By Catherine Dailey.

Last Saturday, June 22, Diplomat Magazine’s third annual 5k Fun Run and 3k Diplomat Walk took place in the Haagse Bos—one of the two oldest forests in the Netherlands.  

The 5k run commenced in front of the Chalet Ten Bosch, a local landmark located next to the Louwman Auto Museum on the Leidsestraatweg.  Diplomats, and their families, easily traversed the well-marked shaded route through the city’s unique urban greenspace and around the large pond in the center of the forest.  

Walkers, some with small children, also turned out in large numbers for the 3k wooded walking event.

In keeping with the friendly spirit of the day’s diplomatic program, everyone was awarded an official “Diplomat Magazine” medal and went home as a winner!

Sumira Dixit, Canada; Matanja Perugini, Italy and Anne Coulon, France, were the top three runners in the women’s category.  From the first to the fifth, the top runners in the men’s category were Marcin Hubert Kawalowski, Poland; Bartomiei Swiderski, Poland; Mpendulo Ndlour, South Africa, Martin Pizinger, Czech Republic and Davide Colombo, Italy.

In addition to the medal, the top seven winners also received special gifts provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland.

The Chinese Ambassador, H.E. Hong Xu, joined the race, together with a select “team” of sporting diplomats from his embassy. 

The Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the Netherlands, H.E. Ngo Thi Hoa, was also joined by other Vietnamese diplomats, together with their families.
The ambassador of Italy, H.E. Andrea Perugini, ran the 5 k with his wife, his daughter, second place in the women’s category and one of the diplomats of the Italian embassy that resulted in fifth place in the race.

The occasion to meet, in an informal setting, with other members of the diplomatic community, was enjoyed by all.

The Armenian Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Tigran Balayan; the Irish Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Kevin Kelly; the Israeli Ambassador , H.E. Mr. Aviv Shir-On; and the Moldovan Ambassador, H.E.  Tatiana Parvu also participated in the program and were joined by diplomats from Croatia, Canada, Kosovo, Hungary, South Africa, Colombia, Russia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and many others.

The program concluded with a casual outdoor luncheon on the shaded terrace of Chalet Ten Bosch, beneath the tall trees of the “Haagse Bos.”

Chalet Ten Bosch http://www.chalettenbosch.nl

Photography by Kim Vermaat and Catherine Dailey.

By Sheila Turabaz.

On the 11^thof April, The Hague’s excellencies and Mr Bot’s distinguished guests gathered in the magisterial Great Hall of Justice at the Peace Palace to bid farewell to H.E. Dr Bernard Bot, who retired from his position as Chairman of the Carnegie Foundation and The Hague Academy of International Law after twelve years of outstanding service and tireless dedication.

A seminar was organized in honour of Mr Bot which held the theme “The Peace Palace, politics and implications related to the peaceful settlement of disputes through international law”. 

The seminar consisted of contributions from his esteemed colleagues – who have worked closely with Mr Bot for many years – about the invaluable work done by the institutions residing in the Palace as well as Mr Bot’s  personal commitment to the Peace Palace and its mission to achieve peace through law. 

The master of ceremonies, Ms Nora Stehouwer – Van Iersel, Former Ambassador for International Organisations to the Netherlands (who has worked with Mr Bot for many years when he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as during his chairmanship) welcomed the guests and subsequently invited Mr Erik de Baedts, General Director of the Carnegie Foundation to deliver his remarks on “Peace through law in practice: the work of people.”

Mr De Baedts touched upon this subject elaborately and reflected upon Mr Bot’s affiliation with the Peace Palace, dating back sixty years ago, when he served as desk officer at the Peace Palace Library during the courses of The Hague Academy of International Law.  

Furthermore,  Mr De Baedts mentioned the important efforts exerted to create public awareness of the important mission of the Peace Palace. Mr Bot has “always felt education was of vital importance to promote peace” and “played an important role in establishing the Peace Palace Visitors Centre as he was convinced that the mission of the Carnegie Foundation was to include public education and awareness of the work of the institutions housed in the Peace Palace, not just for the tourists, but for a wider audience as well”,(…)

Mr Bot “realized that in essence here (at the Peace Palace) we serve. All of us in this Palace serve world peace. The Judges serve the States that bring their disputes before them to find a peaceful settlement, as warfare would harm so many innocent civilians. And so do the Arbitrators serve the parties that aspire to settle their conflicts and interests. We take pride in serving both these Courts, as well as The Hague Academy, we serve them with our books, with our services, with outreach activities that make them shine. All together we do deliver peace in action. Serving leadership is the management motto nowadays. (…) Mr Bot“practiced that even before it was invented.”

