Biking as a new Dutch, Ambassador Walker is going out from her Embassy in The Hague. Photography by Vincent Delaere, New Zealand Embassy.By H.E. Lyndal Walker, Ambassador of New Zealand to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland.
Kia Ora, how exciting to be living in The Hague. Feeling like I had won the lottery I arrived from a New Zealand winter just in time for the tail end of the European summer!
In addition to being responsible for New Zealand’s relations with the Netherlands, I am also accredited to Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland, as well as the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court.
My previous overseas assignments have included Rome, Niue, Singapore, Bangkok and Washington DC. Prior to coming to The Hague, I was Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Consular Division providing consular services, advice and support to New Zealanders travelling and living overseas, plus leading the Ministry’s response to major international incidents affecting New Zealand citizens. There was never a dull moment!
Here in The Hague we are a small but very active Embassy – there are nine of us and there is plenty to keep a us busy as we seek to make the most of what the Netherlands and our accreditations have to offer New Zealand, and we can offer in return. This includes the intersection of various strategic interests and priorities with our own.
The Netherlands is a close partner of New Zealand, with a relationship based on shared values and interests. It is also one of our oldest relationships, with its origins dating back to the sighting of New Zealand by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman nearly 375 years ago. We have a long history of partnership and cooperation on global issues such as peace, security, and protection of the environment. In 2016 our relationship was further strengthened by the successful state visit of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima accompanied by a business delegation.
There are also important cultural and extensive people-to-people links between our two countries. More than 150,000 New Zealanders claim Dutch heritage, and there is a sizeable “Kiwi” expatriate community in the Netherlands. We met a lot of them recently when they visited the Embassy to cast their vote in the recent New Zealand General Election.
The Netherlands is an important source of tourists for New Zealand. These connections were enhanced with “Te Hono ki Aotearoa” – a waka taua on permanent loan to the Volkenkunde Museum in Leiden. The only “living” waka in Europe, it has its own Dutch crew trained in Māori protocol and its own haka.
Keep in touch with us via Facebook – www.facebook.com/NZthehague and if you are planning on visiting New Zealand check out www.newzealand.com
We would love to see you on our side of the world!
IOM Director General William Lacy Swing, by Henry Harvidson. UN Migration Director General Calls for Continuity, Full Participation in EU Relocation Programme
Brussels 26 September 2017 – On its final registration day (26/09), IOM, the UN Migration Agency counts nearly 30,000 asylum seekers that the organization has assisted through the European Union’s emergency relocation scheme.
Set up two years ago to relocate over 106,000 asylum seekers from the two frontline EU Member States – Greece and Italy – EU member and associated states will have until the end of December 2017 to carry out the remaining registered relocations.
Reflecting on the achievements and shortcomings of the programme, UN Migration Agency Director General William Lacy Swing praised the scheme and its potential to relieve pressure on frontline states, to help thousands of stranded asylum seekers, and to demonstrate the fundamental values that define the EU. He urged the EU and its Member States to continue the relocation programme in uninterrupted, improved form.
Given the current departure numbers, and provided that states keep up their pledges and commitment to the scheme, IOM is ready to relocate another 5,000–7,500 people up to the end of December 2017. It will continue to implement pre-departure health assessment, orientation and travel assistance.
To date, Germany (8,479), France (4,474), The Netherlands (2,442), Sweden (2,276) and Finland (1,975) have welcomed the highest number of relocated asylum seekers. Malta along with Norway and Lichtenstein (the two non-EU countries which opted in to the programme) have fulfilled their commitments. Finland and Ireland are close to reaching their commitments. Hungary and Poland have not participated despite their legal obligation, while Austria and the Czech Republic have received less than 1 per cent of their quota.
“I am concerned that only 14 member states and associated countries have welcomed unaccompanied children. They are particularly vulnerable and should have been prioritized throughout the programme,” said Director General Swing. Finland (109) and the Netherlands (90) are leading the way in accepting the most unaccompanied children.
The top three relocated nationalities are Syrians, Eritreans and Iraqis. One third of relocated asylum seekers are children and over half (62 per cent) are male.
