OPCWâs Director-General Shares Report Findings with States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention
In the picture H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, OPCW Director General.
The Hague, Netherlands â 6 February 2020 â In a briefing to States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, shared the findings of an independent investigation into possible breaches of confidentiality.
This investigation was initiated by the Director-General after the unauthorised release of a document in May 2019. This document purported to include information and findings related to the work of the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) pertaining to the allegations of chemical weapons use on 7 April 2018 in Douma, Syrian Arab Republic.
The investigation took place between July 2019 and February 2020 and was conducted in strict compliance with the detailed procedures set forth in the OPCW Policy on Confidentiality (OPOC) as well as other relevant internal legislation such as the Code of Conduct for Staff Members of the Secretariat. The investigation included interviews with 29 witnesses, documents, electronic records, audio-recordings, and forensic analyses.
The report of the independent, external investigators determined that two former OPCW officials violated their obligations concerning the protection of confidential information related to the FFM Douma investigation. This determination is due to their unauthorised disclosure of highly protected information to individuals who did not have a need to know such information.
The two former OPCW officials failed to comply with the specified procedures for the handling, protection, release, and dissemination of confidential information so as to create a clear risk of unauthorised disclosure. The findings of the investigators are included in the Report of the Investigation into Possible Breaches of Confidentiality. The two individuals are referred to in the report as Inspector A and Inspector B to protect their identities and safeguard their due process rights under the OPCWâs internal legislation and general principles of international administrative law.
With respect to Inspector A, he was not a member of the FFM. As described by the investigators, Inspector A played a minor supporting role in the investigation of the Douma incident, and he did not have access to all of the information gathered by the FFM team, including witness interviews, laboratory results, and analyses by independent experts. Although Inspector Aâs assessment purports to be an official OPCW FFM report on the Douma incident, it is instead a personal document created with incomplete information and without authorisation.
With respect to Inspector B, after he was selected to be a member of the FFM for the first time, he travelled to Syria in April 2018. He never left the command post in Damascus because he had not completed the necessary training required to deploy on-site to Douma. Inspector B separated from the OPCW at the end of August 2018; however, he continued to approach staff members in an effort to have continued access to and influence over the Douma investigation. The majority of the FFMâs work occurred after Inspector Bâs separation, and during the last seven months of the FFMâs investigation (August 2018 through February 2019).
The investigators concluded that âthe deliberate and premeditated breaches of confidentiality committed by Inspectors A and B are considered to be seriousâ. The report identified several remedial measures to reduce the risk of future breaches of the OPCWâs confidentiality regime. These measures include, but are not limited to, enhanced confidentiality training for OPCW staff as well as an on-going review of the Organisationâs internal legislation.
During the briefing, the Director-General provided States Parties with further context for understanding developments related to this breach of confidentiality:
âInspectors A and B are not whistle-blowers. They are individuals who could not accept that their views were not backed by evidence. When their views could not gain traction, they took matters into their own hands and breached their obligations to the Organisation. Their behaviour is even more egregious as they had manifestly incomplete information about the Douma investigation. Therefore, as could be expected, their conclusions are erroneous, uninformed, and wrong.â
After the issuance of the interim report on Douma in July 2018, it took an additional seven months for the FFM to further investigate the incident and conduct the bulk of its work. During this period, Inspector A no longer had any supporting role regarding the FFM; Inspector B was no longer employed by the OPCW as of late August 2018.
The Director-General reaffirmed his confidence in the conclusions of the final report of the FFM regarding the Douma incident and stated, âI stand by the conclusions of the final Douma reportâ.
The report of the Investigation into Possible Breaches of Confidentiality has been shared with all States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Azerbaijan prepares for the early parliamentary elections of February 9th, 2020
Baku, Azerbaijan â The elegant and cosmopolitan city of Baku is receiving thousands of local and international observers to cooperate in the upcoming early parliamentary elections of February 9th, 2020.
