IFIMES for the Euro-Mediterranean Diplomacy and Intercultural Affairs
LJUBLJANA/VIENNA, 5. January 2021 ā Former Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, has become Director of Euro-Mediterranean Diplomacy and Intercultural Affairs (EDIA) at the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES). He thus replaced Archduchess Camilla Habsburg-Lothringen, who held the same position in the period 2016-2020.
The directors of IFIMES, Dr. Zijad BeÄiroviÄ and Bakhatyar Aljaf, emphasized that they were especially glad that the institute received reinforcement in the person of Ambassador Zannier, whose reputation, experience and enthusiasm will give new impetus to the work of IFIMES.
“We are highly honored that our esteemed colleague, Excellency Zannier, will be with us in the future. Only through the importance of cooperation of various actors in building a better society, while gathered in the idea of āāa better tomorrow, we can understand and overcome many differences between us. This is the only way to solve problems and challenges. The fact that Ambassador Zannier served in the Balkans (2008-11), led the OSCE as its Secretary-General for two consecutive terms (2011-2017), and was the OSCE Commissioner for National Minorities (2017-2020) is of immense importance to our Istitute. It is difficult to find a more competent person anywhere in the world than Ambassador Lambert Zannier. Once again, we are so proud to have him in the leadership of the IFIMES Institute. “
Head of IFIMES Mission in Vienna, prof. Dr. Anis H. BajrektareviÄ underlined the importance of the Euro-Mediterranean theater, as a core region ā a cradle of civilization, for the intercultural cooperation which is one of the key challenges of the modern world.
“The OSCE is the only organization whose pan-continental mechanism includes the so-called Mediterranean partnership. Thus, besides the UN, it is the only multilateral system that brings together Arabs and Israel. Therefore, I am convinced that our joint action will further strengthen IFIMES activities in the Euro-Mediterranean area, which is indispensable for Europeās future.”
Minister Melanie Huml and Premier Markus SoĢder – Picture by Bayerische Staatskanzlei.
Friday, 8 January 2020, Munich, Free State of Bavaria, Germany: Bavaria’s hitherto Minister of Health and Nursing,Ā Melanie Huml, was appointed to become ‘Minister of State for European and International Affairs’ at the Bavarian State Chancellery, thus relievingĀ Dr. Florian HerrmannĀ of the latter portfolios. The appointment becomes valid as of Monday, 11 January 2020.Ā
āLand of Fireā – Azerbaijan is home for one of the oldest human settlements on the Earth ā Gobustan. Ā
Gobustan – Rock art – photo by Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Gobustan is a mystic and ancient open-air museum, located in Absheron peninsula – about 55 kilometres from Azerbaijani capital city of Baku. Here you can find petroglyphs ranging from Mesolithic era up to the Late Middle Ages.
Gobustan has more than 6.000 rock drawings, settlements, burial mounds, formerly inhabited caves, megalithic structures and tombs. They tell us about the lifestyle, occupation, religious beliefs and early art of ancient people, settled here more than thousands of years ago. Most of the petroglyphs depict people, domestic and wild animals, as well as battle scenes, ritual dances, bullfights, boats with men, hunting, fishing, solar symbols, etc.
Gobustan was discovered and later closely examined by archaeologists in 1930s.Ā Azerbaijani archaeologists found here remains of ancient flora of the world.
Bones of 40 species of animals that lived in the Pleistocene epoch (before the region even was populated by humans), including rhinoceros, wild horses, primitive oxen, deer, brown bears, cave hyenas, cave lions and cheetahs, porcupines, as well as many bones of 97 species of birds were also discovered here.
One of the most notable discoveries by archaeologists was Gavaldashi ā musical stone and a symbol of Gobustan. It is believed that ancient humans performed rituals by producing sounds with this stone. The stone itself is 2 meters long and resonates a tambourine-like sound, when it is hit by smaller stones. This musical stone was also used for dancing Yalli, chain-dance which is also one of the national dances of Azerbaijan. Yalli is portrayed in rock carvings found in Gobustan. Many Azerbaijani musicians even nowadays use the hypnotic sound of āGavaldashiā to create fascinating pieces of music. A notable example was the semi-final of 2012 Eurovision Song Contest held in Baku, Azerbaijan where Gavaldashi was played and dancers performed Yalli.
Gobustan – Petroglyphs. Photo by Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
It is interesting to note that Romans were also present in Gobustan. A rock found in Gobustan contains a Roman inscription, which proves the presence of a centurion of the 12th Roman legion, known as the Fulminat, (Lightning) here on the shore of the Caspian Sea during the reign of Emperor Titus Flavius Domitianus in the second half of the 1st century AD. Some historians assume that this may be the most eastern point any Roman patrol even ventured to.