“The EU must now move beyond this emergency measure towards a sustainable, mandatory future relocation system that unites EU Member States in solidarity and shows that the EU acts effectively together. The impressive acceleration of the scheme this year shows that the mechanism works, that we can rely on this, but improvements and adjustments are needed in the coming months and years and we cannot afford a gap,” said Director General Swing.
“I am concerned that any gap between the current relocation programme and the fairness mechanism foreseen under Dublin IV would undermine beneficiaries’ trust in the programme and add further stress in Italy and Greece as migrant arrivals continue. IOM believes that the common rules agreed on in the current scheme should be maintained to avoid disruption and fragmentation. After two years, substantial capacity, know-how and structures that were put in place have contributed to the current improved efficiency and coordination of the process among many stakeholders,” continued Director General Swing.
Remarking on several practical and policy lessons that can be drawn and applied towards improving the system, Director General Swing stated, “First and foremost, the lack of full solidarity and responsibility sharing among EU states weakened the credibility and trust that beneficiaries and the public have had in the relocation system. Full participation would strengthen the scheme for everyone involved.”
Secondly, he continued, “more flexible eligibility criteria would have allowed other vulnerable categories to be included. Foremost are vulnerable Afghan asylum seekers, most of whom are children, unaccompanied children and families with children; many have been exploited during their journey.”
Thirdly, Director General Swing noted that improved matching of beneficiaries with member states of relocation much earlier in the procedure would have reduced secondary movements, which weaken the scheme. Family networks should have been better maintained, especially for separated children who found themselves relocated to member states without family.
“Finally, centralized systems would have enabled faster implementation, while more attention and resources for the crucial pre-departure orientation component would have helped to better manage expectations, improve early integration potential and thereby reduce secondary movements,” he said.
Director General Swing concluded, “I am convinced that the number of arrivals we have been seeing over the past few years is manageable for a unified Europe acting in solidarity with front-line states. Swifter implementation of the EU relocation scheme and the realization of a balanced Common European Asylum System are key.”
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For updated statistics on EU relocations, please see: http://migration.iom.int/europehttp://www.iom.int/news/un-migration-director-general-calls-continuity-full-participation-eu-relocation-programme
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H.E. Mr. Magzhan Ilyassov, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
On 10 September 2017 Kazakhstan and the Netherlands mark a significant event – the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
In a quarter of a century, Kazakh-Dutch relations have reached a high level of development, and Astana and The Hague maintain intensive and trustful political dialogue while actively expanding trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian ties.
The official visit of the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, to The Hague within the framework of his participation in the Nuclear Security Summit in March 2014, and the official visit of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, to Astana in December 2015 provided significant impetus to comprehensive dialogue.
Parliamentary diplomacy has made its own contribution to the strengthening of bilateral cooperation. The President of the Dutch Senate, Rene van der Linden, and the Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, Kabibulla Dzhakupov, exchanged country visits in September 2012 and May 2015, respectively.
During their tenure in 2018 as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, Kazakhstan and the Netherlands intend to work closely on issues of strengthening peace and stability as well as to provide mutual support in the promotion of the two countries’ international initiatives.
Trade and economic cooperation lies at the core of bilateral relations. The Netherlands is the “number one” investor in terms of direct investments in Kazakhstan’s economy and the second largest European Union partner in terms of foreign trade turnover with Kazakhstan.
More than 900 companies with Dutch capital are represented in Kazakhstan’s economy, most of them actively engaged in oil and gas, geological exploration, aerospace, supply of agricultural machinery and equipment, pharmaceuticals and medicine, and the production of consumer goods.
The parties show considerable interest in developing cooperation in the “green technologies” field, as clearly demonstrated by the participation of the Netherlands in EXPO 2017 in Astana.
Kazakhstan and the Netherlands intend to continue close trade, economic, and investment cooperation as the foundations for mutually beneficial strategic partnership.
By Jhr Alexander W. Beelaerts van Blokland LL.M.
Like so many cities all over the world, The Hague has a Red Cross organisation: the Red Cross branch The Hague (see www.rodekruis.nl/denhaag for those who can read Dutch).
