Photos  – top left, H.E. Ms Tsulukiani, Mr Hamran, Mr Tadumadze. Bottom right, Georgian and Eurojust delegation, including H.E. Ambassador Sharvashidze.

A cooperation agreement in criminal matters was signed at Eurojust, the EU’s Judicial Cooperation Unit, by H.E. Ms Thea Tsulukiani, Minister of Justice of Georgia, Mr Shalva Tadumadze, Prosecutor General of Georgia, and Mr Ladislav Hamran, President of Eurojust, to strengthen the joint fight against cross-border organised crime in the European Union and South Caucasus.

This first agreement between Eurojust and a State of the region will foster judicial and strategic cooperation as it will unlock the possibility to swiftly and safely exchange information and evidence. Present at the signing ceremony were H.E. Mr George Sharvashidze, Ambassador of Georgia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and other high-ranking Georgian officials.

Ms Tsulukiani said: ‘Today’s bilateral agreement completes four years of negotiations with Eurojust. In the new framework of our partnership, we will further develop existing legal and institutional mechanisms to improve convergence with EU standards and policies in judicial cooperation in criminal matters. The agreement will strengthen the joint institutional and operational capacity of the European Union and Georgia to successfully deal with transborder crime and other common challenges.’

Mr Hamran said: ‘This cooperation agreement marks a major step forward in our valuable partnership with Georgia. In recent years, our close cooperation has frequently made a tangible difference in the prosecution of serious cross-border crime, strengthening our efforts to bring suspects to justice and better protect our citizens. I am certain that this cooperation agreement will allow us to share even more operational and strategic successes in the future, making this world safer one case at a time.’

Reinforced judicial cooperation with Georgia

The agreement provides for quick and efficient exchange of information and evidence between Georgia, EU Member States, and third States that have concluded a cooperation agreement with Eurojust. It will help Eurojust to better target Georgian organised crime groups that are transnationally active and pose a major threat to security in Europe.

Georgia will benefit from accessing Eurojust’s information systems and have the possibility to share personal data and evidence in criminal investigations and prosecutions across Europe. The agreement enables Georgia to also appoint a Liaison Prosecutor to Eurojust to enhance operational cooperation and more closely coordinate international actions facilitated by Eurojust.

Georgia is one of the most active third States in judicial cooperation supported by Eurojust; since 2012, it was involved in 27 transnational investigations into swindling and fraud, organised property crime, money laundering, and other crimes.

Arusha, 29 March 2019– The President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Judge Carmel Agius, will conduct an official visit to the Republic of Rwanda from 1 to 7 April 2019.

During this week, President Agius will hold a series of meetings with high-level Government officials. In addition, he will visit a number of memorial sites and meet with members of civil society, including victims’ groups. As part of his programme, the President will also spend time with staff from the Mechanism’s field office in Kigali. President Agius will further participate in the Kwibuka25 International Conference, and conclude his visit by attending the official ceremony marking the 25^th commemoration of the Rwandan Genocide on Sunday, 7 April 2019.   

This will be President Agius’ first visit to the Republic of Rwanda in his capacity as President of the Mechanism, in line with his stated intention to foster close ties between the Mechanism and the Government and people of Rwanda. 

President Agius assumed the Presidency of the Mechanism on 19 January 2019, having been a Judge of the Mechanism since its inception in 2012. He previously served for 16 years as a Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, including as its Vice-President (2011-2015) and final President (2015-2017).

Washington/Baltimore, 16 March 2019 marked the unfortunate passing of H.E. Dr. Virachai Plasai, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States of America. Ambassador Virachai Plasai was a former Thai Ambassador to the Netherlands, 2009 – 2015.

Prior to being appointed as Ambassador, Dr. Plasai was the Director-General, Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs from September 2007 to May 2009.  He also served as Director-General of Department of International Economic Affairs during 2006-2007.

His other overseas posts were as First Secretary at the Royal Thai Embassy in London and as Minister Counselor for legal affairs at the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the World Trade Organization in Geneva.  While serving as the Thai Ambassador to The Hague, he also acted as the agent of the Kingdom of Thailand in the case concerning the interpretation of the Judgment of 15 June 1962 in the case concerning the “Temple of Preah Vihear” (Cambodia v. Thailand) before the International Court of Justice. 

For over three decades, Dr Virachai Plasai served his beloved Thailand with dedication and distinction. He was an expert in international law and he earned the respect from various quarters. Ambassador  Virachai Plasai received the Knight Grand Cross, Order of Orange-Nassau for serving as a Thai Ambassador in the Netherlands.