Moreover, Ms Saskia Bruines, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of The Hague and the alderman of Education, Knowledge Economy and International Affairs also took the stage to share a few remarks on Mr Bot’s contributions to peace which also benefitted The Hague’s position as International City of Peace and Justice. 

Between musical interludes magnificently performed by classical harpists, H.E. Mr. Hugo Siblesz, the Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration eloquently demonstrated his profound knowledge of arbitration through a broader policy perspective and explained the role it plays in international relations. 

H.E. Mr Philippe Couvreur, Registrar of the International Court of Justice – who has decided to step down from his functions starting from July 2019 –  paid tribute to Mr Bot whom he considers a “loyal friend and dedicated partner of the International Court of Justice”  and expressed his gratitude Mr Bot for his endeavors to maintain and reinforce the warm relations between the International Court of Justice and the Host Country as well as with the city The Hague and for various projects of a complex nature that were carried out under this authority, in particular the renovation of the Great Hall of Justice and the Judges’ Building of the Court. 

Professor Yves Daudet, The President of the Curatorium of The Hague Academy of International Law thanked Mr Bot for his important contribution to the development of the Academy as well as praising his excellent  diplomatic skills. 

Mr Piet Hein Donner, Dutch honorary Minister of State and former Vice-President of the Council of State, has been appointed as Mr Bot’s successor per Royal Decree and gave his inaugural speech  during which he stressed the importance of building on the good relations maintained by his predecessor with the international institutions hosted by the Peace Palace, the Host Country the Netherlands, the United Nations and the municipality of The Hague. 

At the conclusion of the seminar the diplomat par excellence held his valedictory address, thanking his colleagues, confrères and friends for their warm tributes as well as expressed his wish for the Peace Palace to continue to develop as beacon of peace and international law.  

Photography by C. Van Tol, Carnegie Foundation.

In the picture H.E. Dato’ Ahmad Nazri Yusof, Ambassador of Malaysia to The Netherlands.

Text and pictures By Catherine Dailey.

Under sunny skies and a light breeze, H.E. Ambassador Dato’ Ahmad Nazri Yusof and his wife, Datin Linda Zin, welcomed both international and local “foodies” to the fourth annual Malaysian Food Fair on Saturday and Sunday, June 22-23.  

Malaysia’s annual “foodie” weekend has quickly become a highly anticipated prelude to summer, as the fair provides an inpromptu “open house” opportunity for well-wishers from the diplomatic community to pass by and exchange informal greetings with one another before departing to the four corners of the world for their summer holidays.

Last weekend, high ranking diplomats, special guests, embassy personnel, the international community and members of the local community turned out, once again, in large numbers to the event where they enjoyed the company of one another while sampling authentic Malaysian cuisine. 

The Malaysian kitchen features a culinary kaleidescope blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Arabic and Portuguese influences—making it “fusion” before “fusion” became fashionable and of interest to everyone who enjoys an international kitchen!

The success of the Ambassador’s gastronomic program was readily apparent by the standing room only crowds—many of whom arrived with personal containers. In “take away” fashion, the containers were carefully filled with culinary treasures to be transported to gourmets at home.

Pad Thai, Malaysian Beef Rendang and Malaysian Prawn or Chicken Laksa were among the many dishes available for sampling. Guests eagerly formed ques to purchase colorful sweets such as Pandan Cake, Klepon, Bingka Ubi, Seri Muka and countless other jewel like “Nyonya Kuih.”  

It was a delightfully informal affair offering casual outdoor dining on the embassy’s well cared for grounds in a festive “street festival” atmosphere and even featured a Malaysian line dance lead by the Ambassador’s wife.

This year, Celebrity Chef Norman bin Musa gave cooking demonstrations on both Saturday and Sunday and also signed copies of his newly released “Magisch Maleisisch” Dutch cookbook. An English version of the cookbook titled, “Amazing Malaysia – Recipes for Vibrant Home Cooking,” was published previously and is available in both print and digital versions.

