30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Kingdom of Belgium
On March 3, 2022 at the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Brussels, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Kingdom of Belgium, was held the fashion show of national clothes of the Kyrgyz Fashion house Ā«BairaĀ».
On January 20, 1992 Belgium recognized the independence of Kyrgyzstan. On March 25, 1992 diplomatic relations were officially established between the countries. Over the 30 years of cooperation the parties have carried out a lot of significant bilateral visits and consultations at the highest levels, a certain level of development has been achieved, which the parties intend to further develop and strengthen.
Among the guests of the evening were members of the Belgian Parliament and the Foreign Ministry, representatives of the diplomatic corps of Brussels, European institutions and international organizations, media, think tanks, as well as compatriots and friends of the Embassy.
Invited Kyrgyz designer Tolgonai Kerimkulova is the founder of the Ā«BayraĀ» fashion brand, known for its specific style, focused on creating clothes with the ethnic identity of the Kyrgyz nomads. The presented collection of the autumn-winter 2022-2023 season Ā«ShyrdakĀ» – authentic and at the same time relevant, was presented at the Milan Fashion Week – 2022. All outfits are 90% handmade, outerwear was created using the unique technique of carpet weaving of Kyrgyz nomads.
The show of national women’s clothing: from ethnic beldemchi and chapans to modern denim outfits, was held to Kyrgyz folk melodies and enthusiastic applause from European guests. The guests were especially interested in handmade felt products and a very actual accessory ā masks with national ornaments.
During the event were presented the video materials on the tourism and investment potential of the Kyrgyz Republic, were held an exhibition-fair of national products and a buffet of national dishes.
Cultural diplomacy makes it possible to demonstrate not only the national character and culture of the country, but also to talk about the tourism and investment potential, to convey to the attention of a big audience the country’s position on topical issues of the regional and world agenda.
The Leonardo Royal Hotel Den Haag Promenade is represented by a variety of employees. Both new and more experienced colleagues work together as one team, to deliver great service and to depict the hotelās values. In these monthly written pieces, there is a focus on the value: sincere. Who are the employees as an individual? Allow us to introduce you to Tessa.
Nationality: Dutch
Function: Front Office Agent
Department: Front Office
When did you start working at the Promenade Hotel?
Oddly, only in May 2021, but I already have many precious memories at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Den Haag Promenade. Also, I feel strongly connected with many of my colleagues and therefore barely realize I have only been working at the Promenade Hotel for less than a year.
What was your first impression of the Promenade Hotel?
We are encouraged to be ourselves.
The day of my interview, I got to introduced to employees (now colleagues), who made me feel like I was at home immediately. I particularly remember Houssain, Bas and Else who had such a positive vibe around them, that I could just feel all the nerves for the interview fade away. I believe this is one of the strengths of our team: being sincere.
As all of us are sincerely interested in other people and share the passion of ensuring our guests feel at ease and are comfortable.
What makes the Promenade Hotel suitable for welcoming people from all around the world?
At the Promenade Hotel our team consists of open-minded, genuine, honest, and international- oriented people. Many of us have been raised in another country or have been travelling for studies or personal development. Therefore, as a team, we are excited to welcome people from all around the world and are convinced all people are one, no matter where you are from.
Many of us have been raised in another country or have been travelling for studies or personal development.
What do you value most in the organization of diplomatic events at the Promenade Hotel?
What I value the most is how all departments work together. This is taken to the next level during the planning and execution of diplomatic events. We are able to do this through using various communication methods, but especially see the importance of talking to each other. This way, everybody can be and is aware of the events that will happen the upcoming week and are able to make sure that all our guests, including the diplomats, have a pleasant experience at our hotel.
What did you learn so far by working with diplomats? Some tips, rules or values to share?
I have not been working in the hotel industry for a long time, however, my mindset is that everybody is unique. I truly believe that working with stereotypes or assumptions about peopleās origin in mind does not provide the same experience as when focusing on the unique characteristics/features of a person. Hence, one could say āinterestā and āempathyā are worthful values to keep in mind.
Which Food Festival has been your favorite so far or would you like to experience?
During the last Food Festival, I was travelling, so I could not experience it myself this time. When I heard from my colleagues how amazing it was, I regretted I was not able to do this culinary ātripā to Peru with them. Therefore, I would really like to experience the next one, the sooner the better. If I really have to be more specific: visiting new towns, cities, countries, is one of my passions and I have not yet been to Central and South-America. Accordingly, a Food Festival from one of these beautiful countries would be a pleasant first experience.
What local food(s), from abroad, have you tried already?
Despite eating healthy when I am spending my time at home in the Netherlands, I like to go all the way when travelling: from enjoying chimney cake & langos in Budapest, Spinakoptika in Athens, Pinchos in Madrid, Gnocchi di Zucca near San Marino to trying many traditional dishes (before I decided to eat vegetarian) like moussaka, tikka masala, Mexican burritos, tƶltƶtt kaposzta and conejo en salmorejo.
What is your favorite drink or dish at LEOās International Flavors?
Monkey 47 Gin Tonic. LEOās has so many different tonics to choose from, making the Monkey 47 even more special.
What sustainable development goal do you value most? Why this one?
