Robin S. Quinville intensifies ties to Bavaria

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General Consul Meghan Gregonis, Chargée d’affaires a.i., Robin S. Quinville & State Minister Dr. Florian Herrmann – Picture by Bayern.de, bayerische Staatskanzlei.

Thursday, 10 September 2020, Munich, Free State of Bavaria, Germany: US Chargée d’affaires a.i. in Germany, Robin S. Quinville accompanied by the USA General Consul in Munich, Meghan Gregonis paid a visit to the Head of Bavarian Chancellery, Dr. Florian Herrmann

This visit by the US American diplomats was meant to discuss the departure of US troops from Bavaria but likewise the upcoming presidential election in the USA scheduled for Tuesday, 3 November as well as the divergences in opinion on topics of international relevance between the two transatlantic partners. 

For further information: 
Previous visit of Chargée d’affaires a.i. Robin S. Quinville to the Bavarian State Chancellery: https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2019/11/19/security-dialogue-vis-a-vis-bavaria-from-us-side/

Premier Malu welcomed US envoy Quinville in Mainz

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Premier Malu Dreyer & Chargée d’affaires a.i., Robin S. Quinville – Picture by Staatskanzlei RLP, Schäfer.

Wednesday, 9 September 2020, Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany: “Rhineland-Palatinate has very strong ties with the United States – we can look back on more than 100 years of shared history, from which a strong friendship and partnership has grown in many areas,” emphasised Premier Malu Dreyer as per statement below in its original German version during the maiden visit of US Chargée d’affaires a.i., Robin Suzanne Quinville, to the State Chancellery.

“We are in constant and trusting communication with the US Embassy (in Berlin), as well as the US Consulate General and the US forces. This is particularly important in difficult times like the current ones”, said the Premier Dreyer.

During the amiable exchange, Chargée d’affaires Quinville underlined the continuing importance and strength of German-American relations, especially in times of common challenges such as the Covid-19 crisis as well as the importance of continuing the transatlantic dialogue.

“The State Government remains committed to the presence of US forces in Rhineland-Palatinate. It has been a very important part of international security policy for decades. And during this time, countless friendships have developed.” Premier Dreyer also emphasised the latter to top US envoy Robin S. Quinville during their tête-à-tête.

Last July, the US government announced that it intends to withdraw 11,900 soldiers and military personnel from Germany. In Rhineland-Palatinate the withdrawal concerns Spangdahlem Air Base. However, a high-ranking representative of the US forces has now assured the premier that the air base shall not be shut down.

There are currently about 18,500 American soldiers stationed in Rhineland-Palatinate. There are also about 12,000 US civilian employees and about 25,000 family members live in the state. In addition, the US forces stationed in Rhineland-Palatinate employ some 7,200 local civilian personnel. This makes them one of the largest employers in the state and they are not only of particular economic importance in the communities in which they are based.

A further topic of discussion was the NATO‘s network as means to preserve transatlantic peace. 

For further information 
Government of Rhineland-Palatinate: https://www.rlp.de/de/pressemitteilungen/einzelansicht/news/News/detail/ministerpraesidentin-malu-dreyer-betont-bedeutung-der-us-streitkraefte-fuer-rheinland-pfalz/

https://www.rlp.de/de/pressemitteilungen/einzelansicht/news/News/detail/ministerpraesidentin-malu-dreyer-betont-bedeutung-der-us-streitkraefte-fuer-rheinland-pfalz-1/

Nipponese GC presented in the Bavarian Chancellery

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Consul General Nobutaka Maekawa and State Minister Herrmann – Picture by bayern.de, bayerische Staatskanzlei.

Thursday, 10 September 2020, Munich, Free State of Bavaria, Germany: Head of the Bavarian Chancellery, Dr. Florian Herrmann, Minister of State for Federal and European Affairs and Media, received at the State Chancellery the exequatur of the novel Nipponese Consul General in Munich Maekawa Nobutaka. The latter is responsible for the Bundesländer Bavaria as well as Baden-Württemberg. 

Envoy Maekawa served previously for three years as Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Head of the Mission of Japan to NATO based in Brussels. This is the general consul’s third posting in Germany after having served in Bonn and Berlin. 

Both Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are prominent commercial partners for Japan. Owing to the relevance of the two Bundesländer JETRO (Japan External Trade Organisation) opened in July a novel office in Munich in the presence of Bavaria’s Ministry of Economy, Hubert Aiwanger. With over seven billion euros worth in trade, Japan is Bavaria’s second largest commercial partner in Asia. 

For further information 
Consulate General of Japan to Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg: https://www.muenchen.de.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_de/gk_grusswort.html

JETRO in Munich: https://www.muenchen.de.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_de/jetro_muenchen.html

OPCW Director-General Visits Spain

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OPCW Director-General H.E. Mr Fernando Arias; His Majesty, the King, Felipe VI; Cristina Gallach, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Spain.

