Ambassador Pedro Villagra Delgado & Premier Bodo Ramelow – Picture by Thüringische Staatskanzlei.
Monday, 18 November 2019, Erfurt, Free State of Thuringia, Germany: Argentina’s Ambassador Pedro Villagra Delgado paid his inaugural visit to the Premier of Thuringia, Bodo Ramelow.
The bilateral talks focused in particular on relations between Thuringia and Argentina. Erfurt has been twinned with San Miguel de Tucumán for 25 years. In 2018, this relationship was extended to include a strategic alliance between the Free State of Thuringia and the province of Tucumán.
Ambassador Ramadan Nazifi & Minister Stephan Holthoff-Pförtner – Picture by NRW.
Monday, 18 November 2019, Düsseldorf, NRW: Dr. Stephan Holthoff-Pförtner, Minister for European Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia, met Ramadan Nazifi, Ambassador of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, to discuss the postponement of accession negotiations with the European Union. At the EU summit in October, the European Council decided to postpone the start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania.
Minister Holthoff-Pförtner as per statement below: “The decision of the European Council is a historic mistake. We should remember the foresight of the founders of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952 – seven years after the end of the Second World War in 1945 – who laid the foundations for a united, peaceful and democratic Europe. What a fundamentally different decision in the face of an incomparably greater challenge! The postponement of the accession negotiations is a sign of small-mindedness and needs to be corrected”.
The Minister continued: “Macedonia in particular only entered into a very painful compromise for the country in January, when it changed its name to North Macedonia to take account of its neighbour Greece. This positive signal to the EU, combined with the commitment of young people, in particular, who see their future in Europe, must not simply be put to one side.”
Dr. Holthoff-Pförtner announced that he would hold further talks with representatives of Albania, and the Western Balkan states on the European perspective of these countries.
Dr. Nicholas O’Brien & Minister Dr. Florian Herrmann – Picture by Bayerische Staatskanzlei, bayern.de
Friday, 22 November 2019, 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 of Bavaria, welcomed the Irish Ambassador to Germany, Dr. Nicholas O’Brien for a bilateral discussion on strengthening Irish-Bavarian ties, particularly in view of the upcoming Irish Trade Office to be opened in Munich.
Goal of the meeting was to introduced Ambassador Dr. O’Brien to the Bavarian State government. That is to say, deepening of Bavarian-Irish links, and concretely owing to the opening of a novel Irish Trade Office in Munich Ireland’s Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Ms Heather Humphreys, which shall be held last week of November.
StM Florian Herrmann empfaengt den neuen Botschafter von Irland, Nicholas O’Brien, bei dessen Antrittsbesuch.
aufgenommen am Donnerstag 22.11.19 in Muenchen;
Foto: Joerg Koch/ Bayerische Staatskanzlei
Fotograf: Joerg Koch
joerg@joergkochfoto.de;
+49-175-1815173;
Bavaria on its part is due to open a representation in London, with likely coverage vis-à-vis the Republic of Ireland. Both parties agreed on the mutual benefit of forging further ties in the face of a Brexit environment.
Ambassador O’Brien and Minister Herrmann recalled the strength of the Irish community in Munich, and hence the annual St Patrick’s Day Parade, noting that next year is the 25th such parade shall take place. The latter being the largest St Patrick’s day parade in mainland Europe
Ambassador Hans Peter Knudsen Quevedo, Premier Bodo Ramelow and Ambassador Manuel Mejía Dalmau – Picture by Thüringische Staatskanzlei.
Thursday, 21 November 2019, Erfurt, Free State of Thuringia, Germany: In nebulous and rainy autumn day, Premier of Thuringia, Bodo Ramelow guided through Erfurt’s old town the ambassadors of Colombia, Hans Peter Knudsen Quevedo, and his colleague hailing from Ecuador, Manuel Mejía Dalmau, and their respective spouses.
On Wednesday, 20 November Guido Kunze had presented his film ‘Chocolate’s Long Way’ to a large audience in Erfurt. The film was was made in the two South American countries.
H.E. Mr. Andrea Perugini and the Sicilian famous chef, Sr. Franco Giulio.
By John Dunkelgrün.
As most of you know, the Crowne Plaza Promenade hotel regularly highlights the cuisines of different countries by flying in their best chefs and having its kitchen serve the national specialties for a whole week.
