UAE and Bavaria work on further relations

Editor
-
0
UAE and Bavaria work on further relations

Friday, 28 August, 2020, Berlin, Representation of Bavaria to the German Federation: United Arab Emirates’ Ambassador to Germany, Hafsa Abdalla Al Ulama paid a courtesy call upon the Head of Bavarian Chancery at his Bundesland’s representation in Berlin. 

Dr. Florian Herrmann, Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, Minister of State for Federal and European Affairs and Media, conveyed Bavaria’s congratulations to the Emirati leadership for recently establishing diplomatic relations with the State of Israel. The latter topic as well as possibilities to stabilise the Middle East region were focus of the verbal exchange between the dignitaries. 

The air connections between Munich and the UAE were further discussed as were specific mutual investments. Moreover healthcare, food security, water technology and renewable energies were on the agenda. 

Ambassador Hafsa Al Ulama holds a BA in Economics from San Diego State University as well as a MSc in Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems from London School of Economics and Political Science. She presented her credentials to Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday, 8 June 2020 at Bellevue Palace. 

For further information 
Accreditation of Ambassador Hafsa Al Ulama: https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2020/06/10/uae-accredited-hafsa-al-ulama-to-germany/

Representation of Bavaria to the German Federation: https://www.bayern.de/staatsregierung/bayern-in-berlin/

Picture by Bayerische Staatskanzle, bayern.de 

Tomáš Kafka becomes Czech top envoy to Germany

Editor
-
0
Tomáš Kafka becomes Czech top envoy to Germany

Thursday, 20 August 2020, Berlin, Bellevue Palace, Germany: The Czech Republic’s erstwhile Deputy Vice-Minister of European Affairs (2017-2020), Tomáš Kafka (b. 1965), was accredited as his country’s ambassador to Germany after presenting credentials to Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier. 

Ambassador Kafka already served once in Berlin at the outset of his diplomatic career between 1991 and 1995 in the capacity of Attaché for Culture, Press, Research and Education at the then branch office of the Embassy of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic. His first ambassadorship took his to Dublin as ambassador to Ireland from 2008 to 2013. 

From 2014 he was the Director for Central Europe at the Foreign Ministry, and since 2017 jointly Deputy Vice-Minister for European Affairs. He is fluent in German, English and Russian. 

For further information:
Czech Embassy to Germany: https://www.mzv.cz/berlin/de/die_botschaft/botschafter.html

Accreditation at Bellevue Palace: https://www.bundespraesident.de/DE/Home/home_node.html#-gallery

Photography by Czech Embassy to Germany.

A Round-The-World Trip from the Comfort of Your Home with The Embassy Festival

Editor
-
0
A Round-The-World Trip from the Comfort of Your Home with The Embassy Festival

Mayor Jan van Zanen receives first Embassy Festival Surprise Box

Cooking demonstrations with international dishes, Irish Dancing in front of the iconic Binnenhof, specially recorded performances by artists that have played at the festival in previous years, an online pubquiz, interviews with ambassadors and Mexican dancing at the Lange Voorhout.

It’s a small selection of the many online activities presented by The Embassy Festival this year. The highlight of their efforts will be the festival weekend on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September, when all the content that has been made with the nearly 40 participating embassies will be published online. A festival surprise and wine box has also been created, as well as a recipe book, filled with traditional recipes. All were put together with help from the before-mentioned embassies.

With the recipe booklet and box, visitors will have the opportunity to smell, taste and discover the many flavors and scents normally experienced at the International Market. Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, received the first Embassy Festival Surprise Box earlier this week. 

“The Embassy Festival is a special festival for The Hague. In the past eight years, they’ve offered a cultural round-the-world trip in two days at the Lange Voorhout and shown its visitors how culture can bring people closer together. Several embassies are offering a chance to get to know their culture and traditions through music, art, dance and much more. My appeal to you is to visit the Embassy Festival online this year! They will bring people together online this year and I wish you a wonderful time!” – mayor Jan van Zanen

Embassy Festival 2020

A Round-The-World Trip from the Comfort of Your Home 

In previous years, tens of thousands of people would flock to the Lange Voorhout for an exciting cultural round-the-world trip. This year, the festival is re-creating that experience online. Travel the world and experience cultural activities from e.g. Chile, Moldova, Bangladesh, Costa Rica and El Salvador from the comfort of your home.

