Austrian National Council’s Speaker in NRW

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Austrian National Council’s Speaker in NRW

Speaker Wolfang Sobotka and Premier Armin Laschet accompanied by Ambassador Dr. Peter Huber – Picture by Land NRW

Friday, 12 July 2019, Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia: NRW Premier Armin Laschet received the Speaker of the Austrian National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka, for a bilateral meeting at the State Chancellery. Following Speaker Sobotka’s signing NRW dignitaries’ guest book, both sides exchanged views on the current situation in their countries, and in Europe at large in the aftermath of the European elections, and the constituency of the new legislature. 

As per statement below Premier Armin Laschet remarked: “The Speaker of the National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka, and I agree that it is important that the European Union has a Commission capable of acting quickly. This Commission must effectively address pressing issues such as climate and energy policy, digitisation, internal and external security and sustainable development”.

Further topics in the talks between the Premier Laschet and Speaker Sobotka were the domestic political situations in both countries as well as digitisation, and broadband expansion in North Rhine-Westphalia and Austria. 

As Speaker of the National Council, the Chamber of Deputies of the Austrian Parliament, Wolfgang Sobotka is the fourth highest representative of the Republic of Austria. In addition to Wolfgang Sobotka, Dr. Peter Huber, Austrian Ambassador to Germany, Martin Eichtinger, Minister for Housing, the Labour Market, Europe and Regional Policy, and Karl Wilfing, Speaker of the Lower Austrian Diet, partook in the meeting in NRW. 

The Austrian delegation visited Düsseldorf on the fringe of a trip to the Rietberg, Bad Driburg and Hombroich Island Museum garden show parks in North Rhine-Westphalia. The latter are partner gardens in the Europe-wide garden network EGHN (European Garden Heritage Network) of more than 190 gardens, which was initiated by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and is managed by the foundation Stiftung Schloss Dyck.

For further information 
Austrian National Council: https://www.parlament.gv.at:

NRW Government: https://www.land.nrw/de/pressemitteilung/ministerpraesident-armin-laschet-empfaengt-oesterreichs-nationalratspraesidenten

Embassy of Austria to Germany (HE Ambassador Dr. Peter Huber): https://www.bmeia.gv.at/oeb-berlin/

Kiel welcomed President Alojz Kovšca

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Kiel welcomed President Alojz Kovšca

President Alojz Kovšca and President pro tempore of the Bundesrat, Premier of Schleswig-Holstein, Daniel Günther.

26 June 2019, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany: The President of the National Council of Slovenia Alojz Kovšca paid an official visit to his counterpart pro tempore, the President of the German Bundesrat -assembly of federal states- and Premier of  Schleswig-Holstein Daniel Günther. 

Alojz Kovšca likewise paid a courtesy call upon the Speaker of Schleswig-Holstein’s Diet, Klaus Schlie, and held a commercially focused meeting withthe Head of International Department at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kiel, Werner Koopmann. 

As a guest of honour President Kovšca addressed the audience (among which members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Germany) during the official reception held for the Kieler Woche, the largest summer festival in Northern Europe. 

President Alojz Kovšca addresses the Kieler Woche’s dignitaries reception.

In Slovenia the National Council is a consultative, representative assembly of social, economic, professional and local interest groups in the country. It has a mere semi-legislative function working on corrections for bills approved by the National Assembly. President Alojz Kovšca serves as the upper house’s chief since 12 December 2017. 

For further information: 
National Council of Slovenia: http://www.ds-rs.si

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Council_(Slovenia)

Kieler Woche: https://www.kieler-woche.de

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Images by Mitja Sabadin, Embassy of Slovenia to Germany 

Kickstart your language learning this summer!

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Kickstart your language learning this summer!

Summer is just around the corner. The weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer. Summer is the perfect time to take a break from regular commitments and try something new! Why not use this time to start learning a language or improve the language skills that you already have?

Taking an intensive language course is a great way to see big improvements in a short time. At Kickstart School, we offer a range of intensive Dutch and English summer courses during July and August to help you improve or maintain your language skills. The daily format means that you learn something new and get the opportunity to use the language every day. 

