On the picture H.E. Andras Kocsis (wearing t-shirt 7) together with the team. Several Hungarian athletes competed in the Netherlands in July. The Hungarian national women’s team competed in the ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Championships 2018, which was attended by Ambassador Andras Kocsis. The Hungarian national women’s team played at a world championship for the first time. On 19 July, it achieved a historic victory against Egypt. On the same day, the presidents of the Hungarian Paralympic Committee and the ParaVolleyball Europe signed a contract on the basis of which Hungary will host the 2019 European Sitting Volleyball Championship for Men & Women in Budapest. In the same week, Hungarian tennis player, Attila Balázs won several matches in the ATP Challenger The Hague Open. Ambassador Kocsis visited the tournament on 17 July. In the first round Balázs beat the Dutch Jelle Snels in two straight sets with 6-3 and 7-6. He also won the second round against the Spanish Nicola Kuhn with 6-3 and 6-4.

The Ambassador of India, His Excellency Venu Rajamony,  also in the picture his spouse, Dr. Saroj Thapa. By Roy Lie Atjam.

Open House at the residence of the Indian Ambassador

On August 15, 2018, India celebrates its 72nd Independence Day. The Embassy of India will mark this memorable event by a special flag hoisting ceremony at ‘India House’ in Wassenaar. Invited to the special flag hoisting ceremony were: all members of the Indian community, people of Indian origin and friends of India. The event will start with the hoisting of the Indian flag by the Ambassador, singing of the Indian national anthem and reading by the Ambassador of the address to the nation by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind. Address to the Nation by the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, on the eve of India’s 72nd Independence Day Excerpts from what H.E. Ambassador Venu Rajamony has read follows hereby.

“Dear Fellow Citizens My greetings to you as we complete 71 years as an independent nation. Tomorrow we will commemorate our 72^nd Independence Day. For every Indian, whether living at home or anywhere else in the world, August 15 is sacred. It is marked on our calendars as a celebration of our sovereignty. We unfurl our national flag with great joy and enthusiasm in workplaces, municipalities, panchayats, colleges, schools, homes and neighborhoods. Our Tricolor is a symbol of our national pride. It is a constant reminder of our striving and our self-belief. It is a day to look back with satisfaction and gratitude for what we have been able to achieve due to the efforts of successive generations of our elders. And it is a day to renew our resolve to fill the gaps that still remain in our nation building project – gaps that our talented young people will no doubt fill. Freedom came to our country on the Midnight of August 14-15, 1947. It was the result of years and decades and centuries of sacrifice and valour on the part of our ancestors and our revered freedom fighters. These were men and women of rare courage and foresight. They came from all regions of the country, all sections of society, all communities and all social and economic groups. They could easily have compromised and settled for some personal benefit, but they did not. Their commitment to India – to a free, sovereign, plural and egalitarian India – was absolute. It was my privilege to honour these freedom fighters on the anniversary of ‘Quit India Day’ on 9^th August in Rashtrapati Bhavan. We are fortunate that we have inherited the legacy of such remarkable patriots. They left us with a free India, but they also left us with unfinished tasks for the development of our society, for the empowerment of the proverbial last person, for their liberation from poverty, and social and economic inequality. Every breath in our collective life as a nation is a tribute to our freedom fighters – and a commitment to accomplish whatever is still unaccomplished. Women have a special role in our society. The expansion of freedom in our country in many senses amounts to the expansion of freedom for women in our country. This is true whether we see them as mothers, sisters, daughters or simply as women who are entitled to a life of their choosing – and deserving of the opportunity and the security to fulfil their potential. They could do this as sheet-anchors of our families or as absolutely critical entrants to our institutions of higher learning and our workforce. The choice is theirs; as a nation and as a society we must ensure that they have the right and the ability to exercise that choice. Independence Day is always special, but this year there is anunusual significance attached to it. In a few weeks, on 2^nd October, we will begin the commemoration of the 150^th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji did not just lead our freedom struggle. He was and still is our moral compass. In my capacity as the President of India, I have been fortunate to have travelled around the world, particularly to a few countries of Africa. Everywhere, across continents, Gandhiji is mentioned, cherished and remembered as an icon for all humanity. He is the embodiment of India.

