A new set of Ambassador visits to the Peace Palace in The Hague

In the picture Mr. Erik de Beadts and H.E. Mr. Bard Ivar Svendsen, Ambassador of Norway. Photography by Naldo Peverelli.

By Aurore Heugas

These past few weeks, the Peace Palace has hosted individual visits from current Ambassadors to The Netherlands. These visits stem from a collaboration between the Palace and the Diplomat Magazine started in 2019. What would normally be a private reception for all of the new Ambassadors, had to be modified in line with the COVID-19 restrictions.

Mr. Erik de Baedts, General Director of the Carnegie Foundation-Peace Palace and Treasurer of The Hague Academy of International Law was the one guiding the Ambassadors throughout their visits, giving us some insight into how they went.

H.E. Mr Mark Anthony Pace, Ambassador of Malta.

H.E. Mr. Mark Antony Pace, Ambassador of Malta to The Netherlands, had an unusual tour, that represented the building and its function well. “The tour through the Peace Palace was shortened because hearings of the Permanent Court of Arbitration were taking place. Ambassador Pace appreciated that the Palace is not just a wonderful monument, but also a working palace as we experienced peace through law in action”, recounted Mr. de Baedts.

The Peace Palace currently houses the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) and The Hague Academy of International Law. The courts settle international disputes through arbitration and jurisdiction. The ICJ is the only one of the six principle organs of the United Nations to be located outside of New York and its host, the Peace Palace, is the oldest building related to the UN, which gives it significant cultural, architectural and historical value.

Ambassador Pace agreed, as he said: “It was an honour to be received by Mr. Erik de Baedts, and tour one of the more iconic buildings of The Netherlands. The Peace Place is not simply an architectural gem. The building and the institution that manages it have played a pivotal role in mankind’s quest for global peace and prosperity. It embodies a vision that gave birth to a multilateral framework that has protected the international rule of law over the course of current and former century. May we remain grateful”.

Erik de Baedts and the Ambassador of Malta during his memorable visit to the Peace Palace.

Following the tour, Ambassador Pace and Mr. de Baedts were able to have an exchange about peace, especially in Europe. Indeed, earlier generations of their families, like many in Europe, were affected by war on the continent. “We jointly cherish how European cooperation since the establishment of the European Union has kept the members of the Union free from war for decades now. In the same vein, we value international multilateral cooperation to promote peace at the global level”, said Mr. de Baedts.

H.E. Mr. Bard Ivar Svendsen, Ambassador of Norway, also visited the Palace. His tour led to discussions of the building itself and its connections to Norway. Ambassador Svendsen’s entrance was over the granite staircase, a gift from his country. “Following an interesting exchange, research showed that the facade of the Judges building consists of material from Norway. We also recognised the philanthropic connection between Andrew Carnegie and Alfred Nobel, both staunch advocates for peace after a successful career in business”, told Mr. de Baedts to the Diplomat Magazine.

The Peace Palace was built after the first Hague Peace Conference in 1899 and opened its doors in 1913, following a donation from Andrew Carnegie who created the Carnegie Foundation to build and conserve the Palace. It is a registered National Monument and holds the European Heritage Label. Carrying out visits with Ambassadors from around the world to The Netherlands is a way to reflect on the continuous importance of the Peace Palace and the entities it hosts. The building itself has a history of global cooperation and intends on perpetuating that heritage.

Peru marks bicentenary with a 63rd president

King Felipe VI and President Pedro Castillo – Picture by Casa de S.M. el Rey – Spanish Royal Household

Wednesday, 28 July 2021, Lima, Republic of Peru: On the Bicentenary of Independence, Pedro Castillo Terrones was sworn in the capacity as Constitutional President of the Republic for the period 2021-2026, during a solemn session held in the House of Congress, in the presence of five regional leaders and of HM King Felipe VI of Spain.