There are many hypotheses regarding human settlements in Gobustan. Some researchers note similarities between these Gobustan images and petroglyphs found in East Africa. The well-known Norwegian traveller and scientist Thor Heyerdahl has other theory. He was fascinated by Gobustan rock carvings, which he visited several times in his life. On seeing the famous image of a multi-seat boat of the 6th millennium BC among the rock carvings of Gobustan, he became firmly convinced that, most likely, it was a reed vessel related to Sumerian ones. Therefore, people who lived in Gobustan could have contacts with the worldās oldest civilizations. Heyerdahl said: āWhat ancient and of course, advanced civilization was here still remains a mystery. But Azerbaijani scientists will be able to solve it.ā
Due to the extraordinary value of this reserve, UNESCO inscribed Gobustan to the World Heritage List in 2007.
In 2011, a large modern museum was opened in Gobustan. It has become a must-see destination for all the tourists visiting Azerbaijan. This museum includes exhibitions about World Heritage sites, the history of the discovery of petroglyphs, ancient people living in the territory of Gobustan and its original flora and fauna. More than 100,000 items found by archaeologists during excavations are stored in repositories. These are tools and weapons, jewellery, charms, animal bones, plant seeds, etc.
In 2013, the Gobustan Museum became one of the winners of the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA). Today, thanks to the rock paintings, discoveries made by archaeologists and palaeontologists in Gobustan, we have a glimpse of the lives of our distant ancestors and a chance to try to imagine their way of life and the world around them.
Yet, Gobustan still has more to offer. There are many things not yet discovered, deciphered or interpreted. One can only imagine how many more secrets and mysteries this chronicle of millennia contains.
26 October 2020, New York, United Nations: Magzhan Ilyassov was accredited before the United Nations secretariat.
He had served as his countryās Ambassador to the Netherlands since 2016. From 2013 to 2016, he was an adviser to the President of Kazakhstan, and from 2007 to 2016 he was Head of the Administrationās Foreign Policy Centre.
Born in 1974, Permanent Representative Ilyassov holds a bachelorās degree from the Kazakh State University of World Languages and International Relations and a masterās degree from the Kennedy School of Public Administration at Harvard University in the United States.
Wednesday, 6 January 2021, Kuwait City, State of Kuwait: His Highness The Emir of Kuwait, SheikhĀ Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jabr Al-Mubarak Al SabahĀ conferred upon the country’s chief of diplomacy, HEĀ SheikhĀ Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Muhammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Kuwait Medal of the First Class in appreciation of his distinguished efforts to serve the country.
Sheikh Dr. Ahmad has continued the policies of negotiation a reconciliation set forth by the country’s previous emir, SheikhĀ Sabah IV. It was in the latter spirit, and and his capacity as mediator that he announced to the world the re-opening of borders between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and the eventual restoration of full diplomatic ties amongst Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt vis-Ć -vis Qatar.
To final agreement was formalized at the GCC summit held at Al-Ula on 5 January, and attended by the first time in three years by Qatar’s Emir, SheikhĀ Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.Ā
Gibraltar – Picture by Adam Cli through Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International licence.
Thursday, 31 December 2020, Gibraltar: Spain reached a provisional agreement with the United Kingdom over Gibraltar’s post-Brexit status. As part of the agreement, Gibraltar shall remain part of European Union agreements such as the Schengen area, wherein Spain shall act as ‘guarantor’ power. It is still unclear whether the free movement of people shall include the freedom of goods movement as stated in the statement by the territory’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.
Both parties, the UK and Spain, must now sign a formal agreement involving the European Commission for the latter purpose.
In the Brexit referendum of 2016, 96% of voters in Gibraltar supported remaining in the EU.
Without the deal announced with hours to spare on Thursday, Gibraltar faced entering the new year with tight controls on what for decades has been an open border with Spain.
Gibraltar has been a territory under British jurisdiction since 1713, with its citizens voting overwhelmingly, with 99% in favour, to remain under UK sovereignty at a 2002 referendum. Nevertheless Spain claims sovereignty over the territory.Ā
Royal Dutch Horse Carriage Take Indonesian Ambassador To Hand Over Credentials To HM.The King of Netherlands
The Royal Dutch horse carriage gallantly stopped in front of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to in the Netherlands on Wednesday morning, November 25, 2020. A Chamberlain wearing a morning dress (tailcoat) got off the horse carriage to be greeted by the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indonesian Embassy Pak Fikry Cassidy to pick up Ambassador Mayerfas accompanied by his spouse, Virna Mayerfas, to the Noordeinde Palace.