This almost a 150 years old independent ‘Rode Kruis afdeling Den Haag’ (the Red Cross branch The Hague) is very active for the local community but – as part of the world wide Red Cross- of course also for the many emergency needs in the world, such as recently the victims of the hurricane in the Dutch Caribbean (the island of St. Maarten in particular).
With over three hundred volunteers the Red Cross The Hague gives first aid and emergency relief and stimulates people to learn how to help themselves and others in case of emergency. They are present at many events, also international ones for expats, to give first aid if needed.
On October 25th the Mayor of The Hague Mrs. Pauline Krikke will open a new office of the Red Cross The Hague at Zilverstraat number 2, with an academy for First Aid in case of Accidents (in Dutch: EHBO, Eerste Hulp bij Ongelukken), where companies as well as individuals can follow lessons and workshops how to act in moments of emergency.
On November 11th the annual benefit gala dinner ‘Gala aan Zee’(‘Gala at the Sea’) will be organised for the 30th time in the Kurhaus Hotel next to the beach, close to the Red Cross First Aid Station on the beach itself, which is open during summer.
It will be a spectacular dinner again, with lots of events such as a lottery , an auction and performances of very well known (Dutch) artists such as the musical star Mariska van Kolck and the singer songwriter Waylon. The proceeds from all of that will enable the Red Cross The Hague to continue and enlarge its meaningful activities. For those who can read Dutch please see www.haagserodekruisgala.nl.
The Red Cross The Hague works for everyone in The Hague: for Dutch inhabitants as well as for the readers of Diplomat Magazine: the more than 40.000 expats working here for embassies, international courts and tribunals, IGO’s, NGO’s and companies.
It deserves a warm support from all citizens of The Hague.
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About the author: Jhr. Alexander W. Beelaerts van Blokland LL.M. is Justice (Judge) in the (Dutch) Court of Appeal and honorary Special Advisor International Affairs, appointed in 2004 by the Mayor and Aldermen of The Hague. a.beelaerts@planet.nl
By Andree Cardona.
This week for Central America it’s very special, crucial to remember all those efforts to be an only region. Central America had in the decade of 1960 the Organisation of Central American States, this was the first integration of nations effort in the world, in that moment Europe was not United than now with the European Union.
October is the month of the Central American Integration Commemoration and it’s important to me say to all International Community we are an important region to work for the peace, the development, the universal education, we can be allied of South, North America and the Caribbean countries.
Secretariat Integration Central American System.
In 1991 was created the General Secretariat of the Central American Integration System, was signed the treaty of foundation in Tegucigalpa (Honduras) this was the initial work for all countries to have the peace after the wars Central America had in the decade of 1980. I write specially in this space to recognize the Central American Integration for the world, recently i was in a meeting and there in the assistants were Dutch diplomats, for me was a very big surprise because that is a great message, that means Europe and other countries are permanently looking us.
In the context of the General Assembly of United Nations celebrated in September of this year, the region had a great participation, they met with President Trump, Prime Minister Trudeau, European and Holy See delegations Missions.
Central America said in the Assembly is working for the Social Development Goals, this was an important space to share the opportunity of investment in the region.
In the present the necessity of the Integration as the same of Europe, it’s a region strategic for the International Trade and always procure the economic development, the integration is a development way, it’s maybe the only way to have a better quality of life to all citizens living in the different Central American countries.
In the commemoration of the day of the Integration of Central America i share my happiness but also i request to all, to look this region in a different way, to look like an opportunity to work, to have peace, to have development, to have commitment in the global issues and their solutions, look Central America like a Tourism business window, Pacific and Atlantic Ocean are the beaches they offer.
Central America it’s a region to have development and peace.
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About the author: Mr Andree Cardona is an international Relations opinion columnist in Central America.
Since October 1st, 2017, H.E. Mr. Augustín Vásquez Gómez is the top representative of El Salvador in the Netherlands, covering a double role as Ambassador and as Permanent Representative to the international organizations in The Hague. A career diplomat with over 15 years of experience at the Salvadoran Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Vásquez Gómez also has experience with his country’s Navy.