In the run-up to the festival weekend snippets of content, such as videos and interviews, will be released through embassyfestival.com. During the festival weekend itself, 4 and 5 September, more than 50 videos will be released, and everyone will receive their previously ordered Embassy Festival Surprise boxes and/or Recipe Booklets. A live and online pub quiz will also be part of the online programme. Everybody can join in free of charge on the 3rd and 4th of September at 7pm sharp. Knowledge about the festival and the participating embassies will be put to the test by host Mark O’Loughlin, well-known in The Hague and beyond for his international pub quizzes, as well as being a host during the regular Embassy Festival editions. Participants will also be able to win fantastic prizes.

Embassy Festival 2020

From Festival site to Warehouse

The team would normally be busy preparing for the offline version of the Embassy Festival right about now. This year, it’s a whole different story. At the office of organizers PROOOST, a logistical operation has been set in place where everyone, festival director included, is preparing to fill and send boxes to homes all over the Netherlands.

The Embassy Festival Surprise box has proven to be an enormous success. Order for the box can be placed until Sunday 30 August. From every corner of the land, orders are pouring in. “We’ve been completely overwhelmed by the response and support. Not just from the embassies who have wholeheartedly participated, but also from artists that have played at the festival in previous years and of course our visitors, who are ordering surprise boxes’ and enjoying our online content.

We, as much as them, would’ve rather seen each other at the Lange Voorhout, but they’ve let us know that they very much appreciate the online alternative we’re offering. Something we’re tremendously proud of. We hope to receive a lot of happy videos and pictures during the festival weekend, from happy visitors joining us from their home.” – festival director Carly Dutton. 

Georgia: Screening of The Movie Shindisi

Editor
-
0
Georgia: Screening of The Movie Shindisi

In the picture H.E. Mr. George Sharvashidze, Ambassador of Georgia.

By Roy Lie Atjam.

The Hague, 14 August 2020. The Embassy of the Republic of Georgia invited Ambassadors, diplomats, friends of Georgia and many others  to attend the  screening of the movie “Shindisi” organized  in commemoration of the 12th anniversary of the hecatomb of the  Russian Federation against the Republic of  Georgia. The movie is based on true events of the August 2008 War.

The venue of the screening was the cinema Pathé Buitenhof.

His Excellency Ambassador George Sharvashidze delivered the welcome address to his guests in these very unusual times when the whole world is fighting an invisible enemy. “Unfortunately, he said “Georgia has to deal with both – invisible and visible rivals the latter being much more toxic, more ruthless, deadly and brutal than any virus.”

” During the pandemic, Russian occupation forces have farther activated their illegal works of installing so-called “border” signs, erecting barbed-wire fences and digging so-called anti-fire tranches along the occupation lines in Georgia. The process of so-called “borderization” has been going on simultaneously in 14 villages, in the direction of both occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region / South Ossetia. While Georgia managed to be very successful in its fight against COVID-19, unfortunately it is impossible to say the same in relation with our fight against our visible and the only enemy.”

Ambassador Sharvashidze mentioned that August 12 marks the 12 anniversary of Russia incursion in Georgian territory.

“Today we gathered for screening of an award-winning Georgian movie “Shindisi” directed by Dito Tsintsadze. A story of the film is based on real events that occurred during Russian military intervention in Georgia in 2008.”

Congratulations to Uruguay

Editor
-
0
Congratulations to Uruguay

Uruguay National Day celebrations during the 2020 covid-19 pandemic, started in The Hague with a powerful message from Her Excellency Ambassador Laura Dupuy Lasserre reviewing Uruguay and The Netherlands bilateral relations up today. Due to pandemic restrictions in place this year it is not possible to host a reception with Uruguayan high-quality beef and wine, hopefully   ambassador Dupuy shared valuable information about her country´s efforts regarding sustainable development, not always known by all. 

“Uruguay and the Netherlands share many values, including the support to the multilateral system, the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law; having Uruguay nominated Dr. Ariela Peralta Distéfano, as candidate to the position of judge of the International Criminal Court.” Ambassador stated.

“Uruguay is a democratic country (one of few full democracies, as per the Economist ranking – Nr. 15 in the world in 2018 and 2019-), of 3.5 million persons, with a territory of 176, 215 km2 (or 17,6 million of hectares), of well irrigated plains and low hills over the Atlantic Ocean and Rio de la Plata. It is a temperate country with natural grasslands covering 11,5 million hectares, dedicated to extensive open-air cattle grazing of our 12 million cows, plus sheep. Another 2,6 million hectares dedicated to cattle grazing are made of improved pastures (exotic pasture, fertilized or with forage crops).

So, no need to deforest, on the contrary, adequate cattle grazing is the best solution to preserve the natural grasslands ecosystem with its rich biodiversity, as scientific studies show (better than without these herbivores). These natural grasslands have 400 species of grasses and leguminous plants and are the habitat of 222 of the 351 bird species present in the country, 55 of the 74 mammals, 36 of the 65 reptiles, 114 of the 315 wood plants, and more than 300 species of 39 botanical families, among many other living organisms.