The OSCEâs Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIH) has dispatched an election observation mission to Azerbaijan. The mission, which is led by Ambassador Peter Tejler, is composed of a 12-members team based in Baku and 26 long-term observers, who have been deployed across Azerbaijan since
Dr Asim Mollazade Parliament Azerbaijan, Democratic Reforms Party.
January 14th. Moreover, 350 short-term observers are set to oversee the proceedings during election day, including voting, counting, and the elaboration of results.
Besides the OSCE observation mission, 17,733 persons across the country have been accredited as individual observers and further 1,724 have been nominated by non-governmental organization â all this in addition to the 32,106 representatives of the candidates coming from 19 different political parties.
There are a number of international delegations currently in Azerbaijan, featuring the presence of politicians, academics, mostly from the fields of political sciences and international law, diplomats, government officials, and journalists. Their aim is to oversee the parliamentarian elections, which were called ahead of time in order to bridge the gap between the legislative power and the pace of economic, judicial, and social reforms set forth by President Ilham Aliyev. On December 5th, 2019, after the Parliamentâs appeal to dissolve it and with the Constitutional Courtâs consent, President Aliyev dissolved the chamber and announced early parliamentarian elections to be held on February 9th, 2020.
Dr. Fazil Mustafa – Parliament Azerbaijan – Great Structure Party.
Some 5.2 million people are registered in the Central Election Commissionâs voters list, which is available online for the public to verify their own data and request corrections if needed.
The official election campaign period started on January 17th. It had featured the participation of 272 candidates, coming from 19 political parties. Eighty members of the out-going parliament (64% of the total number) will seek re-election.
Azerbaijan Parliamentarian Elections February 2020.
In the now-dissolved Parliament, 65 seats were allocated to the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, with the opposition holding 12 seats and further 38 members elected as independent candidates. The upcoming parliamentarian election will be an opportunity for new people to enter in the political arena â including women, who were previously underrepresented. During the previous legislature, women held only 20 seats (16% of the total), 2 positions as state committeeâs chairperson (out of 15 such posts), and no ministerial position. In the upcoming election, women now represent 21% of the registered candidates.
The new elections will also be a new opportunity for young people, as 18 years-old youth will be able to vote or to set themselves forth as candidates. âIf we pay attention to the age of the candidates, it is possible to say that the interest of young people in this process is growing,â Rasim Guliyev, political expert and head of the Azerbaijani Resource Analytical Information Center, said. âThis time, 82 candidates aged 18 to 28, including eight 22 years-old candidates, registered, together with 407 candidates aged 29-39 and 542 candidates aged 40-45, and 251 candidates aged 56-66 and 43 candidates older than 67.â
Mr. Guliyev also analyzed the dynamics of votersâ turnout during the last Azeri elections. âThe voter turnout was 42 percent during the parliamentary elections in 2005 and 46 percent in 2010. While the voter turnout during the recent parliamentary elections in 2015 was 55 percent, during the presidential election it was 85 percent. So, the interest in municipal [GL1] elections is not high enough.” â he explained.Â
In Azerbaijan, members of parliament are elected by simple majority for a five-year term, and elections are regulated by the Constitution and Election Code. Elections proceedings are administrated by the Central Election Commission. The legislation on campaign financing does not foresee direct public funding of the campaign, it sets limits for donations and expenditures, and it obliges candidates to report on their campaign financing. Parties and candidates can use their own finances, and donations can come by individual or legal entities. Anonymous and in-kind donations are prohibited.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan. (Photo by Hamed Malekpour: Courtesy of WikiCommons).
By Corneliu Pivariu.
We are coming closer to the centennial celebration of AtatĂŒrkâs establishment of the modern Turkish state while 100 years have already passed since the Ottoman Empireâs sunset. During the last decades, under Recep Tayyp Erdoganâs leadership as prime minister or president, Turkey has continuously grown economically and, in spite of certain domestic divisions (see the aborted coup of July, 2016), succeeded in strenghtening an important regional geopolitical position and sought to become a global geopolitical power. Although Ankara denies officially it seeks the restoration of the Ottoman Empire, president Erdoganâs political and military moves prove otherwise.