This initiative of the Promenade’s General manager, Mr. Patrick Aarsman and Diplomat Magazine’s Publisher, Dr. Mayelinne De Lara, has become very popular.
Italian Flavours & Italian Gastronomic Week 2019 at Crowne plaza.
On Thursday 21 November there was a remarkable evening in this episode in the culinary series. To mark the Fourth Annual Week of Italian Gastronomy, an event that takes place simultaneously in over 100 countries, the the Italian Embassy had flown in not just a famous chef, Sr. Franco Giulio, but also four specialists from his ‘Equipe’.
The Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Andrea Perugini hosted a bevy of colleagues to let them sample Italian food way beyond what the most Italian restaurants can offer.
H.E. Mr. Elyes Ghariani, Ambassador of Tunisia, H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, Director General of OPC and H.E. Mr. Alexander Shulgin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation.
Mr. Perugini opened the event by explaining that the theme of this Fourth Week of Italian Gastronomy was ‘Food Education and Culture’. Food today needs to be thought of in terms of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
He stressed that in this endeavour, Italy is worldwide in the forefront. Italy’s agriculture produces one of the lowest chemical residues in the world, about one third of the EU average and only about one tenth of the residues produced in developing nations.
Daklen Difato, an Italian prodigy pianist.
His speech was followed with a recital by the 19 year old piano prodigy, Sr. Daklen Difato.
Your correspondent is not a professional music critic by a long shot, but it appeared to him that Sr. Difato’s undoubted fireworks were more suitable to the power of the Schumann and Prokofief sonatas than to the tender works by Chopin with which he chose to start his recital.
A classical piano concert by Daklen Difato opened the Italian Flavours Gastronomic dinner at Crowne Plaza.
And then came the food, which was as surprising as it was delicious. First of all, there was no pasta (unless you count the playful spikes of toasted capellini or barbini on balls of mashed potato).
Italian Flavours by Chef Franco Giulio.
Secondly the individual creations were served four at a time, prettily arranged on a square plate surrounded by Japanese like round bowls of risotto and couscous. Chef Giulio made magic with his shrimps and swordfish and the pastry chef outdid himself, putting the goal of a healthier lifestyle into question.
Chef Chef Sido de Brabander and the Italian team of chefs from Sicily.
If this dinner could be criticised at all, it would be that it was more of a served buffet of individual specialties than a well balanced meal.
But with such a recommendable spread in the context of a ‘tasting’ that is a small thing. It was an extraordinary experience.
Air Arabia, ranked as the most well-connected discount carrier in the Gulf and North Africa region, has placed an order for 120 Airbus A320s for a sum of 14 billion dollars.
The agreement includes 73 of the flagship A320neo, with a mix of the larger A321neo and long-distance A321XLR variants making up the remainder. Air Arabia is already an Airbus operator.
As per statement CEO Adel Ali said the “planes will allow the discount airline to expand in southeast Asia and Africa as it formalises a joint-venture plan with Etihad Airways“.
Currently Air Arabia operates a multi-hub business with bases in the Kingdom of Morocco (Casablanca) and Egypt (Alexandria), as well as the emirates of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. It possesses a fleet of about 50 A320 aircraft together with a handful of leased A321neos.
Premier Dr. Reiner Haseloff and Ambassador Anne Sipiläinen – Picture by B. Rulf, Sachsen-Anhalt Staatskanzl.
Wednesday, 30 October 2019, Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany: State Premier Dr. Reiner Haseloff welcomed Finland’s Ambassador to Germany, Anne Sipiläinen, upon her inaugural visit to the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Both partners exchanged views on the status and perspectives of bilateral cooperation between the two parties, and on current European policy issues. Currently Finland holds the Presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2019.
On the previous day, Ambassador Sipiläinen partookin a discussion event organised by the European Movement Saxony-Anhalt that is being supported by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Magdeburg, the Chamber of Crafts Magdeburg and the German-Finnish Society on the priorities of Finland’s Presidency of the Council.
Bilateral relations between Finland and Saxony-Anhalt Foreign trade between Finland and Saxony-Anhalt reached a record level in 2018. Exports to Finland amounted to 155.5 million euros and goods worth 284.2 million euros were imported from Finland.
