Tanja and Premier Tobias Hans together with the Dutch Royal Couple – Picture by Jasper Kettner, Royal Dutch Embassy in Germany.
Security and Digital Industries – Saarbrücken and Saarlouis
On Thursday, 11 October King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were received with high honours at the State Chancery of the Saarland in Saarbrücken by Premier Tobias Hans and the latter’s spouse Tanja Hans. The meeting was followed by a luncheon at Saarbrücken Castle, which once belonged to a line of the House of Nassau.
Later in the afternoon the Dutch delegation on security and digitalisation paid a visit to the University of Saarbrücken, which is renown for its programme on digital industries, artificial intelligence, cyber security, smart industry and work 4.0.
Immediately after the university, the Dutch dignitaries headed to Saarlouis to observe a practical implementation of decentralisation of energy production. The Bürger-Energie-Genossenschaft Köllertal eG in Saarlouis is a energy cooperative organised jointly by citizens and the city. There are about 1 800 such cooperatives all in all in Germany.
In the evening a dinner was hosted at Saareck Castle in Mettlach. Highlight of the soirée was a talk given by the German philosopher David Precht and the Netherlands historian Rutger Bregman about the future relation between human and machines vis-à-vis the development of new technologies.
Friday, 12 October
The Royal Couple paid a visit to the world heritage site of Völklinger Hütte. In the latter iron smelting industrial site, which was hosting an international symposium about the development of industries and working cultures in Europe.
Final stop for the Dutch delegation was a visit to the University Clinic in Homburg with focus on the mission for eHealth and elderly care.
For the very first time, a minute repeater sounds local time anywhere in the world.
Minute repeaters and the World Time function play a pivotal role in the portfolio of Patek Philippe’s complicated timepieces. With its chiming watches, the Genevan manufacture has defined the benchmark for decades, as evidenced by their exceptional acoustic quality, the broad range of models and variations, and the interesting combinations with other complications.
Patek Philippe’s World Time watches with cloisonné enameled dials are legendary as well; they rank among the most coveted timepieces at auctions worldwide. In the Ref. 5531 World Time Minute Repeater, the engineers in Geneva merged these two complications for the first time in Patek Philippe’s history – and also in an unprecedented way: the time is always struck as indicated by the hour and minute hands for the time zone represented by the city aligned with the 12 o’clock position
The whole world’s time at a glance For over 70 years, Patek Philippe World Time (also called universal time) wristwatches have been mainstays in haute horlogerie. The Genevan manufacture instantly recognized the potential of Louis Cottier’s idea.
In the 1930s, the Genevan master watchmaker invented a remarkable system capable of displaying the time in all 24 time zones as referenced by the cities printed on the dial or engraved in the bezel. In 1999, the manufacture fundamentally improved the functionality of its World Time watches by adding a patented mechanism.
When moving from one time zone to another, this solutions allows all three time zone indications to be corrected with a single pusher. A single actuation adjusts the city disk, the 24-hour disk, and the center hour hand by one-hour steps without affecting the rate accuracy of the movement.
Now, the challenge was to join this mechanism with a minute repeater in a way that would best address the purpose of such a watch. The result is Patek Philippe’s new self-winding caliber R 27 HU movement with the World Time function and a minute repeater.
Minister Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart – Picture by Land NRW, R. Sondermann.
15 to 20 October 2018, Japan: Minister of Economy and Digitalisation of North Rhine Westphalia, Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart led a business and scientific delegation with 25 members to Tokyo, Fukushima, Kyoto and Osaka. Focus for the visits were the topics of cooperation in the research of alternative fuels, saving of energy as well as the health sector.
In the Prefecture Osaka, Minister Prof. Dr. Pinkwart came together with the Vice-Governor Jun Arai. Both dignitaries agreed to pursue joint research on water-based fuels and batteries. A MoU was signed between the Prefecture Osaka and the Ministry of Economy and Digilalisation of NRW to bring together enterprises and promote investments between NRW and Osaka.
For NRW the conurbation Osaka is of particular relevance for being the second strongest economic region in Japan. In the research of battery, hydrogen and fuel cells it is leading in Asia alongside Tokyo.
On the road trip in Japan, the NRW delegation travelled as well to the Prefecture Fukushima with a focus on health issues. Minister Pinkwart partook at the opening of the fair Medical Creation Fukushima, and subsequently paid a visit the Southern Tohoku General Hospital that collaborates with the University Clinic Essen in radiotherapies. In Fukushima he held a bilateral meeting with Vice-Governor Hata.
Radiotherapy in fighting tumours is of top quality at the Southern Tōhoku General Hospital, partner of the University Clinic Essen. Research for this end is co-financed by NRW.