In an article published at the end of last year by a Turkish journalist specialised in foreign affairs[1], AtatĂŒrkâs principle evoked in his celebrated speech concerning the battle of Sarakaya[2] according to which not only a single line should be defended but an entire area was recalled.
Consequently, Turkey must reconsider presently its defence zone which spreads from Qatar to Libya with Cyprus in the middle.
Assessing this fact, one finds that Turkeyâs general policy of the last decades was circumscribed to this purpose and that political, military, economic and of other nature steps were taken to this end. The establishment of Turkeyâs military bases abroad starting with the invasion of Cyprus in 1974 until the beginning of 2020, when the military involvment in Libya was decided (with a number of troops for training and cooperation; certain sources mention the readiness of sending around 2,000 men who fought on the Syrian front) underlines the said policy. In fact, sustaining such a number of troops in Libya generates tough logistical problems for Turkey as it has no efficient means for that yet. The display of a Turkish drone which left the country and reached Libya after landing in Cyprus only is not enough and, on the contrary, highlights the difficulties of securing the logistical support of an important number of troops in Libya.
Establishing Turkeyâs military bases abroad was done by skillfully using the regional political and military developments. The most telling example besides Libya is the Tariq Ibn Ziyad base in Qatar completed in 2019. In Irak, Turkey has around 20 small-scale military bases predominantly for intelligence gathering. Six bases were established in northern Syria with a publicly unknown number of military assigned there. Most probably each of them are equaling at least an infantry company with additional units of artillery and tanks. The intent of setting up a military base in Georgia did not materialise.
Turkish diplomacy plays an important part in materialising president Erdoganâs geopolitical plans and when Ahmed Davudoglu was minister of foreign affairs (2009-2014) important steps were adopted for expanding the diplomatic component of Turkish foreign policy. It seems that now the diplomatic apparatus put in place by Turkey and its quality represents an efficient support for the foreign policy Ankara is currently promoting.
On the military component which is supposed to play an even more important role in strengthening and preserving the influence area wished for by Ankara leadership, one should mention that although Turkey has one of the strongest armies in the world (NATOâs second and the 19th worldwide, according to Global Fire Power) it is not fully equiped to meet that challenge. After the aborted coup of July 15th, 2016, the management capacity of the army was severely damaged by the arrests, sentencing and dismissals that followed thereafter and even in 2019 (163 generals and admirals â 45% of the armyâs total) the effects of which could be offset within around 5-10 years.
President Erdogan (prime minister between 2003-2014, president thereafter and re-elected in 2018) rules with a firm hand the country and, through the constitutional ammendments that were adopted, he succeeded in concentrating the executive power in his hands and to compete for a third term in 2023. Hakan Fidan, the powerful head of MIT (National Intelligence Organization) who secures the presidentâs position played a pivotal role in annihilating the 2016 coup attempt and is considered one of the presidentâs main proponents.
Notwhistanding the achievements and the long political career, president Erdoganâs regime begins to present some signs of weakness and the most recent and important one was the presidential party AKP loss of Istanbulâs mayorship which was taken over by the candidate of the main opposition party, The Peopleâs Republican Party (CHP) â Ekrem Imamoglu. The latter opposes the Istanbul Channel project[3], an idea launched by president Erdogan in 2011 and which materialisation the government intends to get started as of 2020.
The current Turkeyâs economic condition is relatively healthy although in 2018 the economy contracted shortly and the national currency devaluated by 30%, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development assessed in May 2019 a gradual recovery and an economic growth of 2.5% in 2020.