Arriving at the Palace, the Indonesian Ambassador inspected the palace guards. The tunes of the national anthem, Indonesia Raya echoed along with Ambassador Mayerfas’ steps towards the palace to submit letters of credential to the King of the Netherlands, HM. Willem-Alexander.
Ambassador Mayerfas conveyed the warm greetings of President Joko Widodo to the King and his appreciation for the visit of the King and Queen of the Netherlands to Indonesia in March 2020. The visit resulted in a US $ 1 billion business commitment in the fields of health, maritime, agriculture and water management.
Besides discussing bilateral relations between the two countries, Ambassador Mayerfas also expressed his hope to strengthen cooperation in the economic field. Also, cooperation in dealing with pandemics and post-pandemic economic recovery is an issue raised by Ambassador Mayerfas.
After handing over the credential to the King, the Indonesian Ambassador is also scheduled to hand over the credential to the Director-General of the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) tomorrow, Thursday, November 26, 2020, in The Hague.
By Second Secretary Curtis Tuihalangingie, High Commission of the Kingdom of Tonga in the Commonwealth of Australia.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Commonwealth of Australia,
Her Royal Highness Princess Angelika LÄtÅ«fuipekaTukuāaho, High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Tonga in Australia and His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia exchanged congratulatory messages on Saturday, 3 December 2020 celebrating the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The event started with a video message of the Governor-General on behalf of the Government and the People of Australia to His Majesty King Tupou VI, the Government and the People of Tonga, conveying his warmest wishes on the occasion of the 50th years of formal Australian and Tongan ties.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, safety measures were taken to ensure this milestone occasion was commemorated with a restricted number of guests from the Australian Government, the Diplomatic Corps, the Tongan Community as well as the private sector.
Interventions from both countries highlighted the enduring partnership founded on shared democratic values, their commitment to a secure, stable and sovereign Pacific and a shared Pacific culture.
Tongaās relations with Australia go back to the beginning of the 19th century with the arrival of explorers, whalers, traders and Australian missionaries. Tonga participated alongside Australia and New Zealand during both World Wars, which is commemorated each year at ANZAC Day.
In 1980, Australia opened its High Commission in Nukuāalofa; 28 years later, the opening of Tongaās High Commission in Canberra in 2008 further enhanced the need of both countries to strengthen their ties through various partnership programmes; education, sports, health, defence, maritime security, climate change, economics and trade.
Senator The Honorable Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia noted that today, there are more than 35,000 people of Tongan descent living in Australia, contributing to the countryās economy, the community, church, sport and in many other aspects of Australian life.
Recently, Tonga received its second Guardian class Patrol boat from Australia, a result of long defence cooperation towards shared goals for sovereignty, security and prosperity in the Pacific.
HRH Princess Angelika LÄtÅ«fuipekaTukuāaho acknowledged the ties between Australia and Tonga have developed strongly in the last couple of decades: āBoth Australia and Tonga have made big progress in developing our relations, not only in diplomatic affairs, defence cooperation and capacity building among others, but also in terms of playing a vital role in each otherās economyā.
Tonga was one of the first Pacific Island States to take part in this Seasonal Worker Programme, which now sees thousands of Tongans travelling each year to work in Australian farms. For the year 2019-2020, the seasonal workers brought home A$36M, on average 5.6 times the local income according to the World Bank report.
With harsher restrictions being imposed, and the fruit industry in Australia in danger of collapsing, Australian farmers and the Tonga High Commission arranged the secure flights of 300 seasonal workers from Nukuāalofa to Brisbane and Tasmania.
Her Royal Highness The High Commissioner adds; āWe have made the most of the Seasonal Worker Programme since its inception. This is so important to us, it is a national priority; especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to keep our economies afloat. Our workers return home satisfied with hard-earned wages, at the same time we are satisfied in knowing Tonga contributes strongly to the economy of a partner and major power in the region. Itās a testament to the excellent relations Tonga and Australia haveā.
Saturday, 2 December 2021, Nur-Sultan, Republic of Kazakhstan:Ā the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to theĀ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aimed at abolishing the death penalty was signed byĀ Kazakhstanās PresidentĀ Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The death penalty’s application in Kazakhstan was completely suspended on 17 December 2003, albeit courts still issued verdicts in this regard. President Tokayev instructed the Foreign Ministry to begin the procedure for Kazakhstanās accession to the Second Optional Protocol in 2020.Ā In accordance with the instruction of the President,Ā the Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN,Ā Kairat Omarov, signed the Second Optional Protocol on 23 September 2020.Ā
By joining the agreement, Kazakhstan pledges not to apply the death penalty, and to take all necessary measures to abolish the death penalty within its territorial jurisdiction.
