Despite the certain shortcomings, they continue to serve as the most important agents of interaction between the countries – at the regional and global levels. The international and regional organizations help countries to overcome the differences and strengthen mutual understanding, to develop political and economic cooperation, to expand trade and stimulate cultural and humanitarian exchanges.

These are the goals and objectives that are pursued by one of the youngest multilateral institutions – the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). In fact, it is a unique interstate structure that has managed to unite countries with different cultural and civilizational codes, their own foreign policy guidelines and models of national development. In a relatively short historical period, the SCO has come a long way, becoming an integral element of the modern global political and economic world order.

Today, the SCO family is the world’s largest regional organization, which has united a huge geographical space and about a half of the population of our planet.

The basis for the SCO’s international attractiveness is its non-bloc status, openness, non-targeting against third countries or the international organizations, equality and respect for the sovereignty of all participants, refusal to interfere in the internal affairs, as well as prevention of political confrontation and unhealthy rivalry.

The SCO’s success concept is the promotion of multifaceted cooperation through ensuring regional security.

In fact, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is called upon to become a pole of attraction without dividing lines, in the name of peace, cooperation and progress.

Therefore, the number of states that are ready to cooperate with the SCO is growing every year, and  this is especially noticeable in the context of the transformation of the modern system of international and regional relations.

The economic value of the SCO is enhanced by the self-sufficiency of its space, where there are dynamically developing economies of the world with huge human, intellectual and technological potential, and the existence of large volumes of unused natural resources.

Today, the total GDP of the SCO member states has reached about a quarter of the global figure. This is already a very solid contribution to the global sustainable development from a regional organization that has just crossed its 20-year threshold.

In a world with the new challenges and opportunities, the SCO has excellent prospects for transformation and growth, not only through quantitative replenishment, but also through the opening of new strategic vectors. These are transport and connectivity, energy, food and environmental security, innovations, digital transformation and green economy.

Uzbekistan’s Chairmanship: towards Common Success through Joint Development

Accepting responsible mission of Chairmanship in the SCO, the Republic of Uzbekistan has relied on the strategy of advancing the development of the Organization by opening up new horizons for cooperation and launching usage of untapped reserves that each of its members has.

Our slogan is «The SCO is strong if each of us is strong». Implementing this, we have made serious efforts to make the Organization even stronger from the inside and more attractive from the outside to our international partners.

At the platforms of more than eighty major events held during the year, a comprehensive agenda was formed for the SCO – starting from the issues of further expanding cooperation in the security, strengthening transport and economic connectivity and positioning the Organization in the international arena up to the search for new ways and points for development.

All these promising directions of cooperation for the SCO at the new stage of its historical development are reflected in more than thirty conceptual programs, agreements and decisions prepared during our chairmanship period.

I would say even more. Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in the SCO is a logical continuation of an active and open foreign policy course that has been pursued by our country in the last six years. This policy is embodied, above all, in Central Asia, the geographical core of SCO, where positive and irreversible processes of strengthening good-neighborliness and cooperation are now taking place.

All SCO member states are our closest neighbors, friends and strategic partners.

The Chairmanship has given us a good opportunity to further strengthen multilateral collaboration and expand bilateral cooperation with each of them, as well as set new targets for even deeper partnership. 

I am full of confidence that it is important and necessary for the SCO to share its success story with Afghanistan. This country is an integral part of the larger SCO space. The Afghan people need good neighbors and their support now more than ever. It is our moral obligation to extend a helping hand, to offer them effective ways of overcoming the years-long crisis by promoting socio-economic growth of the country, its integration into regional and global development processes. 

Afghanistan that has played for centuries the role of a buffer in the historical confrontations of global and regional powers, should try on a new peaceful mission of connecting Central and South Asia.

The construction of the trans-Afghan corridor could become a symbol of such mutually beneficial inter-regional cooperation. It is also important to understand that by implementing joint infrastructure projects such as the Termez – Mazar-i-Sharif – Kabul – Peshawar railroad we are not just solving socio-economic, transport and communication problems, but also making a significant contribution to ensuring regional security.

By bringing our positions closer to each other, together we can develop a new SCO agenda for a more peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan. Only in this way can we create a truly stable and sustainable SCO space with an indivisible security.