German premiers 2018 – Picture by Hamburg Staatskanzlei.
Thursday and Friday, 25-26 October 2018, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg: The federal city-state of Hamburg hosted the annual conference of German premiers for the first time since 2002, when it was held under the aegis of then First Mayor Ole von Beust.
For First Mayor Dr. Peter Tschentscher it was a magnificent opportunity to present his mayorship, for he only took over the office from the incumbent Federal Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz on 28 March of this year.
Stephan Weil (Lower Saxony), Manuela Schwesig (Mecklenburg Further Pomerania) and Malu Dreyer (Rhineland-Palatinate) – Picture by Hamburg Staatskanzlei.
The gathering known as Ministerpräsidentenkonferenz (MPK) coordinates the joint issuesof all federal states disregarding political boundaries.
Hamburg wishes to use its chairmanship to work on matters concerning migrant integration, federation-states financing, infrastructures throughout Germany and prominently the urgent need to digitalise the civil services and administrations at federal and state levels.
Visit to Airbus factory – Picture by Hamburg Staatskanzlei.
This years the premiers of Hesse and Bavaria were not able to attend yet their states were represented their respective representatives to the federation, state secretaries and heads of chanceries.
Four general gatherings of all premiers are scheduled throughout the year in the chair federal state. After two of them, the premiers present their findings, agreementsand disputes directly to the federal chancellor.
For further information:
Wednesday, 10 October 2018, Berlin: On the occasion of a visit by a high-level delegation from the Arab Parliament to Germany, a working dinner was organised by the Arab ambassadors in Berlin.
The heads of mission also took the opportunity to become acquainted to their newest colleague and Kuwait’s ambassador H.E. Mr. Najeeb Al-Bader accredited since 20 September 2018.
Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry Secretary General, Mr. Abdulaziz bin Othman Al-Mikhlafi gave a short introduction on the Arab-German business and investment cooperation for the parliamentary delegation.
“Five Senses of Korea 2018” concert by the ensemble La Mer et L’Île.
By Roy Lie Atjam.
Good times roll at the Juriaanse Zaal De Doelen, hundreds of invitees made the trip to Rotterdam on Sunday 30th September for the concert “Five Senses of Korea 2018” by the ensemble (Sea and Island) or La Mer et L’Île. The concert was under the auspices of H.E. Mr. Yun-Young Lee, Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea.
For additional Naldo Peverelli’s pictures, please open the link below: https://www.flickr.com/photos/109407424@N02/albums/72157674967217638Among the many guests H.E. Mr. Fernando Bucheli Vargas, Ambassador of Ecuador, the Ambassador of Korea host of the splendid night, H.E. Mr. Yun Young Lee, H.E. Ms. Haifa Aissami Madah, Ambassador of Venezuela to the International Organizations, H.E. Mr. Amgad Ghaffar, Ambassador of Egypt, H.E. Mr. Elyes Ghariani, Ambassador of Tunisia, H.E. Mr. José Angel Bucarello, Bilateral Ambassador of Venezuela and Mr. Amer Alhassan, Principal, AAArchitects.
The Ensemble “La Mer et L’Île” on tour in Europe is composed of musicians of international renown. Since its creation in 2013, they have performed in prestigious venues, notably in Asia (Singapore, Sydney, Hong Kong) and in Europe (Prague, Frankfurt, Amsterdam) where they have been welcomed with great enthusiasm by both the public and critics.
La Mer et L’Île
Members of The Ensemble Sea and Island are:
Hye-JjungKang, soprano
Hyo-Young Kim, saenghwang
Jiyoung YI, gayageum
Yeonwoo Choi, violin
Jun-Young Park, violin
Erwan Richard, alto
Noll Park, violoncello
Quentin Kim, piano
The programme
Antonín Dvorak : Valses Op. 54, N° 1 et N° 4 /
Gong-chulSeo : Gayageum Sanjo
June-hee Lim : Dokdo, Island of Five Senses /
Charles Gounod : « O Dieu! Que de bijoux »
Dimitri Chostakovitch : Quintette Op. 57
Mr. Amer Alhassan, AAArchitects, H.E. Mr. Amgad Ghaffar, Ambassador of Egypt, the Ambassadro of Saudi Arabia, H.E. Mr. Abdulaziz Abohaimed, the Ambassador of Korea, H.E. Mr. Yun Young Lee, H.E. Mr. I Gusti Wesaka Puja, Ambassador of Indonesia, H.E. Mr. Fernando Bucheli Vargas, Ambassador of Ecuador and H.E. Mr. Elyes Ghariani, Ambassador of Tunisia.