Foodies, who were unable to attend the Food Fair or who are interested in further exploring the Malaysian kitchen, are invited to visit Chef Norman’s concept restaurant and demonstration kitchen at the newly opened Wah Nam Hong Supermarket at the Leidensenhage Food Market. The Malaysian born chef is a restaurateur, entrepreneur, and television personality, whose mission is to introduce Malayasian cuisine, and with it, the country, to the European market.

Malaysia is a beautiful, safe and culturally diverse country with highly developed tourism products.  The regions of Terengganu, known for the Terengganu Marine Park; Sarawak, where the oldest rainforest and largest cave chamber in the world are to be found and the glittering white sand beaches of the Desaru Coast are especially popular with foreign tourists.

International tourism continues to expand at an astonishing rate and next year, the country’s “Visit Malaysia 2020” campaign is expected to draw some 30 million international tourists to the country!.

If “gastronomic diplomacy” can be gauged as a medium for generating interest in a country, then the Malaysian Ambassador’s Food Fair was a resounding success and people are already looking forward to attending during the “VM 2020” year.

For additional information please visit:

Embassy of Malaysia in The Hague www.kln.gov.my/web/nld_the-hague/home

Tourism Malaysia https://www.tourism.gov.my

Chef  Norman Musa https://normanmusamfr.com

Twitter: @ChefNormanMusa. Instagram: @chefnormanmusa

Musa’s “Amazing Malaysian – Recipes for Virbrant Home Cooking” Cookbook. Available via your local bookseller or view sample recipes via Amazon:

Chef Norman’s Wah Nam Hong Asian Fusion Concept Restaurant http://www.wahnamhong.nl

Many yoga enthusiasts came together to celebrate the largest ever International Yoga Day, held this time in the Dam Square of Amsterdam organized by the Embassy of India to the Netherlands

The historical Dam Square Amsterdam was witness to the largest ever yoga celebrations in the Netherlands on Sunday, June 16. A great multitude of people gathered in front of the Royal Palace on the Dam Square in the heart of the capital city of the Netherlands to mark the International Yoga Day. There they enjoyed many central yoga sessions, food stalls offering a diverse pallet of vegan and vegetarian food and drinks and different interesting workshops. 

The event was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Mr. Jai Ram Thakur. Himachal Industries Minister Bikram Singh, the Ambassador of India, H.E. Mr. Venu Rajamony, International Cricket Star Suresh Raina, Dutch actor, model and photographer Ms. Micky Hoogendijk; Mr. V.K. Arora, Chairman and Managing Director of LT Foods and Dr. Deepak Mittal, Chairman, International Tractors Ltd. took part in the opening ceremony.

This is the first time the Dam Square is host to a public event related to India. The Square is the historical centre of Amsterdam with the neoclassical Royal Palace, the 15th-century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), the Madame Tussauds Amsterdam and the National Monument erected in 1956 for the victims of World War II. Special permission to celebrate the International Day of Yoga at this historical venue was provided by the City of Amsterdam and arranged by the Indian Embassy.

Representatives of the Royal Dutch Army also joined the celebrations for the first time. They participated in the common yoga session and also led the public in a special yoga workshop. The Dutch Ministry of Defense has recently introduced yoga exercises for armed forces to enrich their training program and reduce stress. Yoga is taught weekly at various barracks and  yoga instructors have been recruited to strengthen the physical and mental fitness of soldiers.

The morning began with a big group session of traditional Indian yoga  led by Dr Amit Khanna, Yoga expert at The Gandhi Centre in The Hague, which saw participation by cricketer Suresh Raina, Indian and Dutch dignitaries, Ambassadors of different countries, former Deputy Mayor of The Hague Rabin Baldew Singh and many others. The yoga workshops were conducted by the Royal Dutch Army, well-known Dutch yoga guru Johan Noorloos of The New Yoga School, Amsterdam and a Sahaja Yoga Meditation by Mr. Sander Notenbaert & group. These workshops were followed by a Yin Yoga session which was led by Ms. Anita Smith.

Yoga sessions were interspersed with cultural performances. Indian dance and music created a perfect atmosphere for yoga. The Tandav Group and Ms. Keyakar & Group performed Indian Folk Dance and modern dance while Djahan Manuela &  Group presented a combination of South Indian martial arts which is called ‘Kalaripayattu’ combined with dance and music. 