 «Samarkand Spirit» – the Embodiment of Cooperation, Mutual Understanding and Friendship

After a three-year pandemic pause that has caused serious disruption in trade, economic and industrial ties, the countries and peoples of the SCO need to communicate directly.

The ancient city of Samarkand, the jewel of the Great Silk Road, is ready to welcome the leaders of fourteen countries with new breakthrough proposals and initiatives designed to serve for good and prosperity of the SCO and each of its members.

There is no doubt that this legendary city will open another chapter of the SCO success story. Glorious historical heritage of Samarkand will contribute to this. 

For many centuries, this city has been threading together countries from Europe to China, merging North and South, East and West into a single node.

Historically Samarkand has been a melting pot of ideas and knowledge, that was “cooking” a common goal of living better, being more successful and becoming happier. And everybody has known that the friendly neighbors are half of your wealth, you yourself are a blessing for them, because you know that cooperation, trade, oeuvre, science, art and the best ideas do good, enrich and bring nations together. 

These unique qualities of Samarkand, which today has a modern and dynamically developing infrastructure, turning it into the most suitable and demanded platform for joint discussions, searching for necessary responses to regional and global challenges.

The integrity and interconnectivity of mankind are such that most challenges require joint work not only at the regional level, but also at the global arena.

Relying on the experience of our many years of joint work, we are confident that the Samarkand SCO summit will set an example of how we can launch a new, inclusive dialogue based on the principles of mutual respect, trust and constructive cooperation for the sake of common security and prosperity.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Samarkand can become the platform that can unite and reconcile states with different foreign policy priorities.

Historically, the world looked upon from Samarkand has been seen as single and indivisible, rather than fragmented. This is indeed the essence of the unique phenomenon of the «Samarkand spirit», which can serve as the basis for a fundamentally new format of international interaction, including within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The «Samarkand spirit» is designed to naturally complement the very «Shanghai spirit», thanks to which more than 20 years ago our countries decided to create a new and eagerly sought organization.

Therefore, we are confident that in Samarkand we shall witness the birth of a new stage in the life of SCO – the number of its members will grow, and its future agenda will be formed, and this is highly symbolic.

We are full of optimism and are convinced that the decisions of the upcoming summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization will make a feasible contribution to strengthening the dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation both at the regional level and on a global scale.

Uzbekistan and SCO

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Uzbekistan and SCO

By Anvar Nasirov, Director of the International Institute for Central Asia

Active and pragmatic foreign policy, pursued under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, strengthens the role and authority of the country not only in the region, but also on a global scale, and increases its influence on the international process.

Multilateral collaboration with international and regional organizations, in particular, Uzbekistan’s participation in the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, is of particular importance.

The transfer of the chairmanship of the Organization to Uzbekistan for 2021-2022 has become a logical continuation of our active and open foreign policy, implemented over the past 6 years.

At Dushanbe SCO Summit 2021, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev outlined the most priority areas of chairmanship in the Organization, such as intensifying joint efforts to ensure peace and stability in the SCO space, deepening trade, economic and investment cooperation, expanding transport and communication ties, interaction on poverty reduction, ensuring food security, wide use of the existing potential in healthcare, cultural and humanitarian spheres, and in the fight against climate change.

Over 80 events were held in all areas of cooperation during Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in the SCO.

As a result of large-scale events held at the upcoming summit, it is planned to submit more than 30 documents for signing.

Undoubtedly, one of the main goals of the Samarkand Summit is the issue of further expansion of the SCO family. Within the framework of the Council of Heads of State, a Memorandum is expected to be signed on the Commitment of the Islamic Republic of Iran to obtain the status of an SCO member.

This will become an important step in the implementation of the decision taken last year to start the process of admitting Iran to full membership.

In addition, a decision will be made to expand the membership of observer countries and partners in the SCO dialogue.

Documents on establishing cooperation between the SCO and several international and regional organizations are expected to be signed at the summit.

Another important document that is being prepared for adoption is the Comprehensive Plan for the Implementation of the SCO Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation for 2023-2027.

This strategically important document was developed on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and received the support of all SCO member states.

The draft plan includes cooperation in all areas within the Organization, currently, it contains about 120 events. The main attention is paid to the development of trade and economic relations. Thus, specific measures were defined to further strengthen industrial cooperation, partnership in investment, energy, transport, information and telecommunications, agriculture, customs and other spheres, logistics, as well as the agencies responsible for their implementation.

This Treaty can be compared in importance to the SCO Charter. If the Charter is the “soul” of the Organization, its “compass”, then the Treaty is the “conscience” of the SCO. Each member state is responsible for contributing to its implementation.

This document is aimed at ensuring the correct, rhythmic and stable functioning of the “compass” that enables the Organization to stay on the chosen path.

The Charter and the Treaty are the foundation for the political and legal relations of the SCO, determining its philosophy and image for the long term, for the entire period of the existence of the Organization.

The main features of the Treaty are that each provision of the document meets the national interests of all member states, as well as the goals of long-term joint development on the vast expanse of the SCO.

Therefore, the Comprehensive Plan submitted for signing and the specific measures indicated in it will serve the interests of all SCO member states without exception, including Uzbekistan.

SCO – major regional organization in the world

The total area of ​​the SCO member states is 34 million km², which is 60% of the Eurasian continent. The population of the member states is nearly 3 billion people or about half of the world’s population. The SCO countries account for 20% of the global economy.

By accepting Iran as a full member, the SCO opens the door to the Middle East, which is considered a strategically important region.

It is obvious to everyone that the key to the Organization’s success is multifaceted cooperation and openness. Therefore, the structure appears as a convenient platform for an open dialogue, and a broad interregional partnership.

Uzbekistan – one of the founders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Uzbekistan is always recognized as one of the leaders in determining the further strategy for the development of mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework of the SCO.

We consider the SCO as an instrument in the fight against terrorism, extremism, separatism, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, as well as an Organization that promotes the development of multifaceted cooperation in trade, economic, transport, cultural and humanitarian spheres.

Our country has chaired the Organization three times before. At the initiative of Uzbekistan in 2004, the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO was established in Tashkent. The format of meetings of security council secretaries was introduced. A mechanism for granting observer status in the SCO was launched.

At the meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States, held in Tashkent in 2010, the Organization’s rules of procedure and the Regulations on the procedure for admitting new members were adopted.

One of the main results of the Tashkent Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2016 was the signing of memorandums of commitment between India and Pakistan to obtain the status of the SCO member state. This served to strengthen the Organization’s potential and further enhance its role in the international arena.

Since 2017, our country has become the leading initiator of further developing cooperation within the SCO.

For five years, the President of Uzbekistan has put forward 54 initiatives at the SCO summits to improve the effectiveness of cooperation in political, trade, economic, transport and logistics, innovation and other spheres. 37 of them have been implemented, 17 more are under implementation.

At the Dushanbe Summit, several initiatives put forward by the Uzbek side were adopted – the SCO Green Belt Program, the SCO Interaction Plan on Ensuring International Information Security, the Concept of the SCO Economic Forum, as well as the Regulations on the Tourism and Cultural Capital of the SCO.

As the analysis shows, in terms of ongoing initiatives, Uzbekistan takes a leading position in the SCO. If in past years the Uzbek side was mainly active in security, now it focuses on the need for building up the overall potential through such areas as the economy, transport and logistics, innovative and digital development, cultural and public diplomacy.

The strategy being implemented in the SCO space at the initiative of Uzbekistan’s President is based on such important principles as constructiveness, pragmatism and initiative.

The superiority of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy is expressed in the fact that the initiatives put forward by Tashkent within the framework of the SCO, in particular those aimed at sustainable development of the region, fully meet the national interests of the member countries. Therefore, these initiatives are widely supported by all SCO member states.

Activities carried out under the chairmanship of Uzbekistan on the eve of the summit in Samarkand enriched the activities of the Organization with concrete and effective, new and important projects. We can say that Uzbekistan has withstood another difficult political test with honor.

The results of Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in the SCO will be summed up at the summit, which will be held on September 15-16 in Samarkand.

We are confident that it will become a major political and diplomatic forum and will go down in history as an important step toward the further development of the Organization.

Queen Elizabeth II has died God save the King

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Queen Elizabeth II has died God save the King

The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral today marks a moment of great sorrow and sadness for millions worldwide.

We deeply felt the death of Her Majesty the Queen who reigned for over 70 years with a great sense of duty, responsibility, total dedication and wisdom.

Her family surrounded her Majesty at Balmoral Castle, and her son Charles II became the King.

Takedown of online investment fraud

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Takedown of online investment fraud

With the support of Eurojust, authorities in Finland, Germany, Belgium and Latvia have succeeded in striking a blow against the operators of various fraudulent online investment platforms that have defrauded victims from 11 different countries out of several million euros.

During an action day, two suspects were arrested and 12 locations were searched.

According to the investigation, victims were directed to seemingly reputable online trading platforms in search of offers for lucrative investments. Through these platforms, they were promised enormous profits in a short time by trading in cryptocurrency, foreign exchange or shares.

After being contacted by phone via call centres, email or messenger, the victims transferred sums of money to bank accounts indicated by alleged “brokers”. However, no investment of any kind was seemingly ever made with this money.

The suspects were identified as authorised disposers of the accounts and they are suspected of money laundering activities for the operators of the online trading platforms.

Over one hundred victims from 11 different countries have been identified so far. It is believed that in Germany alone (where more than half of the victims are from), victims have transferred approximately EUR 4.3 million. Of this amount, at least EUR 700 000 has been received in accounts held by the suspects.

In an action day coordinated by Eurojust on 6 September, two suspects were arrested in Belgium. A total of 12 locations were searched.

The case was opened at Eurojust by the Finnish and German authorities in 2021. The Agency actively facilitated the cross-border judicial cooperation between the national authorities involved, including the execution of European Investigation Orders (EIOs), European Arrest Warrants (EAWs) and freezing orders on the basis of the Regulation (EU) 2018/1805. In addition, Eurojust organised five coordination meetings in preparation for the action day.

Europol has been supporting this high-priority case by providing tailored analysis and virtual tracing analysis. In addition, experts from Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre were deployed to Belgium and Latvia to assist the national authorities with the investigative actions.

The following authorities took part in this investigation:

Finland: National Bureau of Investigation; National Prosecution Authority, Prosecution District of Southern Finland

Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Itzehoe Regional Court, Department for Combating Cybercrime; District Criminal Investigation Office Kiel

Belgium: Federal judicial police Antwerp – ECOFIN service, assisted by RCCU under the direction/coordination of the International Legal Assistance Centre (IRC) of the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office and the investigating judge

Latvia: The 3rd Unit of the International Cooperation Department of the Central Criminal Police Department of the State Police.

This operation was carried out as part of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).

EMPACT tackles the most important threats posed by organised and serious international crime affecting the European Union. EMPACT strengthens intelligence, strategic and operational cooperation between national authorities, EU institutions and bodies, and international partners. EMPACT runs in four-year cycles focusing on common EU crime priorities. Fraud, economic and financial crimes are among the priorities for the 2021-2025 Policy Cycle.

ICC President meets with Chairperson of African Union and Chairperson of African Union Commission

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ICC President meets with Chairperson of African Union and Chairperson of African Union Commission

The President of the International Criminal Court, Judge Piotr Hofmański, met in The Hague with H.E. Macky Sall, President of Senegal and Chairperson of the African Union, and with H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, on 5 and 6 September 2022, respectively.

The two meetings provided an opportunity for fruitful exchanges on the shared values and goals the ICC and the African Union, notably the objective of ending impunity for the gravest crimes under international law and providing justice to victims. Perspectives for developing the relations between the two organisations were also discussed, particularly through closer communication. The objective of promoting universal ratification of the Rome Statute also featured in the discussions.

With 33 members, African States currently form the largest regional group among the States Parties to the Rome Statute, the Court’s founding treaty. Vice-President of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, H.E. Ambassador Kateřina Sequensová, joined President Hofmański in the meeting with H.E. President Sall.

Rwanda Coffee Quality showcased in The Hague

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Rwanda Coffee Quality showcased in The Hague

On September 2nd, 2022, ten (10) selected Rwandan export companies have brought their coffee samples to be tasted during the first exclusive coffee cupping sessions after the COVID-19 pandemic, hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda to the Kingdom of the Netherlands in The Hague.

The cupping event was organized by the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), the Istituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria Onlus (ICU) and Coffee Cupping International (CCI), with support from the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to attract the interest of international connoisseurs, buyers, wholesalers, roasters, baristas, and other professionals in the coffee sector. The following 10 Rwandan coffees were cupped: Nova Coffee, Huye Mountain Coffee, Kivu Belt Coffee, Nyakizu Mountain Coffee, Mubuga Coffee, Fugi Washing station, Coocamu Cooperative, Simbi Coffee, Rwashoscco and Sholi.

Rwanda’s coffee cupping sessions in The Hague.

The initiative is part of ICU’s Coffee Value Chain Development project that has the goal to improve quality and quantity of coffee produced by smallholder farmers, strengthen coffee processing companies and cooperatives to build more sustainable businesses, facilitate access to finance and increase visibility on the international market. The project is working with more than 12,000 smallholder farmers and 20 coffee washing stations across 12 districts of Rwanda.

Next to the cuppings, ‘Rwanda Coffee – A Second Sunrise’ was heavily promoted in the Rwanda Pavilion during the 8th edition of the Embassy Festival in The Hague on September 3rd 2022, during which also Visit Rwanda and Made in Rwanda were featured. About 60,000 visitors were welcomed at the festival and many of them had the chance to enjoy a complimentary cup of Rwandan coffee while enjoying traditional Rwandan dance performances.

The fact that Rwandan specialty coffees meet high international standards provides an excellent opportunity to proactively increase their visibility in the international market and thus earn higher returns.

Rwandan coffee is not a new product to the Dutch market and it has gained popularity for its quality over the years. For instance in 2019, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Rwanda exported 209.5 tons of coffee worth USD 556,731 to the Netherlands. In spite of this achievement, there’s still room for greater sales of Rwandan coffees in the Netherlands if its visibility is boosted to not only Dutch coffee lovers but also to the international community located in major big cities. It is expected that sixty Embassies with offices in The Hague will be represented and this could be an opportunity to take the “Rwanda coffee – A Second Sunrise” brand even further.

Rwanda’s exclusive coffee cupping.

About NAEB: National Agricultural Export Development Board, abbreviated as “NAEB” is a commercial, public institution established by the law No 13/2017 of 14/04/2017 in the framework of regulating and promoting the development and growth of Agriculture and Livestock export commodities in Rwanda, as well as marketing them worldwide. The head office of NAEB is in Gikondo, KK 530 St, in the City of Kigali, the capital of the Republic of Rwanda.

www.naeb.gov.rw

About ICU: ICU – Istituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria Onlus is implementing the project ‘A market driven approach for value chain improvements and the expansion of the Rwandan coffee market’ in Rwanda in partnership with Kahawatu Foundation. The EUR 2.5 million contract is co-funded by the European Union and monitored by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning of the Republic of Rwanda (MINECOFIN) with the support of the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB).

www.icu.it/en/progetti/rwanda-coffee-value-chain-development/

Rwanda Makes a Big Impression at The Embassy Festival in the Netherlands

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Rwanda Makes a Big Impression at The Embassy Festival in the Netherlands

On 2 & 3 September 2022, the Embassy of Republic of Rwanda in The Hague participated in the Embassy Festival that took place in The Hague in the Netherlands. The cultural world trip that this festival offered fits in seamlessly with the international city of The Hague. One out of three inhabitants have roots abroad, making it the city that brings the world together. The Hague is also home to most of all embassies.

The Embassy Festival showcased the cultural richness of around 60 countries at the Lange Voorhout.

The result of this was a colorful festival program with lots of dance and music: the universal language that ties us all together and the Embassy of Rwanda once again put up a special program for its visitors, including traditional dances, specialty coffee, Visit Rwanda and Made in Rwanda products were on display.

Rwanda at Embassy Festival 2022

On the 2nd of September, the Embassy participated in the Embassy Tour. People could buy a ticket which gave them the opportunity to visit 4 embassies, which included a visit to the Embassy of Rwanda. Ambassador Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe and his team welcomed 120 guests and informed them about Rwanda, it’s history, culture, people, nature, business & investment climate, sports events, Made in Rwanda products like the leather handbags and accessories from Dokmai Rwanda, great tourism adventures while the visitors enjoyed the taste of genuine specialty coffee and food from Rwanda.

