H.E. Mr Jens-Otto Horslund, Ambassador of Denmark and H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias, OPCW Director-General.

Denmark Contributes DKK 600,000 to OPCW Team to Identify Perpetrators of Chemical Weapons Use

The Ambassador of El Salvador H.E. Mr.  Agustín Vásquez Gómez  and  artist Rodolfo Oviedo Vega. By Roy Lie Atjam. The Latin-America Table, Societait De Witte, organized a presentation featuring the Salvadorian artist Mr. Rodolfo Oviedo Vega. The Ambassador of El Salvador H.E. Mr. Agustín Vásquez Gómez honoured the event with his presence and subsequent introduction of Oviedo Vega. Mr. Rodolfo Oviedo Vega’s presentation dealt with Salvadorian contemporary art. Fine art came to the shores of El Salvador after its independence in 1821. A century later (1917) abstract works became famous.

Mr. Rodolfo Oviedo Vega studied in El Salvador, he also studied and lived in Kerala India for two years. The memory of his journeys and the places where he has lived are realized in his works. Rodolfo Oviedo Vega ‘works are abstract (abstract is a visual language), he is inspired by what he calls Sagrada art such as the indigenous god of corn and La Morenita, In general, Rodolfo is inspired by Sagrada art and the places he visits during is travel. Mr. Oviedo has used a different kind of materials and techniques: silk, silver thread, Indian embroidery, sand from the Himalaya or the beaches of Salvador, barks of the coconut palm, banana tree leaf. There is sand from a desert in Iran, there are also personal objects; the works are not ordinary canvas, but are fabrics that he has collected on trips. Architectural elements frequently appear in Rodolfo Oviedo Vega’s work – railings, windows, arches, often in somber colours that emphasize their geometric armatures – and show his interest in urban space and construction. Rodolfo Oviedo Vega’s work is profoundly sensitive, human and emotional, all the while remaining abstract.

Oviedo Vega has an art gallery in Paris and also has activities in Panama. Oviedo Vega is now trying his hand at the niche market of fragrances. He has his own label; the fragrances will be on the market soon. It is been a pleasure getting to know the Salvadorian, Rodolfo Oviedo Vega.

H.E. Mr. Magzhan Ilyassov Ambassador of Kazakhstan.

Visions from Kazakhstan, a Panel Discussion

By Roy Lie Atjam. The Hague, 12 December 2018. The Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Netherlands organized a panel discussion on the theme “Global Challenges for a sustainable future: Visions from Kazakhstan”. The venue, Grote zaal of Society De Witte. The panellists were: H.E. Mr. Magzhan Ilyassov Ambassador of Kazakhstan, Prof. Dr. Ruard Ganzevoort– Senator of the Dutch and Dean of the Faculty of Religion and Theology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Further, Ms. Marzhan Nurzhan– Parliamentarian for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Program Officer Czech Republic. Also on the program was the screening of the documentary movie “Where the wind blew” Director is Mr. Andre Singer. Following a cordially welcome, H.E. Mr. Magzhan Ilyassov Ambassador of Kazakhstan, begun to highlight what he considers the seven key markers and risks of the new reality that might have the potentiality to deter a pending global cataclysm. Ilyassov made it clear that the world community must unite to address common challenges. “Our shared duty” he said “is to seek a way out of the destructive spiral of conflict that is intertwined into the global geo-economics and geopolitics. Therefore, I primarily want to focus on the key markers and risks of the new reality”.

The full text of Ambassador Ilyassov’ delivery follows hereby. “First. The growing political confrontations between the major powers aggravate the instability of the current world order, making events less predictable. The so-called “post-bipolar” world order is finally receding into the past. The process is influenced by both the changing balance between global players and the growing competition between regional powers. They are still unable to overcome the fundamental differences regarding the main issue – the future format of the world order. The aggravation of geopolitical rivalry between Russia, the United States and China is evident. Complex challenges have always existed in this strategic triangle. However, the level of their controllability has been sharply reduced in recent years. From now on, large-scale crises are possible like never before. The probability of incidents that could escalate into full-fledged conflicts increases significantly. It must be clear that misunderstandings and miscalculations in crisis situations can lead to military confrontation. In October during the ASEM forum in Brussels, the President of the Kazakhstan Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev spoke about the perils of this international situation, similar to the Caribbean crisis of the early 60s. His proposal was that the great powers, especially the United States, the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China and the EU countries, should always take great responsibility in addressing the issues of the international agenda through the prism of the future of humanity. They should find new formats of dialogue, if we are talking about the fate of our civilization.

