Mecklenburg-West Pomerania’s Premier Manuela Schwesig.
Since 4 July 2017, Social Democratic politician Manuela Schwesig has taken over the reins of the state government of the Bundesland Mecklenburg-West Pomerania (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) as successor to Premier Erwin Sellering, who withdrew due to ill health.
Until becoming premier she served as Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. She is the first female head of government in the state, and fifth since German reunification. In the latter capacity she leads a coalition with the Christian Democrats.
For further information:
Government of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania: http://www.regierung-mv.de/Landesregierung/Kabinett/
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Mecklenburg-West Pomerania’s Premier Manuela Schwesig – Picture by Ralf Roletschek – Roletschek.at /Through Wikipedia Commons free licence
Chief executive Carrie Lam presented her principal officials. Photography by Xiaomei Chen.Chief Executive Carrie Lam inaugurates Hong Kong SAR Government
The Central People’s Government, on the nomination of the Chief Executive-elect, Mrs Carrie Lam, approved the appointments of Principal Officials of the fifth term of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government. They took office on 1 July 2017.
The 16 Principal Officials appointed under the political appointment system are on non-civil service terms.
They are:
Secretaries of Departments
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Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung
Financial Secretary, Mr Paul MP Chan
Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung, SC
Directors of Bureaux
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Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau Tang-wah
Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing
Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah
Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Henry Lau Jr
Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Law Chi-kwong
Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joshua Law Chi-kong
Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee Ka-chiu
Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan
Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee
Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong Wai-lun
Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung Yun-hung
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip Tak-kuen
Also appointed today are five Principal Officials heading the disciplined services, the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Audit Commission in the fifth term of the HKSAR Government. They are the Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption, Mr Simon Peh Yun-lu; the Commissioner of Police, Mr Lo Wai-chung; the Director of Audit, Mr David Sun Tak-kei; the Director of Immigration, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai; and the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Hermes Tang Yi-hoi.
In addition, the Government announced the appointment of Mr Chan Kwok-ki as the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office.
For further information:
Source: Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201706/21/P2017062100346.htm
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels (Director Shirley Lam): https://www.hongkong-eu.org
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (Director Betty Ho): http://www.hketoberlin.gov.hk
On the picture OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü (left) and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Retno L.P. Marsudi. OPCW Director-General Calls for Ethics to Keep Pace with Technological Progress During Visit to Indonesia
The Hague, Netherlands — 28 July 2017 — The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü visited Indonesia on 27 and 28 July where he met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Retno L.P. Marsudi; Minister for Industry of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Airlangga Hartato; as well as representatives of the Indonesian National Authority, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Responsible Care Indonesia and Federation of Indonesian Chemical Industry.
The Director-General’s discussion with the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, on 27 July in Jakarta, focused on the accomplishments and challenges related to the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, including OPCW activities in facilitating international cooperation and technological development of OPCW Member States and the increasing need to address the issues posed by non-State actors acquiring chemical weapons.
At a webinar hosted by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, the Director-General recalled that the Chemical Weapons Convention – in force for 20 years now – is a “science-based treaty, and scientific knowledge and expertise have played no small part in defining our work and contributing to our success”.
He noted that although “we watch new scientific discoveries with fascination”, we have to be mindful of the potential of scientific achievements being misused to “inflict destruction upon us and our ways of life”. The Director-General warned that ethics must keep pace with technology. “Only through establishing universally recognised principles and norms can we ensure that ethical and legal norms will be widely recognised and respected,” he concluded.
Ambassador Üzümcü toured the Research Center for Chemistry in Serpong, on 28 July, and gave a lecture that further underlined the responsibility of scientists in achieving a world free of chemical weapons.
The Director-General also had a working lunch with ASEAN Permanent Representatives where he briefed them on the OPCW and opportunities for regional organisations to establish Chemical Weapons Convention capacity-building hubs.
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Photography by OPCW
On the picture H.E Ambassador I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja of Indonesia, H.E Ambassador Mr. Ahmad Nazri Yusof of Malaysia,H.E Ambassador Jamie Victor B. Ledda of the Philippines, E Ambassador Ngo Thi Hoa of Vietnam and H.E Ambassador Pornprachai Ganjanarint.By Roy Lie A Tjam
H.E. Ambassador, Ahmad Nazri Yusof of Malaysia welcomed the guests to the flag hoisting ceremony on the occasion of ASEAN’s 50th anniversary, he did so on behalf of the following honourable colleagues:
H.E Ambassador Jamie Victor B. Ledda of the Philippines,
H.E Ambassador I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja of Indonesia,
H.E Ambassador Ngo Thi Hoa of Vietnam,
H.E Ambassador Pornprachai Ganjanarint of Thailand,
H.E Ambassador Mr. Ahmad Nazri Yusof of Malaysia
the ASEAN Committee and family of The Hague.
H.E. Ahmad Nazri Yusof, Ambassador of Malaysia during his speech.
The flag hoisting ceremony of 2017 took place on the premises of the Embassy of Malaysia in The Hague as