Ambassador Vásquez Gómez holds an impressive, diverse academic background. He has studied Law extensively, both at the Universidad Centroamericana de El Salvador and at George Washington University. In addition, he has pursued studies in the military domain, attending the Military Academy Capitán General Gerardo Barrios in El Salvador, as well as other academies in Chile and the United States.
Mr. Vásquez Gómez’s career in the Salvadorean public sector started in 1995, when he joined El Salvador’s Navy, serving first as Ship Commander and then as Head of the Logistics Department of his country’s fleet. In 1999, he briefly joined the El Salvador’s Joint Chiefs of Staff as Head of Division for Territories and Borders, just before moving to the Salvadorean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2001.
Initially, Mr. Vásquez Gómez’s work at the Foreign Ministry focused on El Salvador’s relations with its neighbors. This led him to work intensively on the Gulf of Fonseca, which El Salvador shares with Honduras and Nicaragua, and it also brought him to The Hague (2001-2003), where he represented his country vis-à-vis the International Court of Justice in a border spat between El Salvador and Honduras.
In June 2004, Mr. Vásquez Gómez was promoted to the role of Director General in charge of border issues at the Salvadorean Foreign Ministry, a post that he retained until 2007. During these three year, he continued his work on El Salvador’s border disputes with Honduras, as well as with Guatemala.
In April 2007, Mr. Vásquez Gómez was then asked to serve in the Salvadorean Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States (OAS), starting with the charge of Minister Counsellor. At the OAE, he presided several working groups on a range of different issues, from citizens’ security to development, also taking responsibility for the preparation of OAS’ ministerial meetings.
After seven years at the OAS, Mr. Vásquez Gómez was then transferred to the Netherlands – initially as Chargé d’Affaires (2014-2015), then as Minister Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission (2015-2017), and eventually as Ambassador. As part of his work in The Hague, Ambassador Vásquez Gómez has been deeply involved in the activities of the international organizations headquartered in the city – and especially the International Criminal Court and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, where he has been regularly taking up roles of responsibility.
Ambassador Vásquez Gómez is married and has three children.
H.E. Mr Magzhan Ilyassov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, and his wife, Akmaral Aidarbekova.
On Thursday, September 28, H.E. Mr Magzhan Ilyassov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan, and his wife, Akmaral Aidarbekova, hosted a memorable celebration to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the Netherlands.
For additional Kim Vermaat’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157686512869741H.E. Mr Dimitris Iliopoulos, EU Ambassador, H.E. Mr Dilyor Khakimov Ambassador of Uzbekistan coming from Brussels, H.E. Mr. Yun Young Lee, Ambassador of South Korea, and H.E. Mr Elpidoforos Economou, Ambassador of Cyprus.
In a welcome display of generous hospitality to mark the significant event to both countries and to celebrate 25 years of the diplomatic service of Kazakhstan, Ambassador Ilyassov graciously opened the doors of his country’s new embassy building on the Badhuisweg to more than two hundred specially invited guests.
Nearly all of the ambassadors from the diplomatic missions in the Netherlands stopped by share the important occasion with Ambassador Ilyassov and to extend their best wishes to the Kazakh people.
H.E. Mr Andrea Perugini, Ambassador of Italy and H.E. Mr Elpidoforos Economou, Ambassador of Cyprus.
The reception was a resounding success from the moment guests stepped from their chauffeur driven cars to be greeted by Kazakh embassy staff. Wine and caviar were offered to all upon arrival.
Other guests included representatives from the Dutch government and business sectors notably, many senior corporate guests from the Dutch oil and gas industries were among the invitees.
Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Ms. Dziunik Aghajanian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, Mrs Delkhaz Barzani and H.E. Mr. Saywan Barzani, Ambassador of Iraq.
Inside the embassy, the ambassador, his wife and other staff members took the opportunity to converse with their many guests both inside the embassy’s reception halls and outdoors in the covered open air reception area.
Ambassador Ilyassov during his speech.
The embassy’s enormous back parking lot, transformed into a reception hall for the event, was filled with high tables decorated with balloons, flowers and candles enabling guests to comfortably sample distilled spirits from the beverage station or to enjoy a selection of Kazakh “sun in a glass” wines.