There are currently four companies in Saxony-Anhalt with a majority participation of Finnish investors.
All universities in the state maintain academic contacts with universities in Finland that ought to be developed.
A town twinning between Halle (Saale) and Oulu/Uleåborg has existed since 1972.
The Italian Ambassador H.E. Mr. Andrea Perugini, with Italian clarinetist Ms. Letizia Elsa Maula, Mrs. Mariska Perugini-Viser and Mr. Mario Rio, cellist.
By Tereza Neuwirthova.
An exquisite evening filled with quality music and delightful food, on Monday 18th November the Italian Residence in The Hague hosted the first of its events organised as a part of the “Fourth Week of Italian Gastronomy”, which is held from 18-24 November 2019.
The event saw the attendance of a number of Ambassadors, notably of China, Israel, Georgia, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Egypt, Belgium, as well as representatives from international organizations such Mr Andrea Angeli, from OSCE, or Mr. Consalvo Giandomenico from the Italian company Eccellenze Campane. In addition, receiving the invitation of H.E. Mr. Andrea Perugini, Ambassador of Italy, a special delegation from Italy’s region of Campania- the mayor of Controne, Mr. Ettore Poti was the guest of honour at the residence. Also as part of the delegation Francesco Verlotta, Counsellor for agriculture and environment of the Municipality of Controne.
Ambassador Perugini with the mayor of the Italian city of Controne, Mr. Ettore Poti.
To begin the evening, H.E. Mr. Andrea Perugini welcomed the guests and explained:
“Today’s concert is one of the main events of the Italian Gastronomy Week, which is an initiative of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held for historically the fourth time this year. In the framework of this tradition, more than one thousand events are held in countries around the world, at which the well-known delicacies of the Italian cuisine are served.”
Ambassadors attending the opening concert of the 4th Italian Week in The Netherlands.
Mr. Perugini continued his speech by reflecting:
“What is remarkable is not only that the Italian gastronomy sector is one of the leading in the European Union in terms of reducing greenhouse gases emission, but also that Italy is the country with the highest number biological products in the world. The Italian cuisine represents a way of life, and is an essential element of Italy’s culture, and therefore we are here to celebrate this immensely important element of our lives.”
The wife the Mayor of Controne, Ambassador Perugini, the Mayor of Controne and Mr Andrea Angeli, Press Adviser OSCE.
During his speech, Mr. Perugini also voiced his empathy for the city of Venice, and informed the guests about the opportunity to contribute to the Venice Water Emergency Fund , an initiative in which the Italian Embassy in The Hague, as many other embassies across the world, participates.
A voluntary contribution to Venice Water Emergency Fund can be transferred to the following bank account:
Name: Comune di Venezia-emergenza acqua alta
Motivation: Venice water emergency contribution
IBAN: IT24T0306902117100000018767
NIC: BCITITMM
Thereafter, the Ambassador introduced the artists performing at the soirée- Ms. Letitia Elsa Maulá, who played clarinet, together with Mr. Mario Rio playing cello. The programme of the concert started with Beethoven’s early pieces, which were influenced by Mozart and Haydn, originally composed for a violin-cello formation.
Letizia Elsa Maula and Mario Rio: together the Philia Duo.
A sonata by Mozart followed, which was also especially arranged for the duet, and thus created a unique melodiousness. Lastly, the performers played modern French music from the 20th century composed by Francis Poulenc and Guillame Connesson, whereby a piece by the latter was an extraordinary “Disco Toccata”, a connection of classical and modern music that represents the artist’s manifesto.
The concert finished with a great applause from the guests, and the musicians were given flower bouquets.
It was then time to indulge in the delicacies served as a special degustation menu prepared by the Italian Residence chef, which collaborated with the organization Eccellenze Campane in preparing the dishes for the whole week of Italian Gastronomy. The guests were offered a great variety of Italian delights, among which the most traditional such as lasagna or tiramisú could not have missed.
Italian Ambassador H.E. Mr. Andrea Perugini, Italian pianist, Daklen Difato and Europol Executive Director, Ms. Catherine de Bolle.
“Italy is among the highest exporter of food products, naturally, the question of food safety becomes relevant. Europol, not only fights crime in Europe but also contributes to the safety of food-related products in Europe. The Italian Republic has been cooperating with Europol for a very long period and will continue to commit itself to the security of Europe. Tonight, with Italian food and music, we bring flavor to Europol!”H.E. Mr. Andrea Perugini, Ambassador of Italy to the Netherlands.