The Hague, Netherlands—10 September 2020—The Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Mr Fernando Arias Gonzalez paid an official visit to Madrid, Spain during the week of 7 September 2020. The highlight of the visit was an audience with His Majesty, the King, Felipe VI, followed the next day by a visit to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, H.E. Ms Arancha González Laya.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, H.E. Ms Arancha González Laya and OPCW Director-General H.E. Mr Fernando Arias.

Director-General Arias also had meetings with other high-level officials.

The Director-General provided updates on the OPCW’s progress in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention. Following Spain’s previous €120,000 contribution to the new OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology, the Director-General also provided a status update on the project.  

He expressed his gratitude for Spain’s support for the work of the Organisation and the effort to rid the world of chemical weapons.

HH State Counsellor Möller welcomes Iceland’s envoy

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State Counsellor Almut Möller and Ambassador María Erla Marelsdóttir – Picture by Hamburger Senatskanzlei.

Wednesday, 9 September 2020, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany: Icelandic Ambassador to Germany, María Erla Marelsdóttir made paid her maiden visit to Hamburg, and was received at the city-state’s landmark city hall by the State Counsellor Almut Möller, Plenipotentiary to the German Federation, the European Union and for Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting both dignitaries discussed the traditional relations between Iceland and Hamburg but likewise future economic cooperation. 

Ambassador Marelsdóttir likewise held a tête-à-tète with Senator Michael Westhagemann, President of the Authority for Economy and Innovation, concerning the collaboration between Iceland and Hamburg in sustainable and renewable energies, and more specifically a possible joint project to build up a hydrogen infrastructure. 

With Senator Michael Westhagemann – Picture by Hamburg Senatkanzlei.

During her stay in Hamburg Ambassador María Erla Marelsdóttir furthermore met with Icelandic business people based in Hamburg, and paid a visit to the Literaturhaus

Ambassador Marelsdóttir was accredited to Germany on 11 September 2019. In addition to her native Icelandic, she speaks fluent German, English and Swedish. Beyond Germany,  she is non-resident ambassador to Poland, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. She served once already in Germany when the Icelandic mission was based in Bonn.  

For further information 
Embassy of Iceland in Germany: https://www.government.is/other-languages/botschaft-von-island-in-berlin/die-botschaft/#Tab1
Hamburg State Counsellor Almut Möller: https://www.hamburg.de/staatsraete/12997618/almut-moeller/

Hamburg Senate: https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2020/06/12/hamburgs-senate-revealed/

Premier Daniel Günter welcomes María Erla Marelsdóttir

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Premier Daniel Günther and Ambassador María Erla Marelsdóttir – Picture by Schleswig-Holstein’sche Staatskanzlei.

Wednesday, 9 September, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Northern Germany: Icelandic Ambassador María Erla Marelsdóttir paid her inaugural visit to the northernmost Bundesland of Schleswig-Holstein. 
During the meeting with the state’s Premier Daniel Günther, discussions were held about the expansion of the already good political, economic and cultural relations between Schleswig-Holstein and Iceland. 

 At the Christian-Albrecht University in Kiel, the ambassador met the Icelandic lecturers and professors of Scandinavian studies.

For further information:
Government of Schleswig-Holstein: https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/Landesregierung/I/Ministerpraesident/Timeline/timeline_node.html

The Austrian Ambassador, H.E. Ms. Astrid Harz

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Her excellency Astrid Harz is, as of September 10th 2020, the credited Austrian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to OPCW.

Her excellency Astrid Harz, has been nominated on August 3rd, by her Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the Austrian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to OPCW. Before, having an impressive career in the diplomatic field, Astrid Harz started as a TV-Presenter at the Austrian Broadcasting Company. Then, she worked as a Junior Professional Officier at the UNDP Praia.

Astrid Harz initiated working in the diplomatic field in 1994 as a Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs Attachée. After that, she was the First Secretary in EU Affairs at the Austrain Embassy in Rome. Amongst other positions, she was been Press Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy in Paris and the Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Rome. In 2005 she was the Austrian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.

From 2011 to 2015, she was the Austrian Ambassador to Jordan and Iraq. Then, she worked as the Director at the Department for Environment, Energy, Transport and Telecommunication at the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs.

From 2018 to 2020, Astrid Harz, worked for the Federal Chancellery of Austria. She was first in the Department for the European Council, the General Affairs Council and COREPER II as the Deputy Director General for Coordination and then as the Action Director General. Soon after that, she was Deputy Director General for EU and Institutional Affairs. 

H.E. Mr. Andrei A. Yeudachenka is the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus

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H.E. Mr. Andrei A. Yeudachenka has been named the new Ambassador of Belarus to The Netherlands. Having served several senior positions at the  Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with a number of postings at missions abroad, Mr. Yeudachenka is bringing with him impressive 25 years of professional diplomatic experience. 