Two buffet food stations offering authentic regional food dishes such as Plov, Shashlik, Manti and Pelmeni were also especially popular with guests.
Smiling guests mingled together in the ground floor reception halls in the embassy’s magnificent new location, while conversing and enjoying the ambience of the embassy housewarming. Kazakh brandy and other beverages, were generously poured throughout the evening.
Despite the fact that a number of other diplomatic receptions were taking place on the same evening, the fact that many guests lingered until the reception was brought to a close was clear evidence of the warm response to the generous display of hospitality extended by the ambassador to his many guests.
Undoubtedly, most, if not all, will long remember the evening’s festivities.
Mrs Aidarbekova with a guest.
Since the fin de siècle, when the Badhuisweg, long one of the most desirable boulevards in the city, was laid out to mark the approach to the Scheveningen’s iconic dome topped Kurhaus Hotel; countless grand celebrations have been held in the many stately properties along the boulevard.
The Kazakh housewarming reception in the new embassy was equally grand. Music was provided by a live band.
It will be warmly remembered by all who attended and the ambassador clearly appeared to be pleased with the extraordinarily high level of response to his invitation.
The President of Russia Vladimir Putin, expressed his remarks on the destruction of Russia’s last remaining chemical weapons, in a televised speech yesterday September 27.
Russia completed three years in ahead of schedule the destruction of the remaining chemical weapons in its arsenal, originally planed on 2020.
“Without exaggeration, we can say that this is a historic event considering the massive amount of chemical weapons inherited from the Soviet Union – an amount that, experts believe, would be enough to destroy every living creature on the planet several times. This is a huge step towards greater balance and security in the modern world.”
“Today’s event means our country will fulfill the main international obligation under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which is to completely eliminate its chemical weapons” he said.
President Putin continue “Russia was one of the first to sign this treaty and has worked closely with its partners to relieve humankind of the threat of the use and proliferation of such barbaric, lethal weapons.”
“I would like to thank all those who took part in implementing this programme, who displayed the utmost professionalism, responsibility and, at times, courage. I congratulate you on successfully eliminating the last of Russia’s chemical weapons.”
Mr Hamid Ali Rao, Deputy Director-General of the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was also present during the allocution.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov‘s addressed to participants in a separated ceremony on completing the destruction of chemical weapons in Russia.
“Russia has fulfilled its commitments on eliminating its stockpiles
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s also talked to participants in a ceremony on completing the destruction of chemical weapons in Russia.
of these deadly arms (about 40,000 tonnes) three years ahead of schedule.” Said Minister Lavrov during his remarks. “The implementation of such a large scale project with the participation of over 15 foreign states and under comprehensive international control is a graphic example of productive multilateral cooperation.
Despite the existing difficulties, on of the word’s biggest arsenals of chemical arms has been eliminates.
Special credit for this achievement goes to all those who have consistently and selflessly contributed to this work over two decades, thereby promoting security, trust and mutual understanding in international affairs. ”
This event symbolically coincides with the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, OPCW.
Singapore Airlines General Manager based in Frankfurt, Germany Mr Chen Sy Yen (centre), with Gan Thiam Soon of Airbus Helicopters and a colleague.
Berlin, 19 September 2017: More than 250 guests attended the inaugural edition of “Building Bridges”, a start-up reception held at the chancery of the Singaporean Embassy in Berlin city centre.
German Accelerator partnered up with Visit Singapore, Singapore Airlines and the Embassy in Berlin to bring about the project.
A highlight of the event was a Pitching Competition wherein one worthy winner won a ticket with Singapore Airlines’ premium economy to Singapore.
Networking engaged start-up businesses from across Germany who otherwise would not have come together. As the event was an utter success, the stakeholders plan to hold a second round in 2018.
Particularly the objective was to bring together start-ups from all over Germany focusing on the South-east Asian markets, or ASEAN, not only Singapore. More and more German entrepreneurs set up bases in Bangkok, Singapore or another city with a thriving startup ecosystem. Albeit their numbers is still relatively small, many of these pioneers have found business success in one of Asia’s growing markets, building bridges between Europe and Asia in the process.