By Wei Hung.
Italy blends history, culture, and music like no one else, a perfect balance in each of its dimensions. The Italian Embassy, in Europol, fashionably presented all three elements giving everyone not only a feast of flavors but a feast for our ears as well.
Ambassador Perugini during his welcome remarks.
Among our audience, diplomats representing various Embassies and Mrs. Catherine De Bolle, the Executive Director of Europol were present. During Daklen Difato‘s performance, he serenaded the audience from contemporary Italian music into Schumann’s romantic era.
The young Italian prodigy played a handful of masterpieces such as Chopin’s Fantasia op.49 and Prokofiev’s Sonata n.7 op.83. He was, without a doubt, the spotlight of the night.
Ms. Catherine De Bolle, Europol Executive Director.
He started playing the piano by the age of seven and attended the Conservatory of Music “E.R. Duni” in Matera by the time he was eight. Moreover, he graduated from the musical conservatory at the age of 13 (with 22 being the norm)! His remarkable achievements could be seen all around the globe, from Tel Aviv, Nice, The Hague, to Washington DC.
Difato’s music performance not only reverberated through these cities but also in our ears tonight, a truly mesmerizing experience. In an exclusive interview with Difato himself, he told us he never actually pictured himself going professional, not to mention, perform at all these big cities.
However, he embarked on this musical journey when his teacher realized his potential and talent as a pianist.
Daklen Difato, Italian pianist prodigy.
But, the piano is not his only passion, he is currently also a student of aerospace engineering, who enjoys mathematics as much as the piano, and hopes to pursue both his musical career and aerospace engineering side by side.
In the picture Letizia Elsa Maula (clarinet) and Mario Rio (cello).
By Nynke van der Heide.
In honour of the 4th edition of the Week of Italian Gastronomy, the Italian Embassy organized a concert in the evening of the 18th of November.
This special event took place at the biggest European Space Agency site of Europe: the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk.
The Week of Italian Gastronomy, took place from the 18th until the 24th of November 2019 with culinary and cultural events hosted throughout the Netherlands. “Food Education: the Culture of Taste” was this year theme, emphasizing the importance of the quality of produce and a balanced lifestyle.
The Italian Gastronomic Week in The Hague at European Space Research and Technology Centre.
The evening began with a few opening remarks by Dr. Franco Ongaro, the Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality and Head of ESTEC in which he welcomed the many esteemed guests. Ms. Verónica Ferrucci, First Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Italian Embassy representing H.E. Ambassador Mr. Andrea Perugini, followed by stressing the strong connection between food and culture, and the important role music has in this process.
She introduced the duoLetizia Elsa Maulaand Mario Rio: together the Philia Duo. An allusion to the Greek word “Philia” meaning “brotherly love” or the Aristotelian translation of “friendship”. The intriguing combination of clarinet and cello created an extraordinary element in the evening.
Ms. PIna Alivernini, Commercial Attache, Embassy of Italy.
The concert was divided in four different parts taking the audience on a journey through time beginning at Mozart and ending at Connesson in 1994. The first piece, duet for violin and cello Wo027 by Beethoven, was especially transcribed for clarinet.
Ms. Verónica Ferrucci, First Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Italian Embassy, representing H.E. Ambassador Mr. Andrea Perugini. and Italian musician Letizia Elsa Maula.
It was strongly influenced by the Sturm und Drang movement which became visible in the interaction between the cello and clarinet. It looked like a fierce but merry dialogue.
The third piece, sonate for clarinet and cello by Poulenc, brought us back in more modern times. The piece was a perfect example of the melodic gift that Poulenc was known to have. The last piece of the concert, Disco Toccata, was created by the French composer Connesson and was the only song originally made for clarinet and cello duo. The modern tunes made for a complete concert experience.
After a big applause, the guests were invited to the reception where they could enjoy authentic Italian Panzerotti and Tareni wines from the Sicilian region. The guests can look back at a very successful evening with enchanting music created by two very talented artists, delicious Italian cuisine and many colleagues to share the evening with.
Italian gastronomy and wines.
Photography by Catherine Dailey and Nynke van der Heide.