Intensive Dutch Courses are available from beginner to intermediate. The Starterpack and Stepping Stone Courses are planned one after the other, with daily lessons every morning for one or two weeks. This means that you can complete one or more courses in a shorter time frame, and the frequency of the lessons means that you are continuously reinforcing what you’ve learnt. This year we will also be offering an intensive NT2 Programme II preparation course.

Kickstart also offers Intensive English summer courses for pre-intermediate to advanced learners to enhance their English in a fun and engaging way. Focusing on communication, with a foundation of grammar and vocabulary, these courses run for two weeks from Monday to Thursday.

These courses are offered at Pre-Intermediate to Intermediate, and Upper-Intermediate to Advanced levels – we have group courses available for adults and teens. Additionally, this summer we will be offering an intensive IELTS preparation course and a short Business English course for those with more specific goals. 

A summer course is a great way to start or continue your language learning journey and our students seem to agree… 

“I found this course had an intense pace but this was expected. It seems like a good way to get started with learning and speaking Dutch and being less afraid to try.” – Colin, Stepping Stone I student, Summer 2017 

“It was the greatest experience for me! I’ve met new people from another countries and had a professional teacher who was always ready and prepared for any of my questions. 

Thank you Kickstart School for most enjoyable 2 weeks.” – Tomas, Upper-Intermediate/Advanced English for Teens, Summer 2018

Are you interested in improving your language skills? Don’t hesitate to get in touch, sign up for a course (or two) and let Kickstart take you further this summer! 

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Visit our website www.kickstartschool.nl, call us on 070-3607860, email us at info@kickstartschool.nl to find out more!

Alojz Kovšca at the German Parliament

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Alojz Kovšca at the German Parliament

President of the National Council of Slovenia, Alojz Kovšca being greeted by German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer in the company of Ambassador Franc But.

27-28 June 2019, Berlin, Germany: the President of the National Council of Slovenia, Alojz Kovšca during his official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany was received by the Vice-President of the German Bundestag Wolfgang Kubicki, the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Oliver Wittke, and enjoyed a luncheon hosted by the President of the Group of Friendship Northern Adriatic in the German Bundestag Oliver Luksic. 

Bilateral meeting held with the Head of the Bavarian Chancery, Dr. Florian Herrmann. Picture by Bavarian State Chancery.

On the last day of the visit, the President Kovšca met with the Federal Minister of the Interior, Building and Community Horst Seehofer. 

At the Bundesrat, he once more was received in Berlin by thePresident of the German Bundesrat and Premier of Schleswig-Holstein Daniel Günther as well as Head of State Chancellery of Bavaria and Minister of State for Federal, European and Media Affairs, Dr. Florian Herrmann.

The Director of the Bundesrat and State Secretary Dr. Ute Rettler moreover hosted him for a lunch wherein topics of European, and bilateral affairs were discussed. 

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Bavarian State Chancery: http://bayern.de/service/fotoreihen/page/3/?fbclid=IwAR159IvlX0ZtsFV471Y8rikJ_IZB-BB69E4JSKekZFUCCGqGBScQGt6Y7jc&sb=Suchbegriff&d1=Datum+von&d2=Datum+bis

German Bundesrat: https://www.bundesrat.de/DE/homepage/homepage-node.html
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Main Image by Mitja Sabadin, Embassy of Slovenia to Germany.

Eurojust helps Italy and Slovenia unravel massive VAT fraud

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Eurojust helps Italy and Slovenia unravel massive VAT fraud

With the assistance of Eurojust, the Italian authorities seized almost EUR 84 million after unravelling a VAT fraud scheme involving the marketing of technological and computer products in the region of Campania.

A total of 49 suspects are under investigation for tax crimes committed through so-called ‘carousel fraud’ by collecting the VAT for themselves rather than remitting it to the Italian tax authorities.

A joint investigation team, supported by Eurojust, coordinated the investigation by working together with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Naples North and the Specialized State Prosecution Office of the Republic of Slovenia. Two coordination meetings were held at Eurojust.

Searches were carried out in six companies in Italy. As part of these actions, two European Investigation Orders (EIOs) issued by the Slovenian Judicial Authority were executed to allow the transnational collection of evidence.

According to the prosecution’s reconstruction of the offences, also confirmed by the preliminary investigation judge, the fraud consisted of the fabrication of a large number of invoices for non-existent transactions, amounting to almost EUR 500 million. For these activities, bogus companies were created, administered by figureheads.