The only exception is the death penalty is allowed in case of wartime. Such a sentence is applicable only after he has been found guilty of committing especially grave crimes of a military nature, which he committed in wartime.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was adopted in 1966, entered into force in 1976, and currently 173 states have acceded to it.
The Second Optional Protocol to it, aimed at the abolition of the death penalty, was adopted on December 15, 1989. In 1991, the document came into force, 88 states are members of the agreement.
The Republic of Azerbaijan, also called from ancient times as āLand of Fireā, is the biggest country of South Caucasus and is located on the historic āSilk Roadā connecting Eastern World with Europe. Azerbaijan, with capital city of Baku, is neighboured to Georgia, Russia, Iran, Turkey and Armenia, as well as bordered through Caspian Sea with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Because of these reasons, Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani people are known with their tolerance, multi-confessional and multi-cultural character.
Being a secular country with predominantly Muslim population, Azerbaijan is also motherland to almost 300.000 Christians, as well as many Christian communities of various denominations – Russian Orthodox, Georgian Orthodox, Albanian-Udin, Slavic Molokan, Roman Catholic, German Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Adventist, Evangelical Churches, Non-Denominational and Charismatic churches, and others.
Azerbaijan actively contributes to preservation of Christian religious sites both within the country, as well as worldwide. Heydar Aliyev Foundation of Azerbaijan, governed by First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, is one of the main implementing agencies for execution of such noble projects in Italy, France, Russia and other countries in the world.
Just recently – in 2020, Azerbaijan restored the bas-relief āMeeting of Pope Leo I with Hun Emperor Atillaā in the Saint Peter Church in Vatican. This temple is one of the most famous examples of the Italian architecture of Renaissance era. The Saint Peter Basilica is also a famous place of pilgrimage and ceremonies. In fact, Pope usually holds several religious ceremonies over the course of a year, in the Basilica or on the square before it.
During the last decade, several catacombs in Italy and Vatican were also restored by Azerbaijan. Among them, Saint Sebastian catacombs in Vatican deserve special attention. These catacombs, which host more than 8.000 tombs of significant importance to Christian World, were discovered in 1578 and some of the monuments here date back to the 3rd century. Restoration of these sacred shrines of Christianity gives opportunities to modern day people to witness and experience the history and rise of Christianity.
Saint Marcellino and Pietroās catacombs are also among the restored catacombs by Azerbaijan. Out of some 60 catacombs located around the city of Rome, just these catacombs are considered among the most significant monuments for the Christian World. It is for this reason, funding of this project by Azerbaijan was highly appreciated by the Holy See.
It should also be noted that Azerbaijan also paid attention to restoration of Christian sites in France. In particular, we can emphasize restoration of 7 churches related to the 10-12th centuries in Saint-Hilaire, Fresnaye-au-Sauvage, Saint-Hilaire-la-Gerard, Tanville Courgeout Reveillon and Male settlements of Orne Department, France. Also, necessary financial assistance was allocated by Azerbaijan to Strasbourg Cathedral Church of 14th century, for restoration of five stained-glass windows of the church which depict lives of Virgin Mary and Jesus Christs.
Azerbaijani government spared no efforts to preserve both Catholic and also Orthodox religious sites. It is to this effect that a monument to Prince Vladimir was erected by Azerbaijan at a square before the Saint Vladimir Church in the Russian city of Astrakhan. Erection of this monument is devoted to the 1025th anniversary of Christianity in Russia, and the 455th anniversary of laying the foundation of Astrakhan.
For Azerbaijan, bridging Islamic and Christian world is also of significant importance. It is in this capacity that Azerbaijan, together with France, Kuwait, Oman and Morocco, funded creation of new halls in the Louvre Museum of Paris, dedicated to Islamic Art. The Islamic Art section in the museum represents examples of architecture, painting and other cultural creativity of Islamic Art. Here are displayed over 5 thousand whole art examples, including various items made of glass, ceramic and metal, as well as carpets, garments and miniatures, and over a thousand incomplete and damaged works of creativity.
These projects once more demonstrate contribution made by Azerbaijan to the monuments and shrines of different religions. By implementing this project, Azerbaijan showed its respect to the art and spiritual treasures of Christianity. Pope Francis, in his visit to Azerbaijan in 2016, praised Azerbaijanās tolerance and multiculturalism. Moreover, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation of Azerbaijan ā H.E. Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva was honoured in 2020 with the highest degree of the Pontifical Order of Knighthood ā Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX – for her contribution to the development of mutual relations with institutions of the Holy See.
