The Minister of Tourism of Cuba, Manuel Marrero Cruz, and the Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, during the ribbon cut of FITCuba 2019.

In May 2019, the government of Cuba and the Ministry of Tourism organized FITCuba 2019, the island’s 39^thInternational Tourism Fair. A large number of national and international tourism professionals and journalists attended the event, which was aimed at showcasing Cuba’s vast touristic potential. 

Over 7,500 professionals from the tourism sector, coming from more than 53 countries, and including directors of hotel chains, airlines, wholesales, and travel agencies working with Cuba; over 250 journalists, of which almost 200 coming from abroad; local and international high-rank government officials, including the Minister of Tourism of Cuba, Manuel Marrero Cruz, and the Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, Venezuela Stella Lugo and the Minister of Tourism of Nicaragua, Anasha Campbell. These were the attendees of FITCuba 2019, the 39^thedition of Cuba’s International Tourism Fair, held in the Caribbean island in May 2019 and organized in close cooperation with Spain, the most important foreign investor in the country.

The Fair started with an introductory ceremony and the ribbon cut at the colonial fortress complex of San Carlos de la Cabaña. The hundreds of guests attending the ceremony were then able to visit stands by the international partners of the Cuban tourist sector, as well as to attend conferences and ateliers. The program also featured large parties organized by famous Cuban hotel chains, such as Gaviota group, Iberostars and Melia hotels.

FITCuba 2019 was also an occasion to showcase the reconstruction project led by the historical office of La Habana and the celebre Dr. Eusebio Leal Spengler the historian of the city, which has now been extended to other cities in the country. This project entails the reconstruction of the enormous colonial heritage present in Cuba, notably aiming at creating new service-oriented building such as schools, social houses, hotels, restaurants, and stores.

The Fair was an important occasion to explore Cuba’s potential to attract tourists from all over the world. The large number of tourists that was expected to come from the United States in 2019 is currently decreasing, notably due to the new sanctions imposed by the US administration. As a result, Cuban tourism authorities will rely on both its traditional partners, such as the European and Canadian tourism markets, as well as on non-traditional partners, such as China and Russia. In particular, Russia will be the focus country for next year’s FITCuba 2020, which will be held in Varadero. 

H.E. Mrs. Brândușa Predescu, Ambassador of Romania and Wesley Troeger, composer One Minute Symphony dedicated to Romania. May 17, 2019.

With a full theatre, and the audience giving multiple stand up ovations, last Friday’s Romanian One Minute Symphony night at the Zuiderstrandtheater was a great success.

This extraordinary concert was presented to the Dutch public under the auspices of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Ambassador of Romania to the Netherlands, H.E. Mrs. Brândușa Predescu, and the CEO & Artistic Director of Residentie Orkest The Hague, Mr. Sven Arne Tepl. A special part of the concert was a One Minute Symphony composed by Wesley Troeger, which was inspired by a conversation with the Ambassador of Romania. 

During the reception that took place prior to the concert, Ambassador Predescu explained how she met with the young composer at her embassy and how after talking about art, jazz and Romanian sport, Troeger decided to write the One Minute Symphony dedicated to Romania. 

“ A Romanian inspired concert with a European content, represents a bit of my country inside Europe, and listening to the experienced classical musicians interpreting a young composer inspired by Romania; this concert was a great experience. I really appreciate that the Dutch audience came in such big numbers. Former Dutch ministers, my dear colleagues ambassadors, and the heads of international courts sitting in The Hague were among many other friends that came.” 

Not a seat was left unattended for this Romanian Friday night at the Zuiderstrandtheater. This truly European night concert brought to the audience Brahms concerto for piano No. 1, which was written by the great composer and inspired by Beethoven when he had just 25 years old. It was magistrally interpreted by pianist Hannes Minnaar who received several ovations from the public reclaiming him for an encore. His Chopin’s encore came out as a masterpiece again interpreted to perfection for more ovations received from an already captivated public.