Turkey, which is dependent on energy imputs, cares about making best use of its geostrategic position by building gas pipelines (Turkish Stream started in 2017 and was commissioned on January 1st, 2020) and seeks favourable conditions for exploiting the Mediterranean Sea resources in spite of the tense situation resulted from delineating the marine economic zones (see the map bellow).
Moreover, in a move intended to make it an unavoidable arbiter in the Mediterranean, Ankara signed with Libya, on November 27th, 2019, a MoU on delineating the continental shelf of the two countries which would practically divide the Mediterranean in two.
The move could hinder the 1,900 km East Med pipeline to be built by Greece, Cyprus and Israel for which the final decision should be taken by 2022 and to be completed by 2025.
Libya represents an important pole for carrying out Ankaraâs plans. The situation in the country is complicated and fluid not only as a result of the domestic developments but also especially due to the conflict between the two powerful groups of prime minister Fayez al-Serraj who heads the Government of National Accord (GNA), recognized by the UN and General Khalifa Haftar who, supported by Russia, France and the United Arab Emirates, controls a great part of the country and who, during the Berlin conference, suspended most exports of Libyan crude in order to have a stronger negotiation position.
Furthermore, in spite of the recent agreement reached in Berlin with provisions prohibiting arms deliveries and foreign intervention in Libya, an important trafic including weapons and ammunition deliveries and foreign âcounsellorsâ was noticed at Tripoli Airport at the end of January. Turkeyâs consolidation of its presence and influence in Libya is seen by certain forces as a danger that may lead to the establishment of an Islamist regime in the country given that GNA has the backing of several Islamist groups as well as the well-known support Turkey extended to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. It is believed that if there is no international intervention for a cease fire â which I donât see materialised in the coming future â the most probable result of the Turkish intervention will be the establishment of another Islamist regime in the Mediterranean.
The accomplishment of Turkeyâs plan of restoring an important influence area from the Gulf to the Mediterranean, between Doha and Tripoli, seems doable given the uncertain geopolitical developments regionally and globally. Ankara used to this end the most modern means and international media outlets emphasized that cyber attacks in 2018 and 2019 that would have originated in Turkey against around 50 state and not only institutions in Greece, Cyprus and Iraq were recently exposed.
The latest developments by the end of January 2020 prove once more the fragility and complexity of the situation in the Mediterranean and the inefficiency of the Berlin Agreement: France accuses Turkey of not observing the agreement signed in the German capital and sent to Libya Syrian mercenaries landed off Turkish vessels while Turkey accuses France of supporting Khalifa Haftar in search of benefits in the oil field. Moreover, France decided to dispatch military frigates to the east of the Mediterranean to assist Greece, a decision applauded by the Greek prime minister while visiting Paris.
Under Erdoganâs leadership, Turkey moves resolved towards maximizing its geopolitical role and position capitalizing on great playersâ hesitations (the US, China, Russia). It is difficult to estimate to what extent it will accomplish such plans.
âIf you are not fighting for what you want you deserve what you haveâ, a renowned American speaker and writer said. How great it would be if this phrase were put into practice with due regard for all principles and norms of international law. Unfortunately, the right of force is still stronger than the force of rule and therefore vae victis.
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About the author:
Corneliu Pivariu. Photographer: Ionus Paraschiv.
Corneliu Pivariu Military Intelligence and International Relations Senior Expert
A highly decorated retired two-star general of the Romanian army, during two decades he has led one of the most influential magazines on geopolitics and international relations in Eastern Europe, the bilingual journal Geostrategic Pulse.