The goal I value most is āreduced inequalitiesā.
Currently inequality can be seen in so many issues that are encountered all over the world: poverty, gender differences, climate change, quality of education, oppression, human rights crises, and the lack of peace in various places on this planet. By reducing inequalities, I genuinely hope it is possible to overcome the problems that are currently threatening people all around the world. I hope to see the day that everyone can at least suffice in their mental and physical needs, but there is still a long way to go.
What piece of good advice did you receive, and from whom, that you would like to forward?
My parents have raised me from a view of religion, and I will always remember the golden rule they have taught me and by which I am trying to live my life: āwie goed doet, goed ontmoet (in English: all good things come to those who make them happen). Also, as I have conquered quite some battles in my personal life, I would like to remember all who are struggling mentally or physically (or both) to a quote of Archbishop Desmond Tutu (2016): “We are meant to live in joy. This does not mean that life will be easy or painless. It means that we can turn our faces to the wind and accept that this is the storm that we must pass through,ā (p. 220). And I can only add that what came after the storm was worth continuing for.
En mĆŖme temps, les Ćtats-Unis, IsraĆ«l et le Saint-SiĆØge font partie du Groupe I en tant quāobservateurs et sont Ćtats parties de quelques conventions.
The National College of Arts, Lahore is one of the few places in the world where traditional miniature has been taught for long and a degree is awarded in miniature painting. In the late 1990ās and early 2000ās few of the graduates started to experiment with āmodernityā and contemporary or neo-miniature evolved. Contemporary miniature from Pakistan is a powerful genre that has been recognized across the world. Imran Qureshi who graduated from NCA in 1993 is among the leading Pakistani artists who laid the foundation of contemporary miniature. He has received several national and global accolades.
Traditional miniature painting documented different facets of high life of royalties including in the Mughal South Asia. In time different princely states in the sub-continent further evolved the Mughal miniature into local styles like the Pahari school, which also started depicting everyday life scenes including sporting activities of the time. One of my favorite Pahari miniature which is in the collection of Lahore Museum is a portrait of a dapper lady playing with a red ball. It is a rare work because typically miniatures paintings show sporting activities like wrestling, hunting, chess or polo.
Lady wirh Red Ball collection Lahore Museum photo by author.
As the British consolidated their rule over subcontinent, the Company school of painting emerged which catered for the aesthetics of colonial rulers and was a mix of European and miniature painting. The British also introduced cricket to the subcontinent and it is today a game played and followed by most Pakistanis at home and abroad. In the Netherlands there are a few cricket clubs where Pakistani origin cricket enthusiasts play and practice. Only last year the Punjab Cricket Club of Rotterdam won a Dutch championship. The Dutch national cricket team has also done well and includes a number of Pakistani origin players. Pakistan is a world class producer of sporting goods to the world and exports around $ 200 Millions worth of sporting goods annually.
Photo Credit Islamabad United.
Pakistan Super League (PSL) was founded in 2015. It is a professional cricket league currently contested by 6 cricket teams of different Pakistani cities. PSLās 2022 season was played in February. One of the PSL teams is Islamabad United (IU) owned by Ali Naqvi who along with Amna Tirmizi Naqvi has played an important role in promoting Pakistani arts through their AAN Art Space and Museum. With his long association with the art world, Naqvi thought of the opportunity to mainstream art using the most popular sport in Pakistan. Without being prescriptive considering the āgestural abstraction of Imran Qureshi,ā he asked him to bridge art and cricket. Qureshi found the idea interesting and gave a life of its own to the project.
When Imran Qureshi told me about IQxIU (Imran Qureshi X Islamabad United) art project my mind immediately went to āLady playing with a red ballā and that Pahari miniature of 1760ās attributed to famous miniature artists of his times Nainsukh seemed to me a contemporary work inspired by game of cricket.
Imran Qureshi with his work and Bono Photo credit Artist.
The common response for an art project would be for a visual artist to go to a cricket stadium and create a piece of art but Imran Qureshi with his ingenuity thought of bringing the cricketers to his studio in Lahore and engaged them in the process of creating art. There, he explained them his work and concept. He wanted the cricketers to understand the work and relate to it. This aroused interest of sportsmen in Qureshiās work. Qureshi has in his oeuvre moved way beyond the traditional miniature practice. He is also known for his large-scale installations done in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Sharjah Biennale, London, Paris and elsewhere in the world.
Photo credit Usman Javed.
Despite the larger size works Qureshi still retains miniatureās discipline, finesse and aesthetics. Qureshiās vast experience of large-scale installations became useful in the IQxIU art project. He conceived a miniature cricket stadium in his studio where he and the cricket players Asif Ali and Shadab Khan dipped the ball in paint and played cricket. Dipping cricket ball was a revisit of street cricket played in Pakistan. As children we have all played cricket in neighborhood streets or narrow alleys in houses and the ball at times ends up in a puddle and left splashes on clothes, street surface or the surrounding walls. A peculiar aspect of street cricket is the joy of tapping a tennis ball with red color tape to play cricket at home. Imran Qureshiās studio created the same ambiance ā the walls and canvas placed on different surfaces documented the movement of the ball and markings by the bat. Qureshi created his signature floral patterns within and around those marks in light blue color.