Photo © Shutterstock

Further investigations, using EIOs and telephone intercepts, were carried out in Slovenia and Estonia, two of the countries in which the bogus companies were located.

The investigation was initially conducted by the Lucca Public Prosecutor’s Office and later transferred by territorial jurisdiction to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Naples North. The Guardia di Finanza of Naples and Lucca actively supported the investigation.

Setting up a judical counter-terrorism register at Eurojust

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Setting up a judical counter-terrorism register at Eurojust

Eurojust’s proposal to the EU Member States on the implementation and functioning of the European judicial counter-terrorism register on the basis of Council Decision 2005/671/JHA was presented to the national correspondents for terrorism at the annual Eurojust meeting on counter-terrorism. Following the initiative of France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the setting up of the register was supported by the Special Committee on Terrorism of the European Parliament, whose Chair, Ms Nathalie Griesbeck, was present at the meeting. The proposal also received strong support from the European Commission and the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator (CTC).

The national experts agreed on practical steps in the implementation of the register, which will be launched on 1 September 2019. The register will centralise judicial information on counter-terrorism proceedings from all EU Member States.

It will allow Eurojust to proactively support the national judicial authorities by identifying links between investigations and assisting Member States in coordinating more efficiently. Complementary to the criminal analysis carried out by Europol, the register will contribute to reinforcing the judicial response to terrorist threats in the EU Member States.

Photo © Shutterstock

Mr Ladislav Hamran, President of Eurojust, said: ‘To respond to the persistent terrorist threat that concerns the whole of the European territory, strong cooperation between judicial authorities within the European Union and beyond is required.            

 For Eurojust, the register is the first step in a broader endeavour to create tools that will lead to a fast, reliable and secure IT infrastructure called Digital Criminal Justice, which was first presented to the JHA Council in December last year. To face the new challenges posed by technological development and the evolving security threat landscape, prosecutors in the Member States need tools to interact efficiently with their counterparts, as well as with Eurojust.’

Mr Frédéric Baab, National Member for France and Head of the Counter-Terrorism Team at Eurojust, stated: ‘After the terrorist attacks of 13 November 2014, the French Desk at Eurojust opened a case involving 14 Member States and the USA. In such a case, in which multilateral coordination is needed at EU level, a complete overview of all ongoing investigations in the countries involved is indispensable. For this reason, we worked on the implementation of a counter-terrorism register at Eurojust, which will centralise and cross-check this information and give feedback to the national authorities.’

Ms Nathalie Griesbeck, Chair of the Special Committee on Terrorism of the European Parliament, pointed out: ‘Eurojust is a key actor in the reinforcement of our area of Justice and Security. As Chair of the special committee on terrorism, I am very happy to witness the progress made toward the creation of the European judicial counter-terrorism register. This concrete tool, which the European Parliament strongly supports, will foster the exchange of information and therefore help to make crucial links that could prevent attacks.’

During the two-day Eurojust meeting on counter-terrorism, the experts also exchanged experience and lessons learned in addressing extreme right- and left-wing groups in Europe. They concluded that the evolving threat from non-jihadist terrorism should not be underestimated and should be addressed efficiently at judicial level.

The participants also discussed how EU Member States and some third States deal with foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and their families, particularly those currently detained in Syria. They highlighted the benefits of sharing experience among the national authorities but also with Eurojust, Europol, the EU CTC and the European Commission.

This year’s meeting was attended by judicial and law enforcement experts from various EU Member States, acting as national correspondents for Eurojust for counter-terrorism, the Liaison Prosecutors and national experts from North Macedonia, Norway, Switzerland, Ukraine and the USA, the EU CTC, the European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as Europol, Frontex and INTERPOL.

President of Tatarstan in Thuringia

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President of Tatarstan in Thuringia

President of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov & Premier Bodo Ramelow – Picture by Thüringische Staatskanzlei.

Monday, 24 June 2016, Free State of Thuringia: “Sanctions are not the answer, diplomacy is the answer. What we need is a joint process”, uttered Premier Bodo Ramelow during his welcoming address to the “Business Forum Thuringia-Tatarstan” held at Weimar. 

A high-ranking economic delegation from Tatarstan travelled with the regional 2nd President Rustam Minnichanov. The programme included visits and talks on economic relations as well as the signing of cooperation agreements. After 2013 and 2016, this is already Minnichanov’s third visit to Thuringia. In April 2016 Premier Bodo Ramelow met Tatar President Minnichanov for the first time in Kazan.