On the 3rd of September, Rwanda had found its way to the Embassy Festival for the fourth time. The Rwanda Pavilion was centrally located at the International Market where Ambassador Nduhungirehe and his team welcomed a crowd of visitors (+60,000 visitors).

Rwanda at Embassy Festival

The Ambassador and Team Rwanda were there to talk about the activities of the Embassy, the business & investment opportunities, to promote Visit Rwanda, Rwanda Coffee – A Second Sunrise and Made in Rwanda products, and of course to invite everyone for a cup of excellent Rwandan coffee served by BREWANDA.

Two companies from Rwanda exposed their Made in Rwanda products: Dokmai Rwanda (Leather handbags and accessories) and Irebe Décoration (handwoven baskets).

The Embassy Festival 2022

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The Embassy Festival 2022

Images and text by John Dunkelgrün

Of course it helped that the weather was just perfect, nice and sunny but not too hot. Walking towards the festival I was greeted by nostalgic Turkish music and the general bustle of happy people, a lot of happy people from untold nationalities.

Thai musicians at Embassy Festival 2022.

The Voorhout was crowded but not uncomfortably full. People were just enjoying themselves, looking at the many stands with signature local products and eating. I should have written that in capitals.

People were standing in very long lines for food, especially for the many different types of grilled meat on skewers. Some were eating food from one stand or drinking while standing in line for another. These lines were sometimes over 50 meters long! But there was no pushing or other unpleasantness, people were just happy to be there. The foods of Armenia, Georgia and South Africa were especially popular.

The crowd liked the music of a Taiwanese trio almost as much as the food. Their music, while exotic to European ears, was very accessible in a way that matched the mood of the afternoon.

South Africa had one of the larger stands with quite a big crew. I asked one of the crew members why there wasn’t a single black person on the stand. He said that it was because of the difficulty for black people to get a visa for the E.U. To get a visa you need bank statements, proof of being able to support yourself for three months, a statement from your employer and much more. For most black people that was an impossible hurdle.

Oscar Izquierdo, Minister Counsellor, Embassy of Ecuador, H.E. Mr. Juan Bautista Duran, Ambassador of Dominican Republic, H.E. Ms Elizabeth Ward Neiman, Ambassador of Panama and H.E. Roberto Calzadilla Sarmiento, Ambassador of Bolivia.

By far the most elegant lady on the festival grounds was Mrs. Le Thi Hien Anh, the wife of H.E. Mr. Viet Anh Pham, ambassador of Vietnam, you can see her posing in front of the flags of the ASEAN Member States in the main picture.

All in all it made many people looking forward to the Embassy Festival 2023

Promulgating Cyprus Shipping Industry

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Promulgating Cyprus Shipping Industry

By Roy Lie Atjam

It has been a pleasurable encounter meeting with the Shipping Deputy Minister of Cyprus, Vassilios Demetriades in the Anna Pavlova room Hotel Des Indes, on 1 September 2022.

Deputy Minister Vassilios Demetriades, an energetic and amicable gentleman. The Deputy Minister is in this position since July 2020.

The Cyprus Government attaches great emphasis on shipping and for this reason it has established a Deputy Ministry of Shipping. The Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry (SDM) focuses on safety and sustainability.

The Deputy Minister of Shipping reports directly to the President in the same way as all the other Ministers.  The establishment of Deputy Ministries in Cyprus instead of new Ministries is because of constitutional constraints that limit the number of Ministries to 10.

Deputy Minister Vassilios Demetriades aspires to promote Cyprus shipping globally and to communicate a positive image for the sector to the civil society. He will therefore exploit Cyprus’s maritime potentials to the fullest.  

Cyprus is the eleventh largest merchant fleet in the world, the third largest fleet in the European Union, and Europe’s largest ship management centre. Shipping contributes to 7% of Cyprus’s GDP.

Cyprus’s shipping industry is capable of competing in the world shipping market. We strive to promote the Cyprus flag while at the same time supporting the development of the European maritime industry by advancing new green technologies. When asked if Cyprus competes with the Liberia flag, Demetriades’ reply was a categorical no.

Cyprus is no novice to the world of shipping.