At the same ceremony, President Castillo received the Presidential Sash.
The ceremony took place shortly before midday and was attended by the presidents of Argentina, Alberto Fernández; of Bolivia, Luis Arce; of Colombia, Iván Duque; of Chile, Sebastián Piñera; and of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso; as well as the vice-presidents of Brazil, Hamilton Mourão; and of Paraguay, Hugo Velázquez; the foreign minister of Uruguay, Francisco Bustillo; and the former Bolivian president, Evo Morales.

Also present were representatives of the various parliamentary benches, political, civil, military and ecclesiastical authorities, as well as members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited in the country.

“I, José Pedro Castillo Terrones, swear by God, by my family, by my Peruvian sisters and brothers, peasants, native peoples, ronderos, fishermen, teachers, professionals, children, young people and women, that I will exercise the office of President of the Republic in the constitutional period 2021-2026. I swear for the people of Peru, for a country without corruption and for a new Constitution,” he uttered as he took office.

Afterwards, the Speaker, María del Carmen Alva, placed the Presidential Sash on him; an act that was accompanied by applause from those present.

After the singing of the National Anthem, the Speaker invited Dina Boluarte to the podium to take the oath of office as First Vice-President of the Republic for the same period. Thereupon, María del Carmen Alva invited President Castillo to address his Message to the Nation.

For further information: 


Peruvian Presidency: 

https://www.gob.pe/institucion/presidencia/noticias/508757-pedro-castillo-juro-como-presidente-constitucional-de-la-republica

International Politics Focus: Italy & France

By Michelle Rahimi

Italy update

Italy presses EU nations to open ports to rescued migrants – The Washington Post

Italy stepped up pressure Wednesday on fellow EU nations to open their ports to migrants rescued by humanitarian ships as political tension simmers in the Italian government’s coalition over a sharply rising number of arrivals this summer on the country’s southern shores.

In May and June, the number of migrants who reached Italian shores more than tripled compared to the previous year’s figure, according to the ministry’s count. In July, the year-to-year difference was less marked — 8,600 in 2021 compared to 7,000 in 2020. But so far August has seen charity boats carrying the flags of France and Germany rescue hundreds of migrants from unseaworthy boats launched by human traffickers.

France update

New Covid restrictions in France as virus cases rise (thesundaily.my)

Health officials in France on Tuesday activated an emergency plan on the Mediterranean island of Corsica as a fourth wave of Covid infections spread across the country.

More of France’s popular coastal areas reintroduced the compulsory wearing of masks in a bid to stem the incoming coronavirus tide.

Across France, the Delta variant of the virus is pushing up the number of hospital admissions, public health figures published Tuesday showed.

Patients in intensive care now number 1,331 compared with 978 a week ago, while the deaths of another 57 people over the last 24 hours pushed France’s toll past 112,000.


About the author:

Michelle Rahimi is a Diplomacy and International Relation’s Master’s candidate at the School for International Training, located in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States of America.

She obtains an extensive passion for international relations with first-hand knowledge from traveling across many countries and is experienced in working with different teams and individuals from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

U.S.A. and Kuwait marking 60 years of diplomatic ties

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and HH The Emir of the State of Kuwait – Picture by State Department.

28-29 July 2021, Kuwait City, State of Kuwait: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a visit to Kuwait in order to solidify personal ties to the country’s novel leadership and to mark the 60th jubilee of diplomatic relations between the two states. 

Blinken encountered His Highness the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah, HH The Crown Prince, Lt. Gen. Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al Sabah, Prime Minister, HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al Sabah, Speaker of the National Assembly Sheikh Marzouq Al Ghanem, as well as Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al Sabah to continue discussions on military cooperation, growing bilateral opportunities for trade and investment, expanded educational and cultural exchanges, advancing regional security and human rights, and other issues underscoring the importance of our 60 years of diplomatic ties.