Ms. Hye-Jjung Kang, soprano, stole the hearts of the audience. There were joyous cheers when she entered the rostrum for a second time, looking stately in a reddish color elegant outfit.
Indeed, it has been an excellent soirée, featuring South Korean- and Western music and musical instruments.
Hyo-Young Kim, playing saenghwang. Five Senses of Korea, by La Mer et L’Île.
Alexander Miesen, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, Willy Borsus, Armin Laschet, Oliver Paasch, Mark Speich – Picture by Land NRW, Stefanie Loos.
Friday, 19 October 2018, Representation of North Rhine-Westphalia to the German Federation, Berlin: The Premier of Wallonia (Belgium), Willy Borsus accompanied by the Premier of the German-speaking Community of Belgium (East Belgium), Oliver Paasch as well as the Parliament Speaker Alexander Miesen, and former speaker and incumbent President of the Committee of Regions of the EU, Karl-Heinz Lambertz were received by NRW Premier Armin Laschet and State Secretary Mark Speich. The high ranking delegation was in Berlin to celebrate the tenth year anniversary of the representation in Berlin of the Federation Wallonia-Brussels, of Wallonia and the German-speaking Community. It is currently being headed by General Delegate Alexander Homann.
The day before the representation’s tenth jubilee had been celebrated with a concert by the “Wirtschaftswonder Orchestra” at Berlin’s City Hall. Guest of honour was Berlin’s Senator for Culture and European Affairs, Dr. Klaus Lederer. Previously in the afternoon of Thursday, 18 October, Ambassador Baron Willem Van de Voorde received the delegation and other guests during an afternoon reception at the Belgian Embassy to Germany.
NRW Premier Laschet highlighted the fact that all Benelux countries are rather important for NRW as their economies are so intertwined with the Bundesland. Topics of discussion included regional mobility, the upcoming EU parliamentary elections as well as digitalisation and migration.
Belgium is like Germany a federal state comprising three regions and three communities. Official languages are Dutch, French and German.
Ca. 12,200 Belgians call North Rhine-Westphalia their home, in addition to round 6,000 cross-border workers. Approximately 1,000 Belgian enterprises are represented in NRW.
Wiesbaden/Berlin/Brüssels: Hessian Minister for European and Federal Affairs Lucia Puttrich has called for her country to prepare for unsolved issues concerning the UK’s upcoming departure from the European Union. In her opinion, the latter affects all German federal states; in fact for her “everything must be done to avoid a hard Brexit without an agreement. Yet should it come to that, we must be prepared”. Minister Puttrich has highlighted Hesse’s preparations for a hard Brexit during the two-days conference for the European affairs ministers of the German federal states held at Brussels. According to Minister Puttrich the political situation in the UK becomes unclearer by the day, all scenarios are possible, from new elections, to a hard Brexit and perhaps even a roll back on Brexit. In Hesse the regional Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen has prepared a studied concerning the feasibility for expansion of the financial place Frankfurt am Main; a prominent location for financial institutions leaving London for a EU member state.
On the picture Sri Lanka, H.E. Mr. Adam Maznavee Jaufer Sadiq, India, H.E. Mr. Venu Rajamony, Pakistan, H.E. Mr Shujjat Ali Rathore, Thailand H.E Ms Eksiri Pintaruchi, Viet Nam H.E. Ngô Thi Hòa, Drs. L.M.C (Lidewijde) Ongering, Australia H.E. Mr. Matthew Neuhaus, Indonesia, H.E. Mr I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, Malaysia, H.E. Mr Ahmad Nazri Bin Yusof, New Zealand, H.E. Ms Lyndal Walker and Japan, H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Inomata.
By Roy Lie Atjam.
The Hague 17 October 2018, The Ambassador of Vietnam in The Hague, H.E. Ngô Thi Hòa, hosted an informal Asia Ambassadors luncheon at the Hilton.
Ambassador Ngô Thi Hòa welcomed her colleagues from: Malaysia, H.E. Mr Ahmad Nazri Bin Yusof
Sri Lanka, H.E. Mr. Adam Maznavee Jaufer Sadiq
Indonesia,H.E. Mr I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja
Japan, H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Inomata
India, H.E. Mr. Venu Rajamony
New Zealand, H.E. Ms Lyndal Walker
Pakistan, H.E. Mr Shujjat Ali Rathore
Thailand H.E Ms Eksiri Pintaruchi
Australia H.E. Mr. Matthew Neuhaus
Subsequently, Ambassador Ngô Thi Hòa cordially welcomed the guest of honour.