Imran Qureshi with his work and Christian Louboutin Photo credit unknown –
In terms of final products there is a big canvas diptych in blue; one capturing the balling marks and other documenting batting marks. There is a third smaller canvas in maroon and a number of cricket balls painted by Qureshi. The process has as Naqvi said resulted in āQureshiās work leaving the art centers of the world and entering cricket fields and TV screens in Pakistan.ā The IU kits with Qureshiās splashes are available across the country. Although aesthetically the splashes look odd and the kitās color scheme is at variance with the light blue art work appearing like actual splashes, many a young children would wear them and have the opportunity to think or ask questions about the art and some may dream to follow creative professions.
Qureshiās creative process was documented in a wonderfully done video by Qureshiās equally talented brother Faisal Qureshi. It shows Qureshi dipping the ball and handing over to baller Asif Ali to ball to batsman Shadab Khan. The fast-moving ball sheds its layers like a snake sheds its layer. Each layer of the ball shows Qureshiās signature materials like the gold, light blue, and finally the red cricket ball of Lady with the red ball emerges with light blue floral patterns of Qureshi.
Photo credit Usman Javaid
Ball sports have been part of painting in different countries. In the Netherlands Hendrick Avercampās (1585-1634) winter landscape paintings tell many stories and some of his characters indulge in skating and playing kolf ā an early ice hockey and golf like game. Qureshiās recent work, Nainsukhās eighteenth century Lady with red ball or Avercampās seventeenth century ice scene displayed at the Maurithuis in The Hague show how artists centuries apart and from different cultural traditions bring us closer by depicting every day sporting activities.
About the author:
H.E. Mr. Suljuk Mustansar Tarar, Ambassador of Pakistan.
Suljuk Mustansar Tarar is Pakistanās Ambassador to the Netherlands. He is also an art critic and his first book on Pakistani contemporary art All That Art was published last year. He can be followed on Twitter @suljuk & Instagram @suljuktarar
The Middle East strategy of China is gradually progressing. Recently, an official agreement between the governments of Iran and China brought the 25-year comprehensive cooperation treaty into effect, while Syria signed an understanding to join the Belt and Road Initiative. Massive trade and investment initiatives have helped China establish itself as a significant player in the Middle East.
Iran and Syria want to strengthen commercial and trade ties as the Syrian conflict fade. The end of the conflict in Syria represents the beginning of a new era of business connections between the two nations.
Syria and China signed a memorandum of understanding to join the Belt and Road Initiative. The āFive Seas Proposalā, which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad first mentioned in 2009, mirrored China’s current Silk Road project.
The Five Seas initiative connects the Mediterranean, Red, Persian, Caspian, and Black Seas, attempting to unify all nations in the area. With the notion of āShamgenā articulated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was the Prime Minister at the time, but in the movement known as the Arab Spring, it was shelved.
The Belt and Road initiative, which includes Iran, is now being proposed for Syria. This action has various implications. Since Barack Obama, the USA has been working to finalize Middle Eastern agreements with China. However, China wants to incorporate the Middle East with Belt and Road initiative.
A branch of China’s Silk Road, Tehran, Baghdad continues down the Euphrates River via Al Bukemal, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Aleppo, and Latakia. Thus, China may benefit from the land-accessible Latakia port as a major logistical hub. The Chinese Belt and Road Initiative strengthens the bonds of communication and cooperation between China and Iran, all the way to Syria. Damascus was a historic Silk Road station. The old inns are still standing. These inns are said to have utilized the first bills/checks.
The second branch from Tehran goes to Damascus, then Beirut. That’s why China sought money for the Beirut port following the great explosion. By negotiating with Lebanon for the Beirut port, China will have two ports opening to the Mediterranean, giving it a huge advantage.
As a consequence of the deal, Syria vowed that it would not make concessions to the West. Even after certain Arab nations re-established ties with Syria and France appointed ambassador, Syria continues to offend the West.
Russia and Iran are also unconcerned about Syria-China collaboration. Despite the potential of a favourable conclusion in the discussions over its nuclear activities, Iran is now doing as āthe field needs” and establishing deals with China that will bind it for a quarter of a century and beyond. So, Russia, Syria, and Iran all meet in one area. Except for vetoes, China was quiet throughout the Syrian conflict. However, its worldwide rivalry with the USA may intensify, and the Syria move coincided with the “moment when counter-measures should be implemented.ā
Russia has returned to the Middle East, and China will soon follow. After years of anticipation, Syria has finally joined the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. Syria joined the initiative following a memorandum of understanding signed by the Syrian Planning and International Cooperation Authority head, Fadi Al-Khalil, and China’s ambassador in Damascus, Feng Biao, after official statements and mutual visits on the Beijing-Damascus line in recent years indicated Syria’s imminent accession to the BRI.
On the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that Syria may participate via infrastructure development. āChina is a great nation that is attempting to enhance its influence in the globe, but not in a bad sense, but influence in the sense of depending on friends… as it depends on partnership and similar interests, instead of the hegemonic strategy followed by the West,ā Al-Assad remarked at the time.
Assad went on āSyria is on the Silk Road, and China regards us as equals, not as a large nation with a minor. There are similar interests… a benefit for China, Syria, and other nations on this path… in the end, it benefits all nations. This implies greater global stability.ā
The Syrian offer, which contained six Chinese projects aligned with the Belt and Road model, appears to have been well received in Beijing, which ultimately chose to include Damascus in its effort.
There are a number of projects that may be implemented as part of this initiative. These include rail links between Tartous and the Iraqi border, highways connecting the country’s south to its north, electricity generation, oil and gas exploration; as well as Chinese free zones in Syria.
Currently, the āleaning towards the east policyā is being followed; Damascus has announced this policy in response to what it perceives as the participation of the United States and Western countries in the war against Syria.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad āleaning towards the east policyā aligns with Chinese President Xi Jinping‘s Belt and Road Initiative. Many compared the Chinese initiative to Syrian President’s āFive Seasā project, referring to the Mediterranean, Caspian, Black, Arabian Gulf and Red Seas.
China’s involvement in Syria has grown since 2018. In a statement released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Ambassador Qi Qianjin expressed his country’s desire to play a larger role in Syria’s economic, political, and military affairs. During a hospital visit in Damascus, the Chinese envoy remarked, āI believe it is time to focus on Syria’s growth and rebuilding. I think China will further up its support for the Syrian people and government.ā Perhaps the recent $44 million in humanitarian aid to Syria bolster the Chinese ambassador’s claims.
In an August 2019 letter, the Chinese ambassador emphasized the development of Syrian railroads and ports; after promising $20 billion to Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Jordan for rehabilitation and economic growth.
The Belt and Road Initiative was announced by China in 2013 and intends to link nations across the globe with a network of roads, railroads, ports, oil pipelines, sea lanes, and telecommunications networks.
The initiative has two parts: the Silk Road Economic Belt, which aims to connect China with Europe through South Asia and Central Asia, and the Maritime Silk Road, which aims to connect China with Europe via Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
The Syrian president recently declared that it has reached a formal deal with China to join the Belt and Road initiative. This initiative was initiated by China in 2013. It is a massive infrastructure project that intends to enhance China’s commercial linkages.
According to the deal inked between China and Syria, railways, international roads, power plants, and the expansion of Syrian ports would all be funded by China, with Syria paying a substantial portion of the expenditures over time.
The Chinese president vowed to contribute $20 billion in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon to restore infrastructure, with Syria’s part estimated at $9 billion.
However, China would not compete with Russia for the port of Tartus, but will strive to develop the port of Latakia via the same corporation that is already expanding the port of Tripoli in Lebanon.
Sino-Iranian agreement
āThe comprehensive cooperation pact between Iran and China (25 years) has started the implementation phase,ā said Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian.
Abdullahian met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, where he is on a formal invitation, to discuss the current developments in bilateral ties and economic cooperation.
In addition to supporting Iran’s nuclear rights and easing the embargo, they discussed the current Vienna discussions on lifting the embargo.
Although the contents of this strategic agreement, which is a plan for long-term collaboration between the two nations, have not been released, a consensus was obtained. This agreement will include economic cooperation as a major component, which will need to be signed and executed in the form of separate agreements between the two nations.
In March 27, 2021, the two nations announced a ācomprehensive strategic partnershipā in a joint statement. According to paragraph 6 of the statement, all parties are prepared to discuss and develop a long-term cooperation pact. On April 27, Mohammad Javad Zarif and Wang Yi, the Iranian and Chinese foreign ministers, signed this treaty.
In recent years, the two nations’ trade volume has been about $20 billion. Since 1995, Iran exported about $9 billion to China and imported between $9 and $13 billion. China is a major provider of electrical, audio-visual, chemical and industrial goods to Iran. Iran, on the other hand, is one of China’s top oil suppliers, oil imports before the sanctions amounted for around 6% of overall imports. However, unofficial data shows that during the sanctions period, China was the largest buyer of Iranian oil.
The Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road are two trade routes proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. This initiative links China, Central Asia, Russia, and the Middle East to Europe. The Maritime Silk Road links China to Southeast Asia and Africa through the sea, and reaches over 60 Asian, European, and African nations.
The project will encompass 30% of global GDP and 35% of global commerce and has three key goals. The primary purpose is to free China from the naval blockade and depend entirely on the Straits of Malacca. More than 150 ships each day, predominantly Chinese and Japanese tankers, sail through the strait.
China will turn to be the world’s leading economic power by exporting technological and engineering products and services to other nations. Iran is a major supplier of energy, raw materials such as iron ore, and petrochemical crude products to China, making it a major priority in the Belt and Road Initiative.
The Minister of Economy declared that the 25-year deal between Iran and China is nearing completion. China announced $400 billion in Iran, with $280 billion going to the oil and gas sector and $120 billion to transportation.
Currently, the government has about 100,000 unfinished economic and development projects, which need a thousand billion tomans (1,000,000,000,000,000,000 Tomans) of credit to complete. In addition to continuing to purchase Iranian oil, the Chinese are helping to build big oil and gas reserves and modernize Iran’s refineries.