Silvo-pastoral systems of cattle grazing not only play a role in preserving biodiversity, but also as carbon sink (through soil use management plans and control -which helps compensate for the emissions of methane by ruminants-). Moreover, open-air grass fed bovines consume only rain water from the grass and water courses, the same that will fall anyway in the habitat without the animals, and is part of the natural hydrological cycle (so it is not sweet water taken from population or to irrigate crops needed when you choose an intensive production in stables or feedlots -grain fed-). Extensive production does not present the problem of manure management (vs. intensive with its phosphorus and nitrogen pollution of soil and water courses).

90% of our bovine cattle, both for beef or dairy products, is raised in the field (in an eco-friendly manner, respectful of animal welfare). Only 10% of the bovine cattle in Uruguay goes through some stabling and are corn-fed, but our feedlots are just for less than the last 100 days, basically to comply with consumer preferences -like in the Northern hemisphere- (a more marbled beef, instead of the lean beef of 100% grass-fed animals).

100% of the animals are raised with no hormones, no antibiotics (as growth enhancer -and exposed to fewer diseases needing antibiotics as medicine, compared to stables-), and no animal origin feed is allowed (normative bans have been applied for years in all these aspects), so it is a safe product from a nutrition and health point of view (no antimicrobial resistance).

Besides, the animals and derived food products are 100% traceable. Uruguay also applies traceability (geo-referencing) to other sectors (wines, honey, citrus and poultry).

If our cattle are the largest GHG emission source (and at the same time the agri-sector is the responsible for carbon sink or 100% of GHG sequestration or removals) is because we have already been decarbonizing our Economy. Electricity generation reached in 2016, 97% from renewable energy sources, after a 2008 Energy Policy with a 2030 horizon.

As a reliable high quality food exporter complying with the stricter standards (Uruguay has been in 2019 the  5th larger world exporter of bovine beef with 5% of the total traded, the 5th of ovine beef with 1% of the total, or the 8th or 9th exporter in rice -exporting 95% of what we produce-) and in view of the future increase of the global population, and the country vulnerability to climate change and climate variability, Uruguay has for years committed to an agro-intelligent production strategy, with specific commitments under the UNFCCC Paris Agreement of 2015, to reduce the greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions per unit of product (low-carbon agricultural sector), among others.

The strategy for an “agro-intelligent Uruguay” promotes rural sustainable development, from a socio-economic and environmental point of view, aligned with a circular Economy and with climate change adaptation and mitigation (including the production systems, but also considering the energy matrix). The aim is to increase productivity without negative environmental impacts (or sustainable intensification, with less GHG emissions proportionally per product unit).  Uruguay included in its UNFCCC first NDC specific goals towards 2025 of reduction of GHG (including methane) in the agri sector. 

Among the measures already taken or being promoted are:

  • Compensation of 50% of methane emissions by cattle through natural carbon sink of soil and forestry systems through sustainable forestry plantations and increasing native forests. (other goals are presented for CO2 and nitrogen).
  • Satellite monitoring of responsible application of pesticides (better use of soil and water resources, public health, etc.).
  • Control of producer’s plans of soil conservation and management (related to SDG15 -ecosystems-, SDG13 -climate change- and others).

Regarding labor standards, the ILO recognizes Uruguay as a pioneer, traditionally committed to labor protection and social dialogue.  

Uruguay is chairing MERCOSUR this second semester of 2020 (PPT-U) and therefore highly values the fact that an agreement between MERCOSUR and the European Union has been reached in 2019 after 20 years of negotiations; text to be ready for signature before the end of 2020. We are confident that it will provide opportunities to every party, while promoting sustainable development.”

Ambassador Dupuy Lasserre also shared few poems by Mario Benedetti (including one in Dutch) and Idea Vilariño, both well-known Uruguayan writers born exactly 100 years ago in 1920.

Humanitarian Assistance to Lebanon

Editor
-
0
Humanitarian Assistance to Lebanon

In the picture, the Ambassador of Lebanon, H.E. Mr. Abdel Sattar Issa during a seminar.

On August 4, 2020, two strong explosions at the Port of Beirut devastated central parts of the city. The blast resulted in more than 150 fatalities and 6000 injuries. Extensive infrastructural damage has left an estimated 300,000 people homeless and many health facilities, including hospitals, inoperable. Several humanitarian organizations have mobilized quickly to respond to the needs of those most affected.