Some facts of Kuwait-U.S. American ties 

  • Kuwait is a major non-NATO ally of the United States. Kuwait and the United States are parties to a bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement, and U.S. forces are located at various bases in Kuwait. The United States supports Kuwait’s continued efforts to modernize the Kuwaiti armed forces, and to increase interoperability with U.S. and allied forces.
  • Nearly 10,000 Kuwaitis studied at U.S. universities and English language institutes in the 2019–2020 academic year, the third-largest number of students from the Middle East/North Africa region.
  • Bilateral trade reached $4.5 billion in 2019. We support a transparent regulatory framework and processes to attract businesses and foreign direct investment to Kuwait, including from the United States.
  • The United States is helping Kuwait create a strong cybersecurity framework, transparent data security, and policies to help attract trusted global telecommunications and information technology companies.
  • Kuwait and the United States belong to several of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and World Trade Organization. Kuwait is a participant in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
  • Kuwait participates in several intergovernmental organizations related to counterterrorism including the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. Kuwait is also a member of the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

For further information


Source – U.S. State Department: https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinken-travels-to-kuwait-to-advance-regional-security-and-economic-ties/

Embassy of the State of Kuwait in the U.S.A. (HE Ambassador Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al Sabah): http://www.kuwaitembassy.us/in-the-news/kuwait-us-discuss-bolstering-bilateral-relationshttp://www.kuwaitembassy.us/in-the-news/secretary-blinken-kuwait-showed-great-leadership-in-managing-regional-crises

NRW delegation commemorated Warsaw Uprising

Premier Armin Laschet greeting President Andrzej Duda in front of German Ambassador Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven, Paul Ziemiak CDU SG stands behind – Picture by Marek Borawski, Kancelaria Prezydenta.

31 July and 1 August 2021, Warsaw, Republic of Poland: Premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet held political talks with, amongst others, the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during an official visit meant to attend the commemoration of the Warsaw Uprising.

Premier Laschet was accompanied by the CDU Secretary-General Paul Ziemak as well as by the German Ambassador in Poland, Dr. Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven

Besides the commemoration of the Warsaw Uprising, the bilateral talks focused on the future of Europe and relations between North Rhine-Westphalia and Poland. 

The topic of the rule of law was also discussed intensively. Premier Armin Laschet said: “With its accession to the European Union, Poland has also become part of the European community of law. If this community of law is called into question, it also affects our common identity.” “Poland and Germany benefit from economic exchange and from Europe growing together. But close economic exchange cannot mask political differences. That is why the Federal Government is right to focus on dialogue. Politically friendly countries in particular can exchange different opinions and still work on the unity of Europe,” Premier Laschet continued. 

At the invitation of the Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Kazimierz Trzaskowski, the Premier Laschet partook in the commemorations at the cemetery for the insurgents in Warsaw on the evening of 1 August. An exchange with Senate Marshal Tomasz Grodzki was also held during the evening. During an exchange with survivors of the Warsaw Uprising, Premier Armin Laschet was deeply impressed by the testimonies and gestures of reconciliation.

Background North Rhine-Westphalia and Poland

Around 650,000 people of Polish origin live in North Rhine-Westphalia. The state government has appointed a permanent contact person, the Polonia Commissioner Thorsten Klute. In addition to the many municipal partnerships, there is also an active German-Polish civil society in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is supported by the state government.

In 2018/2019, the Richeza Prize of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia was awarded for the second time for outstanding services to German-Polish understanding. Poland ranks seventh on the list of the quantitatively most important trading partners for North Rhine-Westphalia. The largest import categories are furniture, foodstuffs and motor vehicle parts. The largest export sectors to Poland are chemicals, machinery and metals. 

NRW.Global Business has had a foreign office in Warsaw since 2016. There are around 3,500 jobs in North Rhine-Westphalia at around 300 Polish companies. Likewise, many North Rhine-Westphalian companies are also located in Poland, such as Evonik Industries, Metro, Pfeifer & Langen, Remondis or Siempelkamp. 

The year 2021 is also “France-Poland-NRW Year“. It promotes, deepens and emphasises the trilateral initiatives in North Rhine-Westphalia. In 1991, the countries of France, Germany and Poland concluded a treaty on joint partnership, the so-called Great Weimar Triangle. The aim is to improve understanding in Europe and among the citizens of the three countries.