Group picture with the participants & judges of the Pitching Competition.For further information:
German Accelerator: http://germanaccelerator.com/tech/
Christian Geissendoerfer, CEO of German Accelerator for Southeast Asia in interview with Deutsche Welle:
http://www.dw.com/en/expanding-to-asia-holds-big-promise-for-german-founders/a-40637548?maca=en-Facebook-sharing
Visit Singapore: http://www.visitsingapore.com/en.html
Embassy of Singapore to Germany (HE Ambassador Laurence Bay): https://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/overseasmission/berlin.html
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Pictures by Embassy of Singapore to Germany
Exhibition ‘Nineveh’ in the Dutch National Museum of AntiquitiesThe ancient Assyrian capital in the limelight
Nineveh, once the capital of the powerful Assyrian Empire and the largest city in the world, is being brought back to life in The Netherlands this winter.
The Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) is assembling 250 of Nineveh’s finest pieces from international museums for this event – the first such endeavour since the discovery of the ruins of the ancient city in present-day northern Iraq over 180 years ago. The exhibition spans over 9,000 years of history, from the first habitation of the site of Nineveh and the fall of the Assyrian Empire to the adventurous archaeological excavations in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The Biblical Nineveh will also receive attention. The story ends with the recent destruction of the ruins and a discussion on the importance of world heritage.
‘Nineveh – Heart of an Empire’ will be on view from 20 October 2017 to 25 March 2018.
Nineveh, the residence of the Assyrian kings, was renowned in antiquity for its awe-inspiring palaces, splendid temples, city walls stretching for many kilometres, and lush gardens. The exhibition ‘Nineveh’ introduces visitors to this city and its history, to its inhabitants and the many gods they worshipped. It also recalls the Biblical prophet Jonah in Nineveh and the city’s fate after the destruction of 612.
The items on view include dozens of reliefs from the palaces, impressive statues of winged bulls, a gold death mask, clay tablets from the oldest library in the world, rare ivory marquetry, weapons, and jewellery. Original films, photographs and prints of excavations dating from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries illustrate the stories of the archaeologists who worked in Nineveh – including tales of greed, mayhem, and espionage.
Finally, the exhibition dwells on the predicament of heritage in times of crisis and on ways of preserving the past for the future. In this context, computer animations of the ancient city will be on view in Leiden. In addition, an international research team (including members from Delft University of Technology) have reconstructed some decorated walls of a palace interior from Nineveh in 3D and in colour. The originals, in Iraq, were destroyed during the war in 2016.
While this exhibition is on view, all visitors (aged 18 and older) will be charged a supplement of €2.50. Optional audio guides are available (also in English), as well as guided tours, lectures, courses, a Minecraft workshop on the preservation of cultural heritage, an academic symposium, activities for children in the school holidays, and an evening of debate. The exhibition is also accompanied by a general publication (€19.95, in Dutch), an academic publication (€49.95, English), and a special issue of the RMO Magazine (published by the Society of Friends of the National Museum of Antiquities, €3.50, Dutch).
Rich Past
Long before Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire, a powerful empire arose in the Near East: the Assyrian Empire, which extended from the Mediterranean to the hinterland of present-day Iran and from Turkey to Egypt. Around 700 BC, Nineveh, which lay on the banks of the River Tigris in present-day Iraq, was its capital.
It was the largest and most important city in the world, with a population of over 100,000. Legendary kings such as Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal built monumental palaces and temples there, laid out lush gardens with waterfalls and created huge libraries decorated with magnificent reliefs. In 612 BC, Nineveh was destroyed by the enemies of the Assyrian Empire, including the Babylonians.
On the opposite side of the River Tigris arose the city of Mosul, which – 1,000 years later – would acquire the central position in this region. Nineveh fell into oblivion, but the stories about the ancient city never ceased to inspire artists, writers, and historians. In 1842 the first archaeologists started researching the ruins, and a succession of Western adventurers descended on the site. For decades, archaeological teams from different countries worked here. Their finds became dispersed among numerous museums around the world, including the British Museum, the Musée du Louvre, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibition in Leiden brings numerous works from Nineveh together for the first time in the modern era.