Since ancient times, the Biblical refers to Cyprus as a shipping nation. See the book of Numbers 24:24 “Ships will come from the coast of Kitʹtim. And they will afflict As·syrʹi·a. And they will afflict Eʹber.” The historian Josephus referred to Kittim as “Chethimos,” Cyprus, Kition-Citium. red.

The Shipping Deputy Ministry has recently presented “SEA Change 2030”, a strategic vision for Cyprus Shipping promoting a more extroverted, adaptable and sustainable future for the sector. A progress report on the implementation of the 35 sustainable actions that are incorporated in the Strategy is taking place every six months.

Furthermore, Cyprus is a leading advocate for sustainable shipping. Broad and diverse measures are needed at a global and regional level to achieve emissions reduction targets and a sustainable future for the industry.

Terms such as Green Tax Incentives, low-carbon alternative fuels, lower emissions, and enhanced cooperation at EU and global level are at the core of the Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry’s (SDM) activities.

A highlight of the Minister’s mission to the Netherlands was the launching ceremony of the new vessel MV. SOLVIK. Dutch build in 2022 that will operate under the Cyprus flag.

It is the property of SOLVIK Shipping Ltd., Limassol / SMT Shipping (Cyprus) Ltd. Featuring at the launching ceremony was the speech by Isobel Reed, SMT’s legal advisor and MV Solvik’s godmother. Reed wishes the vessel and her crew a lifetime of safety and good fortune.

The Solvik is a Dutch vessel under the Cyprian flag, may she swim well! Minister Vassilios Demetriades would like to see an enhanced cooperation between EU member states aiming to the promotion of environmentally sustainable shipping.

Mr. Vassilios Demetriades, Shipping Deputy Minister of Cyprus and Cyprus Ambassador H.E. Ms. Frances Lanitou Williams.

Minister Demetriades stated that shipping builds bridges, bringing together likeminded nations strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations, both at government and business level. It is important to work together in promoting a more positive image of the sector.

In unprecedented times, the ability of shipping services to continue undisrupted to transport food, energy and medical supplies across the continents play a critical role. During COVID-19 pandemic, Cyprus was one of the first countries worldwide that recognized seafarers as key workers. Cyprus implemented a formal crew change process, assisting with the repatriation of thousands of seafarers. The SDM also formulated and proposed a practical, global approach to delivering COVID-19 vaccinations to seafarers, which was then adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Further recognizing the urgency of seafarer vaccination, and the role this would play in easing the crew change crisis, Cyprus then committed to vaccinating all crew onboard Cyprus-flagged and managed vessels with the adoption of a national vaccination plan to provide protection to over 40,000 seafarers.

In addition, in response to Russia invasion to Ukraine, Cyprus facilitated the opening of bank accounts for both Ukrainian and Russian seafarers to enable them, and their families, to easily access their wages. We also believed that shipowners and crew managers required an effective solution from flag states to a challenge that many were facing.

  • “SEA Change 2030” A strategic vision for Cyprus Shipping where “S.E.A” stands for the three strategic pillars: Sustainability Extrovert Adaptability creating a continuous, interactive and systematic approach to achieving the vision.

COME (Cyprus Open Maritime Exchange) is an online communication platform and engagement channel, a concrete example of extrovertness. It will enable shipping industry stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations and all other actors involved in the maritime transport and supply chain, to exchange views in ad hoc virtual meetings on current maritime affairs and emerging issues.

Mr. Vassilios Demetriades, Shipping Deputy Minister of Cyprus at Langue Voorhout in The Hague.

Cyprus is also in a continuous effort to strengthen ties with other States to exchange views and ideas on issues of common interest and formulate common policy approaches. An enhanced, effective and constructive dialogue with regulators and decision-makers at global and European Union level responsible for the formulation of shipping policies is an absolute must to ensure that the regulatory framework is fit for purpose.

Technology, digitalisation or even AI-Artificial Intelligence are key elements of transforming shipping. However, Cyprus believes that the human element will always be at the heart of shipping operations and it is extremely important to invest on education, training and up skilling of the workforce. Since diversity is good for business, the Deputy Ministry of Shipping is in the process of recruiting more women into the male-dominated shipping industry.

Deputy Minister Vassilios Demetriades was on a two-day working visit in the Netherlands.

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