After that, it was the time for Beethoven Symphony No. 7, perfectly interpreted by the Residentie Orkest, under the magistral and energized direction of Jan Willem de Vriend. What a fantastic evening, Beethoven never sounded so lively,  and this thought was undoubtedly shared as well by the public which adored maestro de Vriend’s direction. 

A sweeping night out, thanks Romania-EU!

Photo Exhibition at the Atrium, City Hall of The Hague

In the picture H.E. Mr. Heinz Walker-Nederkoorn, Ambassador of Switzerland to the Netherlands.

The Swiss Embassy in the Netherlands presented Life of  Mine, a  photo exhibition curated by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) to mark the International Day of Mine Awareness  (April 4) in the Atrium of the City Hall of The Hague. 

During his speech, Ambassador Walker-Nederkoorn remarked: When my colleagues in Switzerland offered us the possibility of presenting this exhibition, my Deputy Mirko Zambelli and I immediately thought that The Hague, City of Peace of Justice, would be the perfect location.  It is perhaps a way to show the complementarity of Geneva and The Hague as two international cities hosting organisations engaged to promote human rights, sustainable development, safe migration, peace and justice. It is also important to note that this year marks the 70^th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. The mine action we are promoting today relates directly to the humanitarian spirit embedded in these conventions.

A series of photographs by Johannes Müller showed to hundreds of visitors the manifold impact that the explosive remnants of war have on communities, shedding light on the people whose lives have been impacted by explosive hazards and those who dedicate their lives to eliminating them. 

“For almost 10 years I have been covering conflict areas, war zones and combat theaters as a freelance photographer, working on documentaries on some of the most gruesome, brutal and inhuman conflicts of our time. Cease-fire or even liberation don’t necessarily mean that you are safe. In fact, this is – in most conflicts – the most dangerous phase for human beings. A phase that can stretch over decades.” Johannes Müller, photographer.

The exhibit with the main purpose of giving mine action a human face, runed from April 9 to 30 at the Atrium Den Haag (The Hague’s City Hall). Life-sized portrait photos allow viewers to truly “encounter” the subjects via their stories, at a very emotional and human level, to provide a deep, empathy-generating insight into mine action. The images were taken in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lebanon and Colombia.

The GICHD works toward keeping communities safe from the risks stemming from explosive ordinance. It supports its partners around the world to save lives and restore livelihoods.

By offering workshops and training courses, developing concepts, methods and tools, promoting open dialogue, sharing knowledge and promoting the effective and efficient use of resources,  the Centre supports the ultimate goals of mine action: saving lives, returning land to productive use, and promoting development.

Switzerland is fully committed to a world without new victims of mines, cluster munitions, and explosive remnants of war, and is a founding member of the GICHD.

For more information about the International Day of Mine Awareness, please visit Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining – GICHD and www.lifeofmine.org. #togetheragainstmines

Ms Dagmāra Skudra joined Eurojust on 1 May. She replaced Gunars Bundzis, who was National Member for Latvia from May 2004 until his retirement in April 2019.

Ms Skudra has had a career in public service for more than 20 years. She started at the Information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior in 1997, and switched to the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Latvia in 1999, starting as Assistant to the Prosecutor.

She was promoted to Prosecutor in 2001, and became active in the International Cooperation Division in 2002. In April of this year, when she left the Prosecutor General’s Office, she was Deputy Prosecutor General and Head Prosecutor of the Department of Analysis and Management.

From 2004 to 2013, Ms Skudra was, in addition to her duties in the Prosecutor General’s Office, also Deputy to the National Member of Latvia at Eurojust. Since 2012, she has been a European Judicial Network Contact Point. She has also represented Latvia on the Consultative Council of European Prosecutors since 2017.

Ms Skudra graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia in 2000, and also holds an LL.M. from the University of Augsburg.

Upon her arrival at Eurojust, Ms Skudra said: ‘I am pleased to be joining my colleagues in the College as National Member for Latvia. My association with Eurojust goes back a long way, and I look forward to continuing the good work of my predecessor, who served from the very beginning of Latvia’s membership in the European Union. My familiarity with Eurojust and the EJN, as well as my many years in international cooperation, have prepared me for this next step in my career.’