This catastrophe comes on the heels of several multi-faceted crises facing the country, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which had already put Lebanon’s health system, social services, and economy under severe strain. Today, more than 50% of the population is unemployed, a third of businesses have shuttered and many people are food insecure. At the time of the outbreak, the country was managing civil unrest, major economic and financial crises, and hosting over a million refugees displaced by conflicts in the region. All of these crises have had a detrimental effect on Lebanon and have made access to food, education, health care, jobs and housing almost impossible.

Help address the immediate needs of those affected by the deadly explosion in Beirut by providing humanitarian support to hundreds of thousands of people

Please donate:

Red Cross                https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO LEBANON

Colombia a country of opportunities

Editor
-
0
Colombia a country of opportunities

By Virginie Peccoud.

On August 7th, the embassy of Colombia in the Netherlands commemorated the battle of Boyacá. For this occasion, the Embassy organized a virtual conference: Colombia a country of opportunities, Adean and Amazon region. This aim was to bring people closer to the Colombian culture by analysing the opportunities and challenges of this very diverse country through art. The Colombian diversity lays in its geography, its demography and its culture.   

H.E. Ms. Claudia Blum, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia. Image by Wikipedia. En.wikipedia.org

Claudia Blum, the Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs, started the conference with an interesting speech, giving background information. She said that it is crucial to remember the battle of Boyacá, which ended on August 7th, 1819 as it is an important milestone in the independence of Colombia and for building the nation. Hence, independence does not correspond to one precise event, but it was the result of a series of multiple political and social processes. 

The minister then proudly said that throughout its Republican history, Colombia has strived for the institutional consolidation of the rule of law characterized by the separation of powers the defense of democracy and fundamental freedoms. Today, it is a country that is advancing in its process of economic and social development while trying to reduce inequalities. In addition, Minister Blum stated that her country is tone of the most stable in Latin America and that diversity is at the heart of Colombian identity.

Indeed, it is a multicultural and multiethnic country, with more than a hundred indigenous groups and almost seventy native languages. Moreover, Colombia has a very important biodiversity with the highest rates of birds and orchids in the world. Claudia Blum said that the inheritance of such a diversity can be observed in many artistic fields such as music, dance, gastronomy, literature, visual arts and so on. To conclude, the Minister said that her country strives to further open its doors to the world and increase collaboration. 

Jose Rosero, who is an illustrator and visual artist explained his work. He gets inspired by his hometown and Colombian cities in general. In one of his latest work he painted carcasses of destructed colonial houses and naked walls. Two other speakers who were invited to this conference work at the Instituto Humboldt, a biological research institute specialised in the Colombian biodiversity. They were part of the creation of the Tarot de la biodiversitad, a project which bridges science and art. The goal of this card game is to raise awareness on the importance of protecting the Colombian flora and fauna but also to promote indigenous myths and legends. In other words, it provides a mystical understanding of the Colombian diversity. 

Finally this event, by celebrating diversity in arts promotes and encourages Colombian creativity. It shows how much of a strength diversity is and that it should be protected and fully celebrated. 

United Kingdom Contributes £800,000 to Support OPCW Activities

Editor
-
0
United Kingdom Contributes £800,000 to Support OPCW Activities
The Hague, the Netherlands – 19 August 2020 – The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has made four voluntary contributions totalling £800,000 to support a number of major projects and activities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

A contribution of £200,000 will support the activities of the Trust Fund for Syria Missions at the OPCW. The Trust Fund for Syria Missions supports the Organisation’s missions and contingency operations related to the Syrian Arab Republic including the work of the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT), the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM), and the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT).

Another contribution of £250,000 will be made to the Trust Fund for Training earmarked for assessing and enhancing the capacity of analytical laboratories from African and Latin American and Caribbean Member States.

A third contribution of £250,000 will be made to the Trust Fund for Security and Business Continuity earmarked for cyber security.

A fourth contribution of £100,000 will be made to the Trust Fund for the Implementation of Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention. This contribution will go towards further strengthening mitigation and preparedness to respond to chemical incidents in the East Africa Community (EAC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regions.

The contributions were formalised during a ceremony between the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Peter Wilson, and OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, which was held at OPCW Headquarters in The Hague.

Ambassador Wilson remarked: “I am really pleased to make this year a further substantial donation to the OPCW, which will support the Organisation across a broad range of activities to eliminate the global threat of chemical weapons and benefit all States Parties.

”The Director-General expressed: “I thank the Government of the United Kingdom for these major contributions to support OPCW activities. The United Kingdom has long been a determined supporter of the Chemical Weapons Convention. These contributions will further build the capabilities of our Member States to achieve a world free of chemical weapons.”