[1]Turkeyâs new geostrategy from Tripoli to Doha: âDefending an areaâ â Mehmet A. Kanci
[2] 23.08-13.09.1921, a battle known also as the âofficers warâ (in the Greek-Turkish war of 1919-1922), as a result of the great number of losses among those ranks (70-80%) during Turkish War of Independence. It is considered a milestone of the said war. According to the Turkish historian Ismail Habip Sevuk, the battle marked an important moment in Turkeyâs history: âthe retreat that get started at Vienna on 13th of September 1683 came to a stop 238 years laterâ
[3] A 50 km long channel which is to connect the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara allowing for decongesting the Bosphorus strait which was transited in 2018 only by 41,000 vessels. The cost of the project would rise to 11 bn euro while the related investments (port, artificial islands, a new town for 500,000 inhabitants etc) would add another 10 bn euro. The Turkish government estimates that the project could bring in yearly revenues of 8 bn euro. The opponents of the project argue it will damage the environment and provoke ecological changes difficult to estimate. The timeframe suggested by the central government for the project completion, i.e. 2023, is considered unrealistic by some specialists.
Minister Dr. Florian Herrmann & Ambassador Darius SemaĆĄka – Picture by Bayerische Staatskanzlei.
Monday, 27 January 2020, Munich, Free State of Bavaria, Germany: State Minister Dr. Florian Herrmann, Head of the State Chancellery and Minister of State for Federal and European Affairs and Media, received for a bilateral meeting the Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Germany, Darius SemaĆĄka, for a meeting on the economic ties between the two countries.Â
Ambassador SemaĆĄka was accredited to the Federal Republic of Germany on 29 August 2017 after having served previously as the chief diplomat in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Ambassador entered the Lithuanian foreign service in 1992. He holds degrees in Mathematics and International relations from Vilnius and Aarhus (Denmark).Â
20 January 2020, Berlin, Embassy of the United States to Germany: US Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations, Ambassador Richard Grenell crafted an agreement in the path to normalise relations between Serbia and Kosovo; a flight and train line is to be re-establish between Belgrade and Prishtina. If implemented, the agreement would allow for the first direct air travel between the two countries since 1998. However the plan is contingent on Kosovo lifting a 100% tax on Serbian goods.
The air link between Belgrade and Prihstina is set to be provided by Eurowings, Lufthansa Group’s low-cost subsidiary. The distance between the cities is around 520 km, and takes around 5.5 hours by car.
If the two countries manage to normalise relations, Kosovo would also be able to apply for United Nations membership – a move currently blocked by the Russian Federation.
President @realdonaldtrump once again led us to an historic victory. Kosovo and Serbia today signed an agreement to create the first direct flight between Pristina & Belgrade in 21 years. Thank you @lufthansa, @NATO, @robertcobrien and the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia. pic.twitter.com/mu52kM7smm
1 February 2020: The Commonwealth welcomed its 54th member state after The Maldives’ application for re-admission was approved. . This marks the end of a process that began 13 months ago, in December 2018, when President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih wrote to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Scotland, expressing the countryâs interest in re-joining. The Secretary-General subsequently consulted with all 53 Commonwealth members and received no objections.
Maldivian Ambassador to St James’s Court thus becomes its High Commissioner, as a sign for Commonwealth membership.
Prof Jonathan Baillie, Moderator Tania Bryer, Author Suzy Amis Cameron, WWF DG Marco Lambertini and CEO Nadja Swarovski – Picture by Swarovski.
Wednesday, 22 January 2020, Davos, Canton of the Grisons, Swiss Confederation: Chairperson of the Swarovski Foundation, Nadja Swarovski invited during the 50th World Economic Forum to a discussion panel round “Action for Nature”.
Top-class guests spoke about the possibilities of preserving resources and promoting sustainability through our own food consumption, and local responses to a global challenge.
Nadja Swarovski, Suzy Amis Cameron and Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri – Picture by Swarovski.
The ‘Action for Nature’ panel included Prof. Jonathan Baillie, Moderator Tania Bryer, Actress and author Suzy Amis Cameron, Director General of World Wide Fund for Nature Marco Lambertini and Nadja Swarovski.
Wednesday, 29 January 2020, Berlin, Germany: On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the German Bundestag -Federal Parliament- commemorated the victims of National Socialism during a special ceremony.