Most notable oil and gas projects where Chinese involvement is feasible are Phase 11 of South Pars, North Pars gas field development, Azadegan and Yadavaran oil field development and repair of ancient domestic refineries like as Abadan and Tehran refineries. The country’s other energy initiatives include developing sustainable energy and renovating aging power facilities. Promoting banking, financial and insurance cooperation, creating Iranian bank branches, and forming an Iran-China joint bank are feasible banking and financial collaboration.
Construction of railways in various parts of the country, electrification of railways such as the Tehran-Mashhad railway, development of metro networks in major Iranian cities, participation in the development of Makran beaches, development of Iranian ports such as Chabahar port, and completion of domestic and international highways and freeways in Iran are all part of the 25-year agreement.
In recent months, news of Chinese involvement in the form of industrialization of housing building for the National Housing Movement and the construction of four million housing units in four years. Other probable 25-year areas of collaboration include telecommunications, science-technology, education, health, and tourism.
About author:
Dr. Mohamad Zreik
Dr. Mohamad Zreik has PhD of International Relations, he is independent researcher, his area of research interest is related to Chinese Foreign Policy, Belt and Road Initiative, Middle Eastern Studies, China-Arab relations. Author has numerous studies published in high ranked journals and international newspapers.
Diplomats all over the world embrace, together with their families, a nomadic lifestyle which is neither easy nor comfortable for most. The stress of moving, the constant uncertainty about the near future and all that comes with it, are factors which strongly shape their personality and meanwhile make them more resilient and enterprising.
For Amel Derragui, having lived in eight countries only laid the groundwork for her strong and complex personality today and her successful business.
Originally from Algeria, born in India into a diplomatic family and becoming Austrian by marriage, Amel lived her whole life āon the moveā.
After she studied in France and got her MBA in US, she worked in sales and then built most of her career in the advertising industry in France.
And then, as in a blockbuster love story, she found her love, while visiting her parents, who were posted in Iran at the time.
She remembers: āthe first night they took me to a dinner invitation at the Turkish residence. There, I met a very nice gentleman… Six months later we were engaged. A year later, I quit my job, we got married and moved to Iran.ā
As she is a very intelligent, determined and strong minded woman, she figured out right from the start that she was not going to be able to continue her former career, while moving constantly with her husband. So she started looking for an alternative, which was to start her own business, as a consultant in marketing and communications.
āI am very passionate about topics related to innovative businesses and social entrepreneurship. In fact, I strongly believe that it is possible to make profits while solving problems and making our world a better placeā, she says. āWhile doing that I have stumbled upon a few issues and challenges. The first one was the loneliness. I really struggled to find other entrepreneurs like me who had to build their businesses in a foreign country. I realized that although having a business was a great solution to my career challenges on the move, it was still a challenge if my business was not portable. I felt lonely in this journey because even the great mentors that tried to help me to grow as an entrepreneur were not able to guide me as they have built their successful businesses while living a pretty settled life, in one placeā.
All the gained expertise and experience helped Amel find a different kind of business and she founded a beautiful community, Tandem Nomads.
She tells me proudly; āOnce I got to learn how to make my business truly portable and discovered so many great tools and ways to do it, I really felt like I wanted to share that with other diplomatic and expat spouses. I saw so many smart women around me who felt completely desperate, sometimes depressed as they had lost confidence and their sense of identity. I saw so many couples separating and unhappy marriages due to the resentment these spouses had developed over the years, because they had to give up their own careers. Even sadder, I saw a lot of spouses stuck in a relationship where they were not happy, just because they could not be financially independent. So, I wanted to help and share the message that it was possible to create a business aligned with our lifestyle.ā
She confesses that at first she wasn’t sure how to get her message heard by as many people as possible, but one day she discovered the world of podcasts and that’s how she came up with the idea to start one. In November 2015, she launched Tandem Nomads podcast, sharing weekly inspiration about how to build a sustainable portable career on the move, thanks to entrepreneurship.
Ever since then, her Tandem Nomads community has grown constantly and thatās what made her decide to focus on developing online courses and coaching services, reaching global entrepreneurs all over the world.
She loves her job and she confesses that āit has been an amazingly rewarding journey and a great path to self-growth and personal development. I really see how much I’ve grown as a person and as a human being. One thing that makes me very happy is every time I see a client who has reached a milestone and has grown, when I receive messages like āOh my God, this feels amazing! I just moved to a completely new country and do all the things that this new transition requires, but there’s one thing that did not change and that is my business, which allows me to continue doing what I love without having to start again from scratch. It feels so liberating!ā This is exactly why I started Tandem Nomads.ā
She then sincerely continues: āI would have not been able to do all that without creating my own support system. My biggest supporter has always been my husband, who has been there every step of the way. As much as I love being the diplomatic spouse and supporting wife, I love that I can also count on him when I need help. My husband and I share our journey learning how to support each other in this podcast episode: www.tandemnoamds.com/193ā.
She also recognizes that the diplomatic community offers a close network and support to settle in and still feel at home. āIt’s just like a family, I meet diplomats that I don’t even know, yet it still feels familiar because we immediately know what it is to live this lifestyle and we are all also aware of the challenges. So, most people are often willing to support and encourage newcomers – this is something I really love. But I must also share one thing that I’ve struggled with, in the diplomatic community. It is when we actually all get together, especially spouses of diplomats, and the first thing we do is introduce ourselves through the position of our husbands. I might be too much of a feminist, but this is something that really bothers me. I feel that it’s a huge honor and privilege to represent our countries and also build bridges between different cultures. But for me, the position of my husband or the country that we represent is not the number one thing that defines me. When for example I lived in Iran, I was always introduced either as my fatherās daughter or the spouse of my husband, but my own name was rarely mentioned in networking events or receptions. This is something that I really fought hard to change. Slowly, people started being interested in me as the person and not just the title. I really encourage everybody to make sure that they don’t just become a label of their position!ā
You can sense from her words that she is a fighter, a determined woman who will not take āNOā for an answer when it comes to things that really matter to her and to her expat community. She intends to help and support those in similar situations to hers, and also to lobby and advocate for their cause.
āAnother issue that I think we need to urgently tackle is the legal restrictions that prevent diplomatic spouses from working or having their business, in many countries. These legislations do not fit to our current world anymore. There is still a lot of work to do in this direction!ā
Over the years, she spoke at various international organizations such as the IMF and Foreign Affairs Ministries of various countries, providing guidance on how to use entrepreneurship as a solution to dual career challenges and how to make a business truly portable. Her work on the topic of entrepreneurship and women empowerment has been featured in various media such as Forbes Magazine and Global Living Magazine.
She transformed her life-time motto, āturn your challenges into opportunitiesā into a lifestyle and she now successfully teaches others how to do it.
About the author:
Alexandra Paucescu
Alexandra Paucescu- Author of āJust a Diplomatic Spouseā Romanian, management graduate with a Master in business, cultural diplomacy and international relations studies.
She speaks Romanian, English, French, German and Italian, gives lectures on intercultural communication and is an active NGO volunteer.
Eurojust supported 10 105 cross-border criminal investigations in 2021, reaching the highest number of cases since starting operations twenty years ago. This milestone of over 10 000 cases is an increase of almost 50 times compared to 2002. Despite continued pandemic restrictions throughout last year, Eurojustās casework load rose by 15% compared to 2020.
Eurojust participated in over 1 400 large-scale operations and sent nearly 2 000 rapid responses to judicial cooperation requests. As a result, EUR 7 billion of drugs were seized, EUR 2.8 billion of criminal assets were frozen, and 3 329 suspects were arrested or surrendered. Without the Agencyās involvement these results would not have be attained.
These are the main highlights of Eurojustās Annual Report 2021, published today. Commenting on the occasion, Eurojust President Mr Ladislav Hamran stated: āThe level of judicial cooperation that we have helped to establish in the past two decades is unique in the world, and our Agency is widely acknowledged in Europe. We will continue to focus our attention on further digitalising the way European prosecutors and judges work together across borders. At the same time, we will keep strengthening and expanding our cooperation with third countries, making sure that the fight against organised crime and terrorism evolves from a regional to a global effort.ā
Mr Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice said: āThis year marks the 20th anniversary of Eurojust and in parallel we were able to negotiate the biggest budget in its history ā 350 million euro for the next seven years. We have come a long way from an organisation that began as a small meeting of prosecutors around a table in Brussels to what we see in practice today. There will always be a need for the outstanding service Eurojust does for the safety of Europe and I look forward to seeing what will be achieved in the year to come.ā
Working together via Eurojust, national judicial authorities achieved on-the-ground results across a wide range of crime areas in 2021, helping to deliver justice to almost 100 000 victims. To make this possible, the Agency supported Member States in the organisation of 457 coordination meetings, 22 action days, and provided operational and financial support to 254 joint investigation teams.
The largest number of cases concerned swindling, money laundering, drug trafficking, and cybercrime. Of all cases Eurojust registered last year, 81% covered crime areas considered as a priority by EMPACT (the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats ā an initiative driven by Member States and supported by the Commission and Council, to identify and address threats posed by organised and serious international crime).
Throughout 2021, Eurojust continued to handle various cases related to the pandemic, such as sales of fictitious personal protective equipment. The Agency adapted to the crisis by introducing new secure online conferencing tools and adjusting its premises to accommodate hybrid meetings. It also laid down foundations for several projects last year to support the Commissionās digitalisation of justice initiative in which Eurojust will play a major role.
Eurojustās successful results in 2021 are largely thanks to the excellent collaboration with its EU partners and fellow Justice and Home Affairs Agencies. This cooperation includes the newly operational European Public Prosecutorās Office (EPPO) in Luxembourg, with whom a Working Agreement was signed, to start work on fighting crimes against the EUās budget. Moreover, in 2021, Eurojust became actively connected to over sixty jurisdictions worldwide thanks to its new Contact Points in Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and the Republic of Maldives.
Major Eurojust cases in 2021:
Ā· Criminal networksā encrypted communications tool, Sky ECC, blocked: Investigators monitored the criminal use of the Sky ECC communication service tool, generating invaluable insights into hundreds of millions of messages exchanged between criminals, resulting in the collection of crucial information on over a hundred planned large-scale criminal operations, preventing potential life-threatening situations and possible victims. Eurojust supported a joint investigation team of the French, Belgian and Dutch authorities into this case.
Ā· Worldās most dangerous malware, EMOTET, disrupted: A dangerous and resilient malware created a large botnet that was offered for hire to cybercriminals to install other types of malware onto victimsā computers. The infected machines of victims were redirected towards a law enforcement-controlled infrastructure.
Ā· Migrant smuggling with luxury vehicles in Greece halted with Eurojust support:An organised crime group transported around 350 irregular migrants within Greece, during 56 transfers. 11 suspects were arrested and 29 vehicles were seized, together with computer and GPS equipment, mobile phones, financial documents, cash and a mining tool for bitcoins.
Ā· Syrian official sentenced to life for crimes against humanity with support of joint investigation team assisted by Eurojust: Building on the work of a joint investigation team supported by Eurojust last year and previously, in a landmark judgement in January 2022, the German Higher Regional Court of Koblenz sentenced a former high-ranking Syrian official to life imprisonment for his involvement in crimes against humanity. This followed the sentencing of his associate by the same court in 2021.
The Royal Thai Embassy in the Netherlands will be hosting a series of Thai Food Promotions for the purpose of taking Thai food to higher heights.
The phenomenon of Thai Gastrodiplomacy is still very much alive. In 2001 the government of Thailand established the āGlobal Thai Restaurant Company Ltd.ā aiming at establishing thousands of Thai restaurants worldwide. The government hoped the company would be like McDonaldās. Chefs were trained and posted around the globe to promote the Thai gastrodiplomacy scheme.
The testing of Royal Thai cuisine was presented by the Thai chefs to their Dutch colleagues, Chef, Sous-Chef & the F&B Managers, as they are responsible for the service during the Food Festival. All working together in preparation of the Flavours Thai Festival at Leonardo Royal Hotel in The Hague and in Amsterdam. The spouse of the Ambassador of Thailand, Mrs. Nataya Archjananun, giving a brief insight into the exquisite Royal Thai Cuisine and its preparation. H.E. Ambassador Chatri Archjananun, also actively participated of the culinary activity. Photography August Zeidman.
Before the Thai Food Festival at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in The Hague and Amsterdam in April 2022, the Royal Thai Embassy invited chefs and staffers of the Leonardo Royal Hotel to participate in a workshop so as to get firsthand information on the peculiarities ofĀ Thai cuisine. It was also an opportunity to meet their Thai counterparts with whom they will be working closely during the upcoming food festival.
The workshop took place under the acumen supervision of the spouse of the Ambassador of Thailand, Mrs. Nataya. She gave a brief insight into the exquisite Thai cuisine, notably the Thai Royal Cuisine and its preparation.
Thai Food Festival at Leonardo Royal Hotel, 222 & 23 in The Hague / 29 & 30 in Amsterdam. Photography August Zeidman.
By all means, the Thai Food Festival will offer a Premium 3-course menu. To get a glimpse of the mouthwatering menu: Appetizers, steamed bird dumpling, spicy papaya salad. Main courses, beef green curry, prawn in tamarind sauce, fried fish cake and a spicy chicken soup. Desserts, sweet layer cake, coconut macaron, sweet sticky rice with coconut topping
A pleasurable, relaxed atmosphere of camaraderie reigned at the workshop. In conclusion, all participants expressed their satisfaction with the presentation. The chefs envisage meeting again before the food festival.
Royal Thai cuisine at Flavours Food Festival, Leonardo Royal Hotel The Hague & Amsterdam.
ICC Prosecutor, Karim A. A. Khan QC, concludes first visit to Bangladesh, underlines commitment to advance investigations into alleged atrocity crimes against the Rohingya
On Sunday, 27 February 2022, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Mr Karim A. A. Khan QC, concluded a five-day visit to Dhaka and Coxās Bazar, Bangladesh. This represented the first visit by the Prosecutor of the Court to Bangladesh.
During the visit, Prosecutor Khan emphasised that the investigation being conducted by his Office into crimes within the Courtās jurisdiction allegedly committed against the Rohingya from Myanmar would be a priority during his tenure. He confirmed to all stakeholders that he had allocated additional resources to the investigative team and was seeking to accelerate the collection and analysis of evidence, which had previously been impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Prosecutor Khan delivered this message directly to survivors and affected communities during his visit to Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxās Bazar, home to hundreds of thousands of members of the Rohingya community who have fled violence in Myanmar. In meetings with Rohingya women and youth activists, Prosecutor Khan discussed how his Office can further empower them to contribute to the investigation. During a meeting with local Imams and other religious leaders, the Prosecutor also addressed ways that Rohingya leaders can support victims of sexual and gender-based violence to come forward with their accounts in the context of the Officeās ongoing investigations.
āWe are here to work with you to build the foundations of justice. The road to accountability will not be simple, but it is a goal we can only achieve by working together, as a partnership between usā, stated the Prosecutor.
During the course of the visit, Prosecutor Khan also held several productive meetings with officials of the Government of Bangladesh, and engaged with diplomatic corps and representatives of civil society organisations in Dhaka. Meetings were held with their Excellencies, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina; Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Anisul Huq; State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Abdul Momen; Foreign Secretary, Mr Masud Bin Momen, and Secretary for Maritime Affairs, Rear Admiral (retd.) Khurshed Alam.