After obtaining a diploma at the Minsk State Linguistic University, he then took up the position of Lecturer at the Minsk Architecture and Construction College. Thereafter, Mr. Yeudachenka switched the sector to public administration, whereby he first served as the Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of the Republic of Belarus. From the 1990s, he has held various positions at the diplomatic corps, among others at the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the Kingdom of Belgium, to the Republic of Hungary, and to the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.

Furthermore, H.E. Mr. Andrei Yeudachenka also served as the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to the EU, Head of the OSCE Unit, as well as the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to NATO. Not least, during the years 2006-2011, and 2016-2020, he was the acting First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.

Besides his native Russian and Belarusian language, Ambassador Yeudachenka speaks English and French; he is married and has three children.

In all of these positions, Mr. Yeudachenka has proved his diplomatic capacities and qualifications, which have been mirrored in his diplomatic rank of the Ambassador. The Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the Kingdom of the Netherlands will indeed be led by a consummate diplomat. Diplomat Magazine and the whole diplomatic community welcome him in this new experience!
            

H.E. Ms. Elizabeth Ward is Panama’s Ambassador to The Kingdom of the Netherlands

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H.E. Ms. Elizabeth Ward is the new Ambassador of Panama to The Netherlands. After serving at the Department of International Cooperation of the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Ward will represent the country to the Netherlands, while also acting as the Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

H.E. Ms. Ward brings with her all-around and adroit professional experience, having previously worked in various fields, from investment advisory branch, educational sector, interior design and architectural sphere, to occupying the position of Director of the International Technical Cooperation Department of Panama Pacific Training Center. 

All of these posts led Ambassador Ward to ultimately enter the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the year 2018, whereas she proved her capacities while serving as the Executive Negotiator. Her main responsibilities at this post included analyzing and determining the strengths and weaknesses of all South American countries,  in reference to multilateral cooperation plans of each country.  

Furthermore, she was in charge of coordinating cooperation efforts in regards to the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA). Not least, she acted as the mentor for other team members, with the aim to obtain maximum performance of the respective MFA department.

Having the academic background in Education and Child Psychology, from which she obtained a degree at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia, Ms. Ward expanded her scholarly purview with a Master´s Program in ESL (English as a Second Language) at the New Paltz University in New York, and ultimately with a Bachelor´s degree in Interior Design at Panama’s Santa María La Antigua University School of Architecture and Design, where she graduated summa cum laude.

All of the mentioned achievements contributed to Ms. Ward’s energetic and proactive character, whereby she has shown to be an executive with a strong analysis ability, adept at identifying areas of strength and weakness in an undertaking, as well as with a capacity to restructure an organization to maximize its economic and human resource potential.

In addition, H.E. Ms. Ward has superior communication and presentation skills with proficiency in English and Spanish, as well as excellent coaching, negotiation and organizational skills, that further her aptness for the new position at the Embassy of Panama to The Netherlands. Diplomat Magazine and the whole diplomatic community welcome her in this new experience!

Brazil celebrated its 199th’s Anniversary

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This year, in view of COVID-19’s containment measures, the Embassy of Brazil decided, after careful consideration, not to hold the traditional annual celebration, expressed H.E. Ms. Regina Cordeiro Dunlop, Ambassador of Brazil to The Kingdom of The Netherlands.

“Today, 7th September, 2020, we celebrate the 199th anniversary of the Independence of Brazil. Every year, on this day, the Embassy of Brazil in The Hague invites you to the Official Residence in Wassenaar. In this annual celebration, the Embassy staff, on behalf of the Brazilian Government, brings together Brazilian citizens residing in the Netherlands, representatives of the Dutch Government and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as well as local counterparts from various sectors , to assemble those all those who, in an invaluable manner, participate in the strengthening and deepening of the bilateral relations between our countries.” Ambassador stated.

“We take this moment to express our sympathy to those who lost their loved ones in the Netherlands, in Brazil and around the world. During this period of social distancing, the Embassy has been publishing in its social media information about Brazil, covering aspects of a cultural, educational, scientific and economic nature, which we hope are contributing to keep us closer.”

H.E. Ms. Regina Cordeiro Dunlop, Ambassador of Brazil.

“On this very important date for us Brazilians, however, we could not fail to pay tribute to our country and connect with those who, every year, honor us with their presence on 7th September. ”

Ambassador Cordeiro Dunlop expressed: “May this message bring us together today and may we all, even without the warmth provided by your presence, celebrate Brazil and the Brazilian people. “

If you wish to visit the social pages of the Embassy, ​​you can find them at the following addresses:  https://www.facebook.com/EmbaixadaDoBrasilNosPaisesBaixos/https://www.instagram.com/embaixada_brasil_paises_baixos/