Commemorative allocutions were delivered by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the President of the State of Israel, Reuven Rivlin.
After Bundestag Speaker, Wolfgang SchĂ€uble opened the hour of remembrance, compositions by the Polish-French composer and Auschwitz survivor, Szymon Laks, were performed with texts by the Polish author MieczysĆaw Jastrun and the Polish musician and Holocaust survivor, Ludwik Ć»uk-Skarszewski.
Republic day honours the day when the Constitution of India came into effect after gaining independence  from the British rule, was January 26, 1950 when the Government of India Act was abolished and the Constitution of India came into effect. On this day India became a Federal, Democratic Republic. It for this reason that H.E.Venu Rajamony, Ambassador of India invited : Honâble President of the Senate Prof. Dr. Jan Anthonie Bruijn,
Ambassadors of different countries; dignitaries, friends to the Grote Kerk in the center of The Hague on  27 January 2020, to celebrate this momentous day with him. Special guest from India, Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi.
Republic Day is celebrated in New Delhi with a grand military parade, which starts at the Raisina Hill near the majestic Rashtrapati Bhawan, and continues along the Rajpath past India Gate.
The Prime Minister of India lays a floral wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti to honour the unknown soldiers. Then, the Presidentâs Bodyguards on horseback escort the President of India to Rajpath where he joins other dignitaries to hoist the National flag. After, the National Anthem is sang and a 21 gun salute is sounded in honour of the flag.
During the military parade, the President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute.Â
In his welcome address Ambassador Rajamony touched on the rich history of the venue, De Grote Kerk. He stated, this historic church dates back to the fourteenth century. It has witnessed many important events including the marriages of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrik and Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard, as well as the baptism of Princess Beatrix and then Prince now King Willem-Alexander.
Considering the close connection the Church has with Dutch Royalty, we are happy to present this evening an exhibition on the recent State Visit to India by Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, which I hope all of you will enjoy.Â
Ambassador Rajamony went on with his welcome address by saying, a resume of his speech now follows. ” I am extremely happy to welcome all of you this evening for this Reception organized to mark the 71st Republic Day of India.Â
Mr President, it is a great privilege to have you amidst us today. You preside over a 205 year old institution which sits in one of the oldest Parliament buildings in the world still in use. You would be happy to know that the Republic Day marks the day the people of India adopted, enacted and gave unto themselves the Indian Constitution in the year 1950. India is popularly known as the worldâs largest democracy and it is this Constitution which has made possible our parliamentary system. What we celebrate today is the fact that our country is governed by the rule of law with fundamental freedoms guaranteed for our citizens.
India is proud of her democracy. Over 670 million people voted in the election to our lower house of Parliament in May last year. At the same time, we are clear that the true meaning of democracy is not limited to the periodic conduct of elections. Democracy has to become a living reality for the 1.3 billion people of our diverse country which is home to every religion in the world, where 22 major languages are spoken and every state and region is an autonomous culture with its own traditions, dress and food habits.
The Preamble to our Constitution states that the purpose of the Republic is to secure for its citizens, social, economic and political justice; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; equality of status and opportunity and to promote amongst its people, fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and unity of the nation. I am happy in this context that joining us today is Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, a man who has devoted his entire life to fighting exploitation of children and campaigning for their rights. Mr. Satyarthi represents the best of Indian civil society and in a democratic society, civil society plays an extremely important role as a sentinel, watch dog and conscience keeper. Indiaâs vibrant civil society adds lustre to our democracy.Â
Friends, we meet today amidst difficult times. Conflict and tensions rage in many parts of the world. Global economic growth has slowed down and trade tensions simmer. The havoc caused by recent bushfires in Australia is a dire warning to all of us about the dangerous effects of climate change. The whole world is watching with bated breath how far the Coronavirus will spread and how soon, it will be brought under control. No country is free from the dangers of extremism, radicalization and terrorism nor have we overcome hunger, intolerance, prejudice and exploitation of women and children.