In his meeting with the Prime Minister, the Prosecutor recognised the crucial role that Bangladesh had played in providing refuge to the Rohingya as they fled Myanmar in 2017. āThat decision represented a moment of true empathy and courage. It also demonstrated the understanding among the Bangladeshi people of the impact of atrocity crimes, based on their own lived experience. This approach of courageous solidarity continues to be reflected in the assistance provided by Bangladesh to our work in pursuit of justice for the Rohingya communityā, stated the Prosecutor.
The Prosecutor expressed his sincere appreciation to the authorities of Bangladesh for facilitating his visit. He also expressed his gratitude to the non-governmental organisations and United Nations partners that had supported his direct engagement with survivors and affected communities in Coxās Bazar.
The Prosecutor held a press conference in Dhaka at the conclusion of his mission to Bangladesh, fielding questions from local and international media present. During the press conference, the Prosecutor announced his intention to undertake additional visits to Bangladesh in order to further support and advance the work of his Office in relation to this investigation.
āLanguages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritageā
The Hague, 21 February 2022. The Embassy of the Republic of Bangladesh in the Netherlands and Leiden University (Humanities) presented a creative observance of International Mother Language Day, 2022. The venue was The Hague campus of the university.
International Mother Language Day, each year on 21 February United Nations member states observe International Mother Language Day. Bangladesh championed the āIdeaā to celebrate 21 February as the International Mother Language Day, the history of her peopleās movement to uphold Mother Language Day(1952). In 1999,UNESCO General Conference proclaimed International Mother Language Day, followed by endorsement by the UN.
General Assembly(2000) International Mother Language day, its history, it all started in 1952 when students demonstrated in recognition of their language, Bangla, as one of the two national languages of then East Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
Interesting to note that the Honourable Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister of Bangladesh vows to continue efforts to proliferate Bangla language, culture. The Prime Minister continued, “the government is actively engaging in efforts to further elevate the status of the Bangla language and Bengali culture in the international sphere.”
Highlighting the commemoration of Feb 21 as International Mother Language Day, Sheikh Hasina added, “this is something to which we all need to pay special attention. February 21 is not just for us. We must strive to honour those who loved their mother tongue and sacrificed their lives for it while finding and preserving any lost mother tongues.”
On the program of the creative observance: art, music, songs and poems.
Prof. Dr. Giles Scott- Smith, Chair International Studies, University of Leiden delivered the welcome remarks.
Screening of a video file on International Mother Language Day.
Video screening: Launching of a book of 50 short stories from Bangladeshi authors āWhen the Mango Tree Blossomedā.
The following speakers joined via video conference from Bangladesh: Niaz Zaman, Farah Ghuznavi and Noora Shamsi Bahar.
Niaz Zaman, who retired from the University of Dhaka, is at present Advisor, Department of English and Modern Languages, Independent University, Bangladesh. Her significant publications are The Art of Kantha Embroidery and the award-winning A Divided Legacy: The Partition in Selected Novels of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the first book-length study on the subject. She is also a creative writer. Her story, āThe Dance,ā won an award in the First Asiaweek Short Story Competition and is included in her first collection of short stories: The Dance and Other Stories. She has also written the novel A Different Sita, about the Liberation War of Bangladesh. Among her other awards are the Bangla Academy Award for Translation (2016) and the Anannya Sahitya Puroshkar (2013).
Farah Ghuznavi is a writer, columnist, translator and development worker, whose writing has been widely anthologized in her native Bangladesh as well as in the UK, Germany, France, Austria, USA, Canada, Singapore, India, and Nepal. Her story, āJudgement Day,ā was awarded in the Commonwealth Short Story Competition 2010, and āGetting Thereā placed second in the Oxford University GEF Competition. Farah was Writer in Residence with Commonwealth Writers in 2013. She edited the Lifelines anthology (Zubaan Books, 2012), and subsequently published her first short story collection Fragments of Riversong (Daily Star Books, 2013). She can be contacted through her author page on Facebook and Twitter.
Noora Shamsi Bahar is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of English and Modern Languages, North South University. She completed her MA in English from The University of Western Ontario and has been teaching undergraduate students since 2010. She has presented research papers on the themes of violence (on the page, stage, and screen), performative revenge, rape trauma, childhood defiance, and transgressive womanhood in Oxford, Prague, and Dhaka. These papers have been published as book chapters and as journal articles. Her newly found vocation is translating Bengali short fiction into English, several of which have been published in local dailies.
Ms Kathleen Ferrier, Chairperson Netherlands UNESCO Commission. Ferrier lauded Ambassador Riaz Hamidullah for emphasizing the importance of Mother Language.
Ms. Kris Van de Poel, Secretary General, Taal Unie, Mother Language and Taal Unie go together.
Students performances, poem declamation, in German, Czech, Indonesian, Yemen, Tagalog, Italian, Turkish, English, Dutch and an Italian song.
H.E. Ambassador Riaz Hamidullah, thanked all the performers for their excellent contribution to the creative observance of the International Mother Language Day 2022. He concluded by distinguishing the importance of āothernessā, let’s embrace others. “We must do, all we can, to save our mother tongue, culture and our unity in diversity.“