Dear Fellow Citizens In my engagements with students and university authorities all over India, I have urged students to spend a few days – maybe four or five days in a year – in a village. Undertaken as part of what may be termed “University Social Responsibility”, this will help students understand our country. It will allow them to observe and participate in social welfare programmes and see how they are making an impact. It will be of benefit to the individual student and to the village, as well as to the country. It will also invoke the fervour of our freedom struggle, and the identification of every citizen with the national mission. I am gratified by the idealism and the passion of our young people. There is a spirit to achieve something for oneself, for one’s family, for wider society and for our country. This is the most moral education we can wish for. The outcome of education is not merely a degree or a diploma, but the commitment to help improve the life of another in a way that is sustainable. This is empathy and fraternity in action. This is the Indian spirit. This is India, because India belongs to the people of India – not just to the Government. Together we can help every citizen in our country. Together we can conserve our forests and natural heritage, we can safeguard our monuments for future generations, we can renew our rural and urban habitats. Together, we can eliminate poverty, illiteracy and inequality. We can and we must do this together. The government has a leading role but not the sole role. Let us use the government’s programmes and projects to further our own efforts. Let us make that sense of ownership our motivation. With those words, I once again wish you and your families all the best for Independence Day and best wishes for a bright future.”

A quote by H.E. Ambassador Venu Rajamony “India and the Netherlands have a long history of friendly bilateral relations going back to more than 400 years, encompassing many areas of shared interest. We share common ideals of democracy, pluralism, multiculturalism and the rule of law. There is great momentum in our bilateral ties following the visit of Prime Minister Mark Rutte to India in May 2018 along with the largest ever Dutch trade mission to India. I am confident that we will see renewed efforts from the Governments and peoples of both our countries towards further strengthening our robust ties and raising them to new heights in the coming days. I welcome you to join us in celebrating India’s 72^nd Independence Day.” Additionally Ambassador Venu Rajamony mentioned the upcoming International Day of Non-Violence and invited to join the ‘Gandhi March’ in The Hague on September 30, 2018 at Peace Palace. The celebration72^nd Independence Day concluded with a cultural program and refreshments.

On the picture, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco His Excellency Abdelouahab Bellouki and spouse Mrs. Najat Bellouki. By Roy Lie Atjam. The Kingdom of Morocco is a constitutional monarchy, every year the country celebrates the monarch’s enthronement with a full day of celebrations known as Throne Day. On Throne Day, there are many official and popular celebrations throughout the country. It is a day of pride in the nation’s independence, culture, and monarchy.

His Majesty Mohammed VI of Morocco’s Alaouite- or Alawite Dynasty, ascended the throne in 1999 following the passing of his father King Hassan II. On the occasion of the 19th anniversary of the throne accession, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco His Excellency Abdelouahab Bellouki and spouse Mrs. Najat Bellouki invited colleagues, friends and others to join them in celebrating Throne Day 2018 in style.

The venue was the Hotel Hilton The Hague, on 30th July 2018.        

His Excellency Ambassador Ricardo Nario, Uruguay National Day 2018

Celebrating 193 Years of Independence

Roy Lie Atjam Wassenaar, 23 August 2018. On the occasion of the one hundred and ninety-three years of the Declaration of Uruguay’s Independence, H.E. Ambassador Luis Ricardo Nario Fagundez and spouse Laura Dupuy Nario, organized a reception on the lawns of their residence. A good number of colleagues, friends as well as Judges, representatives of international organizations, businessmen and compatriots, responded positively to the invitation to join in the festivities.