The regional Weimar Triangle Silesia-NRW-Hauts-de-France was adopted ten years later, in 2001, to emphasisze the economic and cultural ties between the regions.

For further information


Polish Presidency 

https://www.prezydent.pl/kancelaria/bpm/aktualnosci/wydarzenia-/art,46,palac-prezydecki.html

Government of NRW 

https://www.land.nrw/de/pressemitteilung/ministerpraesident-armin-laschet-trifft-polnischen-staatspraesident-andrzej-duda

German Embassy in Poland – HE Ambassador Dr. Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven 

https://polen.diplo.de/pl-de/01-vertretungen/01-1-die-botschaft/0-botschafter-referate/botschafter/490414

Polish Embassy in Germany – HE Ambassador Prof. Dr. Andrzej Przyłębski

https://www.gov.pl/web/niemcy

Philip Pierre sworn in as Saint Lucia’s premier

Saturday, 28 July 2021, Castries, Saint Lucia: On behalf of Her Majesty The Queen of Saint Lucia, the latter’s Governor-General Sir Neville Cenac appointed The Rt Hon Philip Pierre as novel head of government of the island state. 

Philip Pierre is a long-time politician who recently led the Labour Party to an electoral win that led to a shift in government. His party won 13 out of 17 possible seats for the House of Assembly. 

Since 1997 Philip Pierre has served in the capacity of an MP representing the constituency of Castries East in the House of Assembly. Within government Pierre has served in the roles of Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation and International Financial Services from 1997 to 2000 and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Port Services and Transport from 2011 to 2016. 

For further information 
Prime Minister of Saint Lucia: http://opmstlucia.com

International Politics Focus: Italy & France

By Michelle Rahimi

Italy update

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/olympics/italy-s-lamont-marcell-jacobs-wins-the-men-s-100-meters-at-the-olympics-in-980/ar-AAMOAIF?ocid=BingNewsSearch

Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy won the first gold medal of his career with a running time of 9.80, a personal best and a European record.

Jacobs becomes the first Italian to win gold at the Olympics in the 100 meters.

Jacobs was born in El Paso, Texas, but has lived in Italy since he was a baby. He has a silver medal in the 4×100 meters from the 2021 World Relays and was this year’s European indoor champion in the 60 meters.

France

France update

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2021/08/01/france-sees-50-million-foreign-tourists-in-summer-minister-says/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_8dd86a8b915eda0e521c004e13fb0c40e21c7a9c-1627886854-0-gqNtZGzNAnijcnBszQi6

Foreign tourism to France is rebounding this summer versus last year when the pandemic shut borders.

France expects 50 million foreign tourists, up from 35 million last summer, but down from 90 million in the year of 2019.

European tourists are back in force, except for British visitors because the UK government is requiring a 14-day isolation upon return from France. While a few Americans are starting to travel to the country, Asian customers won’t be back until next year.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/thousands-protest-vaccine-passes-idea-in-france-italy

In France and Italy, demonstrations against vaccine passes or virus restrictions in general are bringing together otherwise unlikely allies, often from the political extremes. They include far-right parties, campaigners for economic justice, families with small children, those against vaccines and those who fear them.

The biggest reasons for hesitating or refusing to get vaccinated, cited by more than half of respondents, are fears of serious side effects and concerns that the vaccines have not been adequately tested. Another 25 per cent said they don’t trust doctors, 12 per cent said they don’t fear the virus, and eight per cent deny it exists.

Picture by Ruetir


About the author:

Michelle Rahimi is a Diplomacy and International Relation’s Master’s candidate at the School for International Training, located in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States of America.

She obtains an extensive passion for international relations with first-hand knowledge from traveling across many countries and is experienced in working with different teams and individuals from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

The Kyrgyz-German cooperation is of multiple formats and is developing dynamically

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By Ambassador Erlan Abdyldaev – Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic (2012-18)

August 31, 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of the independence of the Kyrgyz Republic. During this period, Kyrgyzstan went through various stages of formation, including difficult ones, crucial for the preservation and strengthening of the foundations of democratic development.

Almost 30 years ago, on February 3, 1992, diplomatic relations were established between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany. Germany was the first EU country to open its diplomatic mission in Bishkek.

Kyrgyz-German relations have a solid foundation of traditionally strong and friendly partnership. An active political dialogue is maintained between our countries, mutual visits at the highest and high levels are regular. Inter-parliamentary ties are developing steadily.

Over the years of cooperation, a number of visits were organized to Germany at the level of the head of state. An important event in bilateral relations is the official visit of the Federal Chancellor of Germany, Dr. Angela Merkel to Kyrgyzstan in 2016, which became an important historical event and gave a significant impetus to further strengthening our cooperation in all areas.

Trade, economic and investment spheres are of high priority for us. Kyrgyzstan is very interested in attracting direct investments, advanced technologies and innovations from Germany for the development of the national economy. The priority areas of the economy for cooperation are digitalization, agriculture, energy, mining, information technology, tourism, etc. Paying special attention to the issue of attracting investments, a new Ministry of Investments has been formed in the structure of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, which is the leading Ministry in this area.

Currently, a number of successful investment projects are being implemented in Kyrgyzstan, among which I would like to note, in particular, the activities of the German company “Schmid Group” for the joint production of solar panels at the FEZ “Bishkek”, the plant with German capital for the production of glass “Interglass”, etc. In the short term, we are faced with the task of holding a Kyrgyz-German business forum.

According to the assessment of the annual report of the World Bank Group “Doing Business 2020”, Kyrgyzstan entered the top 20 reformer countries in the global ranking. In Kyrgyzstan, reforms are underway that significantly improve the legal and regulatory framework for doing business.

In addition, it should be noted that Kyrgyzstan is a member state of the World Trade Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union, which allows it to carry out commodity transactions under privileged conditions, and also has the status of a user of the GSP + system for exporting goods to EU countries.

It is no secret that the world has changed significantly under the influence of the pandemic. The exact extent of its economic, social and humanitarian consequences is not yet known. The current unprecedented global crisis has shown how vulnerable and fragile the system of global trade and transport and logistics connectivity is. At the same time, there is an increase in digitalization processes at all levels.

We have learned to live in a new way, to work in a new way, communication between people is carried out in a new way.

I would like to emphasize that there is a positive experience of cooperation in the field of digitalization between Kyrgyzstan and Germany. Taking into account the current realities, a separate Ministry of Digital Development has been created in Kyrgyzstan, and at present, the relevant state-owned enterprises of the two countries have a mutual interest in developing cooperation.

Cultural and humanitarian cooperation is an important and integral part of the Kyrgyz-German bilateral cooperation. Close ties have been established between universities and schools of the two countries, scientific cooperation and a scholarship program for young Kyrgyzstanis for training and research in leading scientific and educational institutions of Germany are being successfully implemented.

Priority areas of our cooperation include the joint effective implementation of the initiative of the Federal Foreign Office “Green Central Asia”, which is aimed at contributing to the development of a “green” economy and ensuring security, taking into account global climate change in our region.

Germany is the largest bilateral donor to Kyrgyzstan from the EU countries. The projects implemented in Kyrgyzstan together with the German side in the field of financial and technical cooperation are in great demand and make a real contribution to the sustainable development of our country.

Cooperation in the tourism area is successfully developing between Kyrgyzstan and Germany. First of all, we offer tourists from different countries to see the pristine pure nature of Kyrgyzstan – these are snow-capped mountain peaks, picturesque meadows, turbulent mountain rivers and mirror-like mountain lakes, as well as get acquainted with the ancient history of the Silk Road, which passed through the territory of our country. I would like to note that the leading British publication “The Guardian” in January 2021 presented a list of 12 recommended countries to visit, led by the Kyrgyz Republic.

In general, I would like to emphasize with satisfaction that the Kyrgyz-German cooperation is of multiple formats and is developing dynamically.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to wish the editorial board and all the readers of the Diplomat Magazine good health and prosperity.

For further information:


Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in Germany, Denmark, the Holy See, Poland, Norway and Sweden: https://mfa.gov.kg/en/embassies/embassy?id=66

———-

Photography courtesy of Kyrgyz Embassy in Berlin

International Politics Focus: Italy & France

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Rome – Image by Matthias Lemm

By Michelle Rahimi

Italy update

“International tourists are back in Italy and they’re giving the country’s culture and entertainment sector a much-needed boost after the ‘annus horribilis.’”

With opening borders, international travel is swinging again this summer in Europe and comes as a huge relief for millions of adventure-seekers, workers in hospitality, culture, and the entertainment sector.

The year that COVID-19 emerged is being called the “annus horribilis,” which is Latin for horrible year. This is because it was so devastating to Italy’s cultural economy: Museums, castles, Roman villas, opera houses, art fairs, concerts, local festivities, and sporting tournaments were on put on hold to protect from the novel coronavirus, which hit Italy first in Europe.

https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2bDqRmp5JeLgvkB76RmtwnOxU%3d

Italy’s firefighters continue to battle raging forest fires nationwide, with one forcing an airport in Sicily to close temporarily, said dpa international.

The fire brigade was involved in more than 800 operations during the past 24 hours due to the forest fires, they said in a tweet on Saturday morning.

Emergency crews were called out 250 times in Sicily alone, where a fire broke out on Friday just outside the coastal city of Catania.

France update

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9845553/Summer-holidays-risk-ministers-threaten-Spain-France-Italy-new-danger-list.html

There was a glimmer of hope that France could be released from the ‘amber-plus’ list, meaning the fully vaccinated will finally be able to return to the UK without the need to quarantine.

But it could still go into the amber watch category.

Senior ministers, including Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, are said to have reservations about imposing further disruption on the beleaguered travel sector.


About the author:

Michelle Rahimi is a Diplomacy and International Relation’s Master’s candidate at the School for International Training, located in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States of America.

She obtains an extensive passion for international relations with first-hand knowledge from traveling across many countries and is experienced in working with different teams and individuals from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

International Politics Focus: Italy & France

By Michelle Rahimi

Italy update

https://www.thedailystar.net/nrb/departure-arrival/travel-advisory/news/italy-extends-entry-ban-bangladesh-india-and-sri-lanka-nationals-2140891

The Italian government has extended its entry ban on Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, and Indian nationals until August 30 to contain the spread of COVID-19.

https://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2021-07-30/roberto-calasso-italian-publisher-and-literary-figure-dies

Roberto Calasso, a notable and well-respected figure in European publishing, and known as the driving force behind an esteemed Milan-based publisher, as well as a prolific author himself, has died at 80, his company said.

Calasso has directed Adephi since 1971, with also being its chairman since 1999. He is known to adhere to the philosophy that its important to publish books not on how they might sell but on whether they have something important to say.

Calasso was known for having eclectic taste when it came to determining what titles Adelphi would publish. His 1988 “Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony,” an exploration of Greek mythology, was his best-known work.

France Update

Mauritius Island

https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/france-amber-plus-list-why-uk-travel-quarantine-restrictions-next-update-1128748

Two weeks after France was put on England’s amber-plus list, there are still questions as to why the Government continues to mandate quarantine for all arrivals from the country.

On Friday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps defended the Government’s decision, saying that the country was not on the amber-plus list just because of infection rates on the French island of Réunion.

Speaking on Sky News he said: “The Beta variant, it is not just– as has been reported – on an island thousands of miles away, it was also an issue in northern France. So, it has been an overall concern.”


About the author:

Michelle Rahimi is a Diplomacy and International Relation’s Master’s candidate at the School for International Training, located in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States of America.

She obtains an extensive passion for international relations with first-hand knowledge from traveling across many countries and is experienced in working with different teams and individuals from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.