Ambassador Virachai Plasai was an ardent lover of music and a gifted and passionate basse player. He entertained and enthralled many of us here in The Hague at events hosted by Diplomat magazine.

Ambassador Virachai Plasai leaves to mourn his wife, Elizabeth Plasai, a former committee member of the Association of Spouses of Ambassadors in the Netherlands (ASA).

His calm, generous and creative personality will be missed. The bass may have been silenced, but the music and the memories will continue to bring joy and warmth to our hearts.

Mr. Ladislav Hamran, President of Eurojust.

By Guido Lanfranchi.

On March 21^st, 2019, Eurojust opened its headquarters to host a socio-cultural event at the crossroads of justice priorities, art, culture, and gastronomy. The event, co-organized by Eurojust and the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, showcased the beauty of the Romanian culture, as well as Eurojust’s precious achievements.

Eurojust headquarters in The Hague might be used to host law enforcement experts, member states’ prosecutors, or even high-level political figures. Yet, on March 21^st, 2019, the organization’s premises looked different than in other days, as Eurojust prepared to host an unprecedented socio-cultural event, in collaboration with the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The building’s main hall was decorated with the flags of Eurojust, the European Union, and Romania; tables across the room were filled with snacks, drinks, and flyers advertising some of Romania’s touristic attractions; and all around, the walls were decorated with precious paintings. For an afternoon, Eurojust’s premises would be not just a workplace, but rather a crossroad between judicial cooperation, art, culture, and gastronomy.

Once the main hall had been filled by large groups of incoming guests, the organizers kicked off the official part of the event with their introductory remarks. Mr. Ladislav Hamran, President of Eurojust, was the first one to take the floor to welcome the guests. Introducing the event’s motto of “justice meets culture”, President Hamran showcased to the audience a tangible result of the intersection between these two worlds: a historical relic, a frame dating back to the times of Marcus Aurelius, stolen in 2002 in Romania and recently recovered thanks to the cooperation between member states’ judicial authorities and Eurojust.

H.E. Mrs. Brândușa Predescu, Ambassador of Romania in the Netherlands, took the floor right after Mr. Hamran, echoing his words of praise for the cooperation between Eurojust and the Embassy. In her remarks, the Ambassador underlined the importance of “cohesion”, the crucial priority of the Romanian Presidency. She stressed the importance of cooperation among European member states across different domains, including those of judiciary and culture, and concluded by inviting the guests to enjoy the typical Romanian art, music, and food featured in the event.

The Ambassador’s speech was followed by the remarks of Ms. Daniela Buruiană, Romania’s National Member at Eurojust, who stressed the importance of cooperation among states in the field of judiciary. Ms. Buruiană then introduced a keynote guest, Mr. Augustin Lazăr, the Romanian General Prosecutor, widely known for his contribution to judicial cases concerning artworks and historical relics.

Mr. Lazăr recalled Eurojust’s significance as the “first supranational prosecutor’s office authority in history”, also praising the contribution of Romanian professor Vespasian V. Pella in setting the spark for the creation of contemporary institutions such as Eurojust and the International Criminal Court.

The conclusion of Mr. Lazăr’s remarks paved the way for the cultural side of the event, as the music started to reach the ears of the guests. The stage was taken by a trio of talented Romanian musicians, all independently active in the jazz scene all over the Netherlands and Europe. With Ms. Tereza Catarov at the voice, Mr. George Dumitru at the guitar, and Mr. Alex Simu at the clarinet, the trio had prepared a particular repertoire for the occasion, showcasing a mix between jazz, the three musicians’ speciality, and Romanian folk – Mr. Simu explained.

The musical intermezzo was then followed by an introduction of the contemporary art exhibition “Transylvanian Lights”, by painter and professor Ioan Sbârciu and curator Ms. Maria Rus Bojan. Ms. Bojan, a member of the International Association of Art Critics, introduced the exhibition before giving the floor to Prof. Sbârciu.

Welcoming the new opportunity to exhibit his paintings in such an unconventional environment, the internationally renowned painter addressed the guests by stressing the great freedom enjoyed in our society nowadays, and inciting the audience to “move ahead, but always remembering our roots”.

As the musicians took the stage for another time, the guests started to mingle in Eurojust’s main hall, enjoying the sounds and tasting the snacks and the drinks offered by the organizers. All the participants, included the keynote speakers and the artists, remained for a long time in the room, enjoying conversations and exchanging greetings. The Romanian Presidency at Eurojust definitely started off on the right foot!