In a parallel venue The Yoga Hut hosted competitions in sun salutations and yoga pose challenges alongside with special sessions on therapeutic yoga.  A stall put up by the Maharishi Ayurveda Centre provided advice on yoga, wellness and healthy living. Five special food trucks provided vegetarian and vegan food as well as vegan ice cream for the participants and onlookers to enjoy. 

The grand finale was a performance titled ‘Soul Shanti Concert’ featuring BMI Goes India whom created an unique combination of classical sitar and modern electronic dance music. Popular Bollywood DJ Don, supported by local musicians from Team Madras Chorus, joined BMI goes India adding a Bollywood Beat segment to the finale.

The concert was a perfect culmination of an entire day of festivities promoting wellness, healthy eating, yoga and meditation. International Yoga Day will also be celebrated across 31 cities in the Netherlands on June 21- which will include yoga workshops, meditation sessions, and concerts. The General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed 21 of June the International Day of Yoga.

In the picture Mrs. Fonda Haga Halima, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of Cameroon, Conlonel H. R. Bidja & H.E. Mrs. Odette Melono, Deputy Director General of OPCW.

By Roy Lie Tjam.

The Hague, Mrs Fonda Haga Halima, Charge d’ Affaires a.i.  of the Republic of Cameroon, organized a reception on Friday 24 May 2019 to celebrate the 47th National Day of Cameroon.

Many Ambassadors, to mention a few: Korea, Uruguay, India Cuba, Deputy Heads of Mission  – Russia, China. Thailand, Venezuela a.o, government- and business representatives along with other guests, attended the festive reception to join in the celebration and to congratulate Charge d’ Affaires Halima on this momentous day. 

The official part of the celebration consisted of the playing of the national anthems of Cameroon and the Netherlands. Guests were subsequently treated to an exquisite Cameroonian buffet dinner.

 The Hague, Mrs Fonda Haga Halima Charge d’ Affaires a.i. of the Republic of Cameroon, organized a reception on Friday 24 May 2019 to celebrate the 47th National Day of Cameroon. A great number of Ambassadors, diplomats, government- and business representatives along with other, came to felicitate Charge d’ Affaires Halima on this momentous day. The official part consisted of the playing of the national anthem of Cameroon an that of the Netherlands.

Guests were treated to an exquisite Cameroonian dinner buffet.

Text and pictures by John Dunkelgrün.

On May 17th the Embassy of The United States and the O.A.R. (Overseas Americans Remember) hosted a reception to celebrate the 227th anniversary of the Dutch recognition of The United States. The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was the first state to do so and thus the American-Dutch bond became the longest unbroken diplomatic relationship between the United States and any other country.

The jovial Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Pete Hoekstra, greeted his guests himself , personally standing outside his residence. Dutch American Friendship Day, an initiative of Mrs. Roberta Enschedé, was established by Congress and signed into law by President Reagan on April 19th, 1982. Roberta in her speech memorized the many similarities between The Netherlands and The United States like the similarity of the Declaration of Independence and the “Acte van Verlatinge” with which the Dutch repudiated the rule of the King of Spain and became a republic.

Two men were awarded the Certificate of Appreciation from “Americans Overseas Remember” for their service to the United States, Mr. Sander Voogel and Mr. Wiel Lenders.

Mr. Voogel, chief of the fire brigadeWassenaar was honored because he saved a woman and her two children from a burning house while on a learning mission to Detroit late last year.

Mr. Lenders, Director of the National Liberation Museum in Groesbeek was honored because of his efforts to keep the memory alive of the thousands of the 82nd American Airborne Division and other Allied soldiers who took part in the hardly known aerial attack on the German forces around Nijmegen. This was the successful “Operation Market Garden” counterpart of the doomed attack on Arnhem. It is important because the liberated area around Nijmegen became the base from which allied troops under General James Gavin launched the final push towards Berlin.

The “Bevrijdingsmuseum” is being expanded and will be housed in a spectacular 12-meter high building in the shape of a parachute. It will be ready for next years 75th anniversary of the liberation of The Netherlands. In Mr. Lenders words the new space will not only keep the memory alive of “how we got there” and “how we got out of it”, but on “how to avoid it happening again”. 

Both recognitions were important illustrations of the bonds between The United States and The Netherlands.