After the First World War, the powers created the League of Nations. Then, after the Second World War – the United Nations. It is obvious that to settle the arising confrontations is a difficult challenge. Nevertheless, Mr. Nazarbayev proposed Astana as a platform for these four parties to discuss the problems in the sphere of economics, politics and security. Second. Increased confrontation challenges the effectiveness of global development institutions and security in general. The current key trend is “shattering” of the foundations of strategic stability. The situation regarding the agreements on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles (INF) is becoming critical. The extension of the Treaty on the Reduction of Strategic Offensive Arms, which is valid until 2021, remains suspended. The collapse of the INF and the problems with the extension of the Treaty on the Reduction of Strategic Offensive Arms will essentially bring down the arms control system. Global powers may return to an arms race. Here in The Hague we witnessed the consequences of this confrontation. This year become a hot season for the OPCW. Kazakhstan position was and is that and any functions of the OPCW, as well as the possibilities of expanding its mandate, should be considered and implemented with the participation and support of all States Parties to the Convention. We are of a view that the UN Security Council is the highest and only authorized body in determining responsibility for unlawful actions. The role and prestige of the UN should be supported by all its member-states. Third. Economic confrontations have escalated to a phase that many experts openly call trade wars. One of them is between the USA and China, which account for a third of the global economy, 20% of global exports, and more than a third of direct investment. This will decrease the growth of the world economy and, as a result, will lead to a deterioration of the situation in developing countries. Trade wars cannot settle global trade imbalances. Solutions need to be developed at the negotiating table under the auspices of the World Trade Organization in a multilateral format.

The Ministerial Meeting of this Organization will be held in Astana in 2020. We see a way out of the situation in the development of common fair rules for trade and investment cooperation. It requires unconditional recognition of intellectual property rights, development of transparent, flexible and effective technology transfer rules. In addition, the solution to the problem of trade wars must be sought in reforming the WTO. The agreements governing the activities of this Organization should include mechanisms that increase the price of non-compliance with the rules. Forth. One of the most “explosive” regions is the Middle East. The instability is caused by the crisis in Syria, the ongoing political tension in Iraq, the civil war in Libya, and internal development challenges in Arab countries. Next year, the tangle of unsolved problems may become even more complicated, returning the specter of a big war to the Middle East. 1) Kazakhstan has contributed by hosting peace talks on the Syrian conflict in our capital Astana and calls for constructive consultations and tireless search for mutually acceptable solutions for the benefit of the people of Syria. 2) Two month ago 120 Kazakh peacekeepers sent to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for deployment as part of the forces of the joint Kazakh-Indian battalion. This is our country’s real contribution to strengthening peace in the region and in the world in general. I must mention that both Kazakhstan and the Netherlands have included the settlement of regional conflicts among their priorities of work in the UN Security Council. Resolving the Afghan problem is of particular important for us in the light of ensuring long-term stability and security in the Central Asian region.