President Minnichanov moreover took time for a visit to the Bauhaus University Weimar alongsidethe Mayor of the City of Weimar, Peter Kleine, and the University President, Prof. Dr. Winfried Speitkamp, presented projects of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and in the “Bauhaus Lab” the analysis of digitised buildings in Virtual Reality.

Digitilisation and economic cooperation in the latter area were the overriding topic of further intensive discussions between the two delegations in Weimar.

For further information:
Government of Thuringen: https://www.staatskanzlei-thueringen.de/medienservice/veranstaltungsberichte/detailseite/besuch-des-praesidenten-der-republik-tatarstan-rustam-minnikhanov-im-rahmen-eines-business-forums/
Embassy of the Russian Federation to the Federal Republic of Germany (HE Ambassador Sergej J. NETSCHAJEW): http://www.russische-botschaft.de
Government of Tatarstan: http://tatarstan.ru/eng/

Bvlgari – The Story, The Dream

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Bvlgari – The Story, The Dream

Bvlgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin – Picture by Bvlgari.

Wednesday, 26 June 2019, Rome, Italy: In the presence of its CEO Jean-Christophe Babin, Bvlgari inaugurated its new exhibition Bvlgari – The Story, The Dream. The two-part exhibition being held at the Palazzo Venezia and Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome retraces the maison’s through some 170 jewels, archive photos and films, as well as haute couture dresses that illustrate trends during different periods in Bvlgari’s scintillating past.

The Palazzo Venezia and Castel Sant’Angelo, are two of the Eternal City’s most iconic sites. At the Palazzo Venezia, the story begins with founder Sotirio Bulgari, who arrived in Rome in the late 19th century, looking back at the immense success that Bvlgari has enjoyed since its creation.

Castel Sant’Angelo showcases jewels worn by the many movie stars who loved Bvlgari, along with Bvlgari icons such as the  Serpenti, Monete and Parentesi collections.

The jewels are joined by 80 haute couture dresses from the private collection of Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini, a collector of haute couture and Oriental pieces, offering an elegant counterpoint to the style, illustrating the taste and trends of the different periods covered by the Bvlgari story.

US Senator Rand Paul in Berlin

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US Senator Rand Paul in Berlin

Senator Dr Rand Paul – Picture by AmCham, Germany.

Monday, 1 July 2019, Berlin, Germany: The American Chamber of Commerce in Germany (AmCham) hosted a reception at the Haus der Commerzbank direct at the world famous Brandenburg Gate, for visiting Senator Dr Rand Paul from the State of Kentucky. 

The senator’s keynote allocution was held after a brief presentation by US Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell. Senator Paul talked about transatlantic trade and business, at one point noting, “the more we trade, the less we fight” as he is known for his positive stances on transatlantic relations. 

Ambassador Grenell at Haus der Commerzbank – Picture by AmCham, Germany.

Senator Paul serves in the US Senate since 2011, he is a Republican and an educated ophthalmologist. 

For further information:
AmCham Germany: https://www.amcham.de/newsboard/news/amcham-germany-reception-with-senator-rand-paul/

Senator Rand Paul: https://www.paul.senate.gov
US Embassy to Germany (HE Ambassador Richard Grenell): https://de.usembassy.gov

Philipp Rickenbacher to lead Julius Bär

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Philipp Rickenbacher to lead Julius Bär

Monday, 8 July 2019, Zürich, Swiss Confederation: Julius Baer Group Ltd./AG has appointed Philipp Rickenbacher as its new chief executive officer. 

His appointment is the latest leadership change among Switzerland’s wealth managers, who seek to preserve and increase the assets of rich clients. The 48-year-old Helvetian citizen is currently head of intermediaries and global custody at Julius Bär, and shall replace Bernard Hodler, who is retiring as CEO and the board.
Julius Baer manages approximately assets in a worth of 427 billion Swiss francs ($431 billion). 

Rickenbacker, a former consultant at McKinsey, joined Julius Bär in 2004 where he moreover had a stint as head of advisory solutions.

For further information:
https://www.juliusbaer.com/de/de/home/

Photography by Karsten Ratzke - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18856249
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