The host Viet Nam H.E. Ngô Thi Hòa and Drs. L.M.C (Lidewijde) Ongering.Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Ms. Ongering previously held the post of Deputy National Coordinator for Security and Counter-terrorism at the Ministry of Security and Justice.
The (new)Ambassador of Australia H.E. Mr. Matthew Neuhaus was also warmly welcomed.
The informal working luncheon offered Ms. Ongering an opportunity to exchange views with the group of Ambassadors on policies and experiences of the Netherlands on climate change adaptation and water management, as well as cooperation between the Netherlands and other countries in Asia. Ms. Ongering envisages visiting the island of Bali and China in the very near future.
The Asian Ambassadors Luncheon The Hague is an activity of the Asia group which takes place regularly and aims at strengthening cooperation among Asian countries on issues of mutual interest.
ASEAN meeting, Drs. Ongering delivers her remarks.
The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Netherlands, H.E. Mr. Alireza Jahangiri, invited the media to a breakfast meeting to exchange views on the current issues related to Iran. In a frank conversation, the Ambassador advocated for Iran’s rightfulness and exhorted the international community to uphold the Rule of Law.
Welcoming representatives from the media for the breakfast meeting, Ambassador Jahangiri opened the talks with a discussion on Dutch news. Soon, however, the conversation led to the current international situation of Iran, which is facing new challenges in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran Nuclear Deal.
The Ambassador talked with the media about the historical context predating the much debated nuclear issue. H.E. Mr. Jahangiri noted that “since the Revolution in 1979, Iran has faced all types of hostilities and pressures,” such as severe political and economic sanctions, eight years of war, the assassination of 17000 citizens, coup and regime change attempts, and a war from the media.
The international pressure campaign against Iran – the Ambassador noted – also targeted Iran’s nuclear programme. The Ambassador stressed the peaceful nature of such programme, which was needed for energy supply, medical treatment, and industrial applications. While reports from the UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency failed to provide any definitive evidence of the alleged military objectives of Iran’s nuclear programme – Ambassador Jahangiri stressed – Iran still chose the path of negotiations.
In spite of the Iran’s indisputable right to a peaceful nuclear programme, the country decided to engage in 12 long years of negotiations with the West, H.E. Mr. Jahangiri noted, with the aim of reaching a win-win outcome. Such outcome was reached in 2015, when the JCPOA was signed by Iran and the so-called P5+1 (the 5 Permanent Members of the UN Security Council plus Germany), and then endorsed by UNSC Reslution 2231. Under the deal, Iran agreed on certain restrictions to its nuclear programme, in exchange for relief from international sanctions.
While the IAEA has certified for 12 times the Islamic Republic’s compliance with the JCPOA, in May 2018 President Donald J. Trump announced the unilateral withdrawal of the U.S. from the deal, thus setting the scene for the snap-back of a series of harsh economic sanctions on Iran. Such sanctions already caused major damages to Iran, such as the suspension of KLM and Air France direct flights to Tehran, as well as the halt of Iran’s imports and exports of certain goods.
Ambassador Jahangiri stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran, although being able to reciprocate and re-start its pre-deal nuclear activities, decided to abide by its obligations and responsibilities under the JCPOA.
Through a responsible approach based on the Rule of Law – the Ambassador explained – Iran filed a lawsuit in the International Court of Justice, claiming violations on the side of the U.S. to the 1955 “Treaty of amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights” between the U.S. and Iran. After holding hearings, the Court issued provisional measures ordering the U.S. to free the exports of medical goods, food stuffs, and civil aviation spare parts to Iran.
Such decision – H.E. Mr. Jahangiri stressed – was adopted unanimously by the ICJ judges, including the United State’s judge.
Iran press conference.
However – he regretted – the U.S. decided to adopt a “bullying reaction” it withdrew from the Treaty of Amity, as it had previously done from UNESCO, the UN Human Rights Council, the Paris Agreement, NAFTA, the TPP, as well as the JCPOA. Such withdrawal is itself a breach of paragraph 3 of the Court’s order, in which the parties are asked to refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute.
Referring to the Court’s order, which is legally binding upon all countries, Ambassador Jahangiri called on the international community to abandon all restrictions in relation to the cases covered by the order, and to refuse to cooperate with the U.S. in its “unlawful impose of unilateral sanctions.” In particular, the Ambassador called on the EU to “take practical measures to preserve the track of diplomacy, multilateralism and the rule of law.”
On November 4th, a new round of U.S. sanctions on Iran is set to take effect. In the meanwhile, the whole world closely follows the current situation of Iran.