In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Ricardo Nario thanked his guests for their presence. “Independence Day is a reaffirmation of our national identity, a reunion with our past and our fundamental values of freedom, peace, democracy, respect for human rights, gender equality and social equity; all values we are glad to share with the Dutch people” Nario stated. Ambassador Ricardo Nario further related “on this very special occasion for Uruguay, I would like to express my gratitude to the Dutch Government, as well as the private sector, for the collaboration with our tasks and the support to reach our objectives, shown during the last and the present year. In 2017 and the first semester of 2018, our bilateral trade continued steadily and growing in many products, at a time when the trade around the world faces turbulences. For the first time, Netherlands is our first trade partner in Europe. As an example of our bilateral cooperation let me tell you that next month, we are going to launch a dredge vessel, which stern and bow were built in the Netherlands, and the middle of the ship in Uruguay. It is a joint venture between the Royal IHC Company and the National Administration of Ports of Uruguay, for the amount of 61 million dollars. The purpose of this vessel is to carry out the dredging of the Uruguay River.

I also want to highlight the important bilateral cooperation with Wageningen University and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. In those Universities, we have post-graduates students from Uruguay, specializing in the agricultural field and in water management; both subjects key to our sustainable development. The follow up of productive projects is fundamental to the future success of this educational investment. Regarding the international organizations, I want to mention the important Agreement that Uruguay achieved with the Permanent Court of Arbitration.With the presence of the Secretary General, Hugo Siblesz in Montevideo, last June, we signed a Host Country Agreement.

The signing of this agreement is consistent with Uruguay’s long history of support of the peaceful resolution of international disputes in accordance with international law. Finally, I would like to convey the special greeting of the President of the Republic, Dr. Tabaré Vázquez, to all, and particularly to the compatriots who accompany us today. Please enjoy now our gastronomy, with Angus beef Premium Quality, our Tannat wines, and some afro – Uruguayan rhythms, by “Alejandro Carbajal Candombe Group”. Dank u well”.

The Angus beef Premium Quality or asado  is the popular grilled meat cooked outdoors on wood-fire. The meat was shipped from the National Meat Institute (INAC) in Uruguay especially for the occasion. Sausages (chorizos) were also served. Further, alfajores and sweet bites were served. Alfajores consist of small baked cookies glued together with Uruguayan popular ‘dulce de leche’ (milk caramel). Tannat wines, white and red from Bodegas Carrau (Carrau Wineries). Ambassador Ricardo Nario succeeded in offering his guests an authentic Uruguayan soiree. Apart from the gastronomy treat, he had the renowned Uruguayan performer and his band flown in for the occasion. Alejandro Carbajal y su Grupo de Candombe, staged a unique Afro – Uruguayan rhythm show. Alejandro Carbajal is the son of ‘El Sabalero’ one of the most renowned Uruguayan singer and composer of Uruguayan popular music. The group integrated Beatriz Aguiar, Luis Gradin, José Piriz and Enrique Firpi. The Group performed a series of Candombes and songs from El Sabalero, Jaime Roos and ‘Los Olimareños’. Alejandro played the guitar and sang with Beatriz Aguiar.

Candombe (can-dome-bey) is an African derived rhythm. The rhythm travelled to Uruguay from Africa with enslaved Africans and is still going strong in the streets, dance halls and carnivals of this small enchanting country. Candombe is part of popular music with many of Uruguay’s most famous artists such as Jaime Roos and Mateo using candombe as an essential part of their music. During colonial times, the newly arrived Africans called their drums tangó, and used this term to refer to the place where they gathered to perform their candombe dances; by extension, the dances themselves were also called tangós. With the word tangó, they defined the place, the instrument, and the dance of the Africans. There in lies an intriguing musicological tale about the obscure origins of the tango, one of the best-known Latin American musical genres. Mick Jagger when in Montevideo ended up in Barrio Sur, listening to candombe.  In 2009 UNESCO declared Candombe Intangible Heritage of Humanity. An indelible Uruguayan event indeed !