International partnership
The exhibition ‘Nineveh – Heart of an Empire’ enjoys the patronage of UNESCO and is an international collaboration involving loans from numerous museums, libraries and other institutions: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the British Museum, London; Musée du Louvre, Paris; the Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin; the Vatican Museums, Vatican City; the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad; the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, Berlin; the Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels; the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Florence; the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; Museo Barracco, Rome; Museo Archeologico, Turin; Museo Archeologico, Venice, the Israel Museum, Jerusalem; the Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam; the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; the University Library of the Free University, Amsterdam; the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague; Museum Boerhaave, Leiden; the Netherlands Institute for the Near East, Leiden; the University Libraries, Leiden; the National Military Museum, Soest; and the Wereldmuseum, Rotterdam.
Partners
The exhibition was produced in partnership with Delft University of Technology; Tokyo University of Arts; the University of Leiden; the Università di Udine; the Università di Torino and Centro Ricerche Archeologiche e Scavi di Torino (CRAST); the University of Northampton; the Embassy of the Netherlands in Iraq; the Netherlands UNESCO Commission; the Prince Claus Fund; the Embassy of Iraq in the Netherlands; the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities of Iraq; The Economist; Sketchfab; QdepQ; the Italian Restoration Centre in Rome; Océ-Technologies B.V.; ARTE, Strasbourg; OAID, Oxford; Landscape, Leiden.
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The exhibition Nineveh – Heart of an Empire was made possible by the sponsorship of the Blockbuster Fund, the Mondrian Fund, the Turing Foundation, the 1818 Fund, Prince Bernhard Cultural Fund, the Prince Claus Fund, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and the Society of Corporate Friends of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden. National Geographic is a media partner. The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden enjoys the support of the BankGiro Loterij.
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For more information: www.rmo.nl
The Netherlands is a close partner of New Zealand, with a relationship based on shared values and interests. It is also one of our oldest relationships, with its origins dating back to the sighting of New Zealand by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman nearly 375 years ago. We have a long history of partnership and cooperation on global issues such as peace, security, and protection of the environment. In 2016 our relationship was further strengthened by the successful state visit of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima accompanied by a business delegation.
There are also important cultural and extensive people-to-people links between our two countries. More than 150,000 New Zealanders claim Dutch heritage, and there is a sizeable “Kiwi” expatriate community in the Netherlands. We met a lot of them recently when they visited the Embassy to cast their vote in the recent New Zealand General Election.
The Netherlands is an important source of tourists for New Zealand. These connections were enhanced with “Te Hono ki Aotearoa” – a waka taua on permanent loan to the Volkenkunde Museum in Leiden. The only “living” waka in Europe, it has its own Dutch crew trained in Māori protocol and its own haka.
Keep in touch with us via Facebook – www.facebook.com/NZthehague and if you are planning on visiting New Zealand check out www.newzealand.com
We would love to see you on our side of the world! 
ked closely with its partners to relieve humankind of the threat of the use and proliferation of such barbaric, lethal weapons.”
“I would like to thank all those who took part in implementing this programme, who displayed the utmost professionalism, responsibility and, at times, courage. I congratulate you on successfully eliminating the last of Russia’s chemical weapons.”
Mr Hamid Ali Rao, Deputy Director-General of the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was also present during the allocution.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov‘s addressed to participants in a separated ceremony on completing the destruction of chemical weapons in Russia.
“Russia has fulfilled its commitments on eliminating its stockpiles
A highlight of the event was a Pitching Competition wherein one worthy winner won a ticket with Singapore Airlines’ premium economy to Singapore.
Networking engaged start-up businesses from across Germany who otherwise would not have come together. As the event was an utter success, the stakeholders plan to hold a second round in 2018.
Particularly the objective was to bring together start-ups from all over Germany focusing on the South-east Asian markets, or ASEAN, not only Singapore. More and more German entrepreneurs set up bases in Bangkok, Singapore or another city with a thriving startup ecosystem. Albeit their numbers is still relatively small, many of these pioneers have found business success in one of Asia’s growing markets, building bridges between Europe and Asia in the process.