Addressing global challenges requires determined collective efforts and greater international cooperation.  In this regard, India-Netherlands relations stand out as a success story. Our ties have never been as good as they are now. The highly successful State Visit of Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima in October last year, took place in continuation of two visits to India by Prime Minister Mark Rutte in 2015 and 2018 and a visit to the Netherlands by Prime Minister Modi in 2017.
Their Majesties were accompanied on their visit to India by four ministers and a 250 member Trade Mission, one of the largest ever to go from the Netherlands to any foreign country. The Mission attended the first ever Technology Summit between India and the Netherlands and held wide ranging discussions with Indian counterparts across various sectors. High level exchanges in 2019 also included visits to the Netherlands by Chief Ministers of two important states of India, as well as our Foreign Minister.
A strong foundation for rapid progress in the coming years has been laid through these visits and interaction at various levels. The Netherlands has consistently been one of the largest investors in India and last year it was the third largest investor with investments of around US$ 3.87 billion. Indian companies are also investing in the Netherlands in a significant manner. Total investments from India in the Netherlands was estimated at over US$ 12 billion, as of March 2018. India sees the Netherlands as an economic powerhouse. Sectors like water management, agriculture, and the maritime sector where the Dutch have world class expertise are exactly the areas where our rapidly growing, 2.9 trillion dollar economy has maximum needs.
Ladies and gentlemen, on a personal note, this is the last Republic Day reception my wife and will host in the Netherlands. We are extremely grateful for the love and affection we have received in this country as well as the enthusiastic support for all our initiatives.  It was a great honour to have my book on India and the Netherlands released at Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam last September with His Majesty King Willem-Alexander receiving the first copy
Our outreach programme to schools disseminating the message of non-violence received great support. Further, I am grateful to C Post of Curacao for bringing out recently a special postage Stamp to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. India greatly values its ties with Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten on the far reaches of the Kingdom, where Indians and people of Indian origin form an important part of society and in particular, the business community. Â
Friends, if at all there is an area of tension between India and the Netherlands, it is only in the hockey field. I hope our Dutch friends will forgive us for beating them last week in the FIH Pro League Menâs Hockey Tournament in India. Â
Much has been accomplished and yet much remains to be done. There exists great scope for India and the Netherlands to work together in the coming days for mutual benefit and for building a world of our dreams, based on common values.
The great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, author of our national anthem and the first Asian to win a Nobel Prize for Literature, visited the Netherlands in 1920. He quickly acquired a fan following in this country for his poetry, as well as important message of an underlying unity amongst all religions. Thank you, Jai Hind.“
H.E.Venu Rajamony concluded his delivery by quoting a part of Rabindranath Tagore, poem.
Further on the program,  The President of Senate in his speech praised India as the largest democracy in the world. He said that values of democracy, rule of law and pluralism are at the   heart   of  Indian   society  and   both   India   and   the   Netherlands   share   these values.  Â
The   Senate   President   said   India   has   become   a   global   player   in information technology and Indian migrants to the Netherlands, which include students,   entrepreneurs   and   IT  professionals   have   doubled   in   numbers.   He said   that   many  innovations   in   the   medical   field   are   coming   from   India   and there   is   a  growing   interest   in   traditional   medicine   system   of   India. He described the book India   and   the   Netherlands-   Past,   Present   and   Future   by  Ambassador   Venu Rajamony as a strong testimony to India-Netherlands friendship.Â
The  program included   a   dance   and   vocal   performances   by   Indian communities in The Netherlands. Zangam, a choir based in the Netherlands, rendered traditional Indian songs and Navrang, Sanskriti and Tandav Groups.
Throughout 2020 the city of Ghent in Flanders will celebrate its connection to one of the world’s greatest painters, Jan van Eyck. The most important part of this celebration will be in the Museum of Fine Arts (Museum Voor Schone Kunsten or MSK).
It is the largest Van Eyck exhibition ever held with more than half of the works by him that still exist worldwide. The works are contrasted with works from his atelier, works by important contemporaries and works done jointly with his brother Hubert. The core of the exhibition, the altarpiece known as Adoration of the Mystic Lamb is not in the museum itself, but in the St. Bavo Cathedral in the old centre of Ghent. However, eight side panels, meticulously restored, are on view and one may admire them up close and at eye level.
What makes Jan van Eyck so special and revolutionary? He lived from ca. 1390 to 1441 and was the Court painter to Philip the Good, the powerful Duke of Burgundy, his trusted chamberlain, sometime diplomat and spy. He was a very original painter, scholar, and scientist. In many ways, he changed the way people paint forever. In contrast to previous painters, his landscapes and cities were painted after the reality. They could, and often still can be identified in place and time.
Master of Jean Chevrot (Bruges, active 1440â1450) Vera Icon, c. 1450
Tempera on vellum
159 x 110 mm
The Morgan Library & Museum, New York.
Central above the Mystic Lamb, for example, is the Dom Tower of Utrecht. He painted the Madonna and Child as a real mother lovingly holding and looking at her baby rather than the ubiquitous stilted devotional images. His observation was as sharp as that of an eagle and he painted full size works with the minute details of a miniaturist. I
n some of these paintings he “wrote” text his subjects were supposed to have spoken in elegant Latin above their heads. If the speech were a payer or otherwise directed to God, he painted the words upside down, to make it easier to read from Heaven.
He used a technique to make oil paint dry faster, so he could work more rapidly. Though the technique was developed earlier, Van Eyck was the first major painter to use it. He was also first in grinding his pigments extremely fine, so he could put a layer over quickly dried layer giving his work a remarkable luminescence. But where his scientific knowledge comes out most vividly, is in his understanding of light, shadow, and optics.
The light in his Adoration of the Mystic Lamb appears to come from the windows in the church where it was intended to hang. The light on jewels or water in his paintings is just right. For the “Madonna at the Fountain”, he must have studied the way waterdrops fall on water meticulously. It makes his subjects three dimensional, living figures.
Jan van Eyck (Maaseik?, c. 1390 – Bruges, 1441) Portrait of a Man with a Blue Chaperon, c. 1428â1430 Oil on panel
22 x 17 cm
Muzeul National Brukenthal, Sibiu (Romania)
Philippe the Good trusted him with private diplomatic missions and with some spying on the side, like reporting on the defenses in the strongholds of rivals, perhaps even drawing them. His most important mission was to Portugal, where he had to paint a portrait of Princess Isabella, whom Philippe intended to marry ⊠if she was beautiful enough.
Van Eyck made two portraits, one to be sent overland and one by sea. Both made it, but regrettably, both later got lost. Philippe must have liked what he saw, for Isabella became his (3rd) wife. If one needed proof that the classification of 14th century Flemish painters as âFlemish Primitivesâ is a misnomer one doesnât need to look further than Van Eyck and his contemporaries. The new label of âFlemish Mastersâ is far more appropriate.Â
MS M.358, fol. 20v, Virgin and Child standing before cloth of honor. Foliate border with man with yoke, hybrid animal, man with distaff, and two dogs on crutches before rabbit holding urinal., Book of hours, Provence, France, ca. 1440-1450.
This is one of the “Must-See”, “Once-in-a-lifetime”, expositions that make a visit to Ghent almost imperative. It is a beautiful city in which much Medieval and Renaissance architecture survives and worth a special trip anyway. But this year with the van Eyck festivities and especially the exhibition at the MSK (until April 30th) it would be a shame not to go.
Photography by the Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Gen.
Main picture:
Jan van Eyck (Maaseik?, c. 1390 – Bruges, 1441) Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata, 1440 Oil on vellum on panel 12,7 x 14,6 cm Philadelphia Museum of Art, John G. Johnson Collection, 1917 Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