Embassy Festival brings online experience to unite cultures and celebrate diversity

Editor
-
0
Embassy Festival brings online experience to unite cultures and celebrate diversity

Travelling the world, getting to know other cultures and countries tasting different foods and embracing the unknown. This year, visitors of the Embassy Festival can experience this all online with a brand-new corona-proof online festival. In previous years, tens of thousands of cultural enthusiasts would flock to the festival in The Hague and hop from one country to the next. This year, large public gatherings aren’t possible due to the Coronavirus. That’s why this year’s online edition and Embassy Festival Box will bring the festival to living rooms all over the country and beyond. 

Explore modern dance at the Polish Embassy, try Chilean wine, watch a cooking demonstration where you learn to make traditional Palestinian ‘Makloubeh’ or join in with the Embassy Festival live pub quiz. But there’s more. Purchase an exclusive Embassy Festival Surprise Box, with 5 products from 5 different countries, and explore products and  flavours from all over the world. To top it off, an Embassy Festival recipe booklet will be released with traditional dishes from participating embassies. 

“I’m so very pleased that the Embassy Festival will continue online this year. The Embassy Festival is one of the main events for us. We were all so sad when we thought it wasn’t going to happen at all this year. So I was so pleased when I heard about the alternative plan. This is important work and it lifts spirits in a tremendous way.” – Head of Mission State of Palestine Ruwan Sulaiman.

Online Festival

While the majority of festival content will be released during the original festival weekend (4 and 5 September), fresh content will be offered regularly in the weeks leading up to the festival. Getting to dive into other cultures and countries has never been easier. More information about the live programme on 5 and 6 September will be released at a later date. 

“We truly hope visitors will be surprised and delighted by what we’ve created and that we’ll see lots of photos and videos from our community participating from the comfort of their home. The Embassy Festival is nothing without its community and we’ve seen and experienced their curiosity, spirit and overwhelming support every year and we hope that we get to meet them online this year.” – Festival Director Carly Dutton.

Embassy Festival Surprise Box and Recipe Booklet

Traditional Mexican ‘Tortillero De Paja’, Rwandan coffee, Chilean olive oil or wine from Azerbaijan, anyone? It’s all part of the brand-new Embassy Festival Surprise Box, available to order from August through www.embassyfestival.com. The surprise box will be filled with treats from all over the world, and will always include a minimum of 5 different products from 5 different countries. In addition to that, people that buy the box will also find an exclusive recipe booklet in the box, filled with traditional and signature dishes, selected by the participating Embassies. More information can be found via www.embassyfestival.com. 

About the Embassy Festival

Every year, the Embassy Festival has created a wave of global culture, at the Lange Voorhout in The Hague. The annual festival has grown from 5 embassies in 2013 to 67 in 2019. Tens of thousands of visitors Tempt their senses through an exploration of international music, cuisine and culture in a varied, free of charge programme that delights and entertains audiences of all ages. An innovative programme featuring pop, jazz, folk and classical music, as well as culinary delights, theatre, literature, art and activities spanning all corners of the globe. This year, the Embassy Festival will continue online, due to restrictions related to the Coronavirus. 

The Embassy Festival is organised in close cooperation with the Municipality of The Hague and the city’s many embassies, spotlighting the different cultures that reside in the Dutch administrative capital.

___________________________

Photography Jassir Jonis, Alina Krasieva, Embassy Festival

Badr Al Busaidi at the helm of Omani diplomacy

Editor
-
0
Badr Al Busaidi at the helm of Omani diplomacy

FM Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi – Picture by Foreign and Commonwealth Office through Wikipedia Commons.

Tuesday, 18 August 2020, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman: Upon Sultanic fiat, HE Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi (b. 1960) has been appointed Omani chief of diplomacy with the rank of Foreign Minister; a rank that hitherto had been held by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. 
Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi joined the diplomatic service in 1988.

Until his ministerial appointment he was serving as the Foreign Ministry’s Secretary-General, and had in that capacity represented Oman at a plethora of top level meetings worldwide. He is divorced, has four children, and is known for his keenness towards the art world, becoming an avid art collector. 

Oman foreign policy relies in neutrality. Thus far it has maintained amiable relations with a wide range of regional actors including the arch-foes United States and Iran under the former minister responsible for foreign affairs, Yusuf bin Alawi. The Sultanate is likewise neutral in the blockade against neighbouring Qatar. 

For further information: 
About Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayyid_Badr_bin_Hamad_bin_Hamood_AlBusaidi

Foreign Ministry of Oman: https://www.mofa.gov.om/?lang=en

1...321322323...898Page 322 of 898