In September, the Regional Conference on “Empowering Women in Afghanistan” was convened successfully in Astana. Among the practical results of the Conference, I want to mention the decision of Kazakhstan to allocate within next 2 years an additional scholarships for Afghan women, as a continuation of Kazakhstan’s effective initiative to train 1000 Afghan civilian specialists in the amount of $50 million. We are grateful to the EU for its willingness to support and allocate funds for the implementation of the pilot project on women’s rights. Fifth. All these are worsened by the breakdown of the nuclear agreement with Iran, which was a challenge to achieve. The world community, including Kazakhstan, was conducting long-term work on this document. Our country has proved the whole world that the possession of nuclear weapons is not a panacea for ensuring security. Having renounced these weapons, Kazakhstan earned the trust of the international community. More details on that process will be shared with you by our later speaker. Sixth. Global security continues to be threatened by international terrorism and extremism. According to the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, there were approximately 10 thousand terrorist attacks in the world in 2017, killing more than 26 thousand people. Poverty and unemployment is a good foundation for terrorism, migration and separatism. This is exactly the situation in Afghanistan, where the ongoing war has led to such drastic consequences as drug trafficking, terrorism and extremism. This year on the margins of the UN General Assembly 73rd Session Kazakhstan made a proposal, namely a Code of Conduct towards Achieving a World Free of Terrorism, which aims to bring about closer regional and international coordination in the fight against terrorism. It is noteworthy that the Code was launched based on an initiative by our President N. Nazarbayev, which he proposed in his statement to the UNGA in 2015. Currently more than 70 countries have signed up to the Code of Conduct. Unfortunately the EU countries has not signed such important document. Seventh. 2018 has convincingly shown that cybersecurity is becoming a completely new dimension of global stability. The clash between the major powers is transferred to this space. In the coming years, the safety of nuclear and other strategic facilities that can be disrupted by cyber technology will be more relevant. Cyberspace is a field where international interests, threats and challenges intersect. Greater connectivity also brings with it greater risk, not least the risk of losing trust and confidence in the networks we rely on, and the risk of losing trust and confidence in our ability to communicate securely. The loss of such trust and confidence undermines the benefits of Internet computer technologies as an enabler of global social and economic development. In conclusion, I would like to add that the Kazakhstan, by being part of a huge Eurasia, has always been in favor of an open dialogue and adopted a peacekeeping policy, making efforts to reconcile the conflicting parties, and often achieved success in this matter. In the current global world, there are no bilateral conflicts that hurt only its participants. Everyone can feel the impact today I mentioned political, economic, UN related challenges, Middle East, Iran Nuclear Program (nuclear weapons in general), Terrorism and Extremism, Cybersecurity and Spiritual Values. By consolidating efforts, we can contribute to conflict resolution and increase the well-being of peoples not only on the Eurasian continent, but throughout the world. I believe that if we want to save the planet for future generations there is no other alternative” The second speaker at the conference was Prof. Dr. R. Ruard Ganzevoort who delivered an eloquent discourse.  In part, this was his contribution:  “enumerating the challenges our world is facing, the role of religion and politics could be instrumental in averting an impending catastrophe”. According to Dr. Ganzevoort, both religion and politics are not satisfied with the status quo of the existing world and its realities. Both believe that the world could be different from what we see today. Both are built on a vision that transcends the deterministic and cynical realism we see so much around us. But both can be perversions of this as well. “We need to tackle the fundamental problems and menaces of our time: war, inequalities, and climate change.” Ganzevoort continues, “we need to eradicate war and remove its causes. Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si championed social and ecological initiatives, similar to those proposed by the ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew. We are impelled to build new societies in which we are in harmony with each other and with the earth. For that reason, we urgently need the voices of politics and religion, as well as of course art, science, and everything else. We need leaders who are robust and brave enough to admit that our traditional styles of politics and religion have wreaked havoc and have led us into this world of war and inequalities. We need leaders who understand the signs of the times and the urgency of radical steps towards peace, social equality, and ecological harmony. Politics and religion are the pivots to inspire such leaders and to make them successful for the common good. But I don’t want to be naively optimistic. I immediately have to admit that both politics and religion often fall short of this visionary approach. Politics is often reduced to power games or negotiation of vested interests. Religion is often limited to self-absorbed and absolutist ways of bolstering group identities. Even stronger: religious leaders and institutions usually see themselves as only positive whereas, in fact, they are often part of the problem rather than of the solution. Religious dissension is also a factor to reckon with. In conclusion, religions are in my view by definition ambivalent and can be used for good and for bad, to bring peace and lead to war, to grow love and to instil hate. As someone who is active in the worlds of politics and of the academic study of religion, I am deeply aware of their shortcomings, but I am also convinced of their potential. I, therefore fervently believe that it is incumbent on us to avert the dark sides and to foster their visionary potential.” A third speaker was Ms. Marzhan Nurzhan , she delivered an in-depth expose on the total abolition of nuclear weapons. Furthermore, she is actively involved in campaigns for the abolition of nuclear weapons as an educator and lobbyist. Ms. Marzhan Nurzhan quoted former UN SG. Ban Ki-moon who once remarked, ” the world is over-armed and peace is under-funded”.  In 2017 Ms. Nurzhan was to address nuclear disarmament to the United Nations General Assembly on the International Day. The panel discussion ended with a Lunch at the restaurant of Society De Witte.

By Guido Lanfranchi. In his recent trip to Europe, Bureau of Energy Resources Assistant Secretary Francis Fannon visited Prague, Budapest and Zagreb to discuss European energy security. The United States – Mr. Fannon reiterated – remains committed to support European energy differentiation and to reduce its dependency from Russia.   In a moment of increasing tensions between Russia and the West, Bureau of Energy Resource Assistant Secretary, Mr. Francis Fannon, recently traveled to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Croatia in order to discuss European energy security. This trip was part of a broader outreach effort , which led Mr. Fannon to travel also to Ukraine, Poland, Greece and Portugal earlier this year. While European energy security has beena “longstanding strategic priority” for the US, such issue is currently all the more important in the light of the current tensions in the Azov Sea  – A/S Fannon stressed – which have proved once more the unreliability of Russia as an international actor. As Russia tries to severe the links between Ukraine and Europe, for example through projects like the Nord Stream 2 and the Turkish Stream pipelines, the US and its European partners should swiftly react. Mr. Fannon specifically lashed out at the Nord Stream 2 project, which is set to provide a new route for Russian natural gas to flow into Europe without transiting from Ukraine. He described the project as a “direct affront to the transatlantic energy security relationship and our [US and Europe] shared national security goals,” and he called on European countries involved, such as Germany and Denmark, to use their leverage to halt the project. Moreover, while refusing to provide details on potential measures, A/S Fannon reminded that the US “has the ability to sanction Russia energy export pipelines”, and that firms involved in this sector might be exposed to sanctions risks. Mr. Fannon also called upon the EU to move forward with its energy diversification efforts. In a moment of abundance of energy supplies, not only in the gas sector, but also in the renewable and nuclear ones, the EU should aim at differentiating its supplies and create real market competition dynamics. A/S Fannon reiterated the US readiness to support such approach, and praised ongoing European efforts such as the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector Pipeline, the Krk Island LNG Project in Croatia, Lithuania’s floating storage and regassification unit, as well as the project of the Midcat Pipeline. To use the words of A/S Fannon in his concluding remarks, “We have to stand together, and we very much support the continued energy diversification and energy security goals that advance our shared transatlantic values.”

US Bureau of Energy Resources discuss energy security in a trip to Europe

The United States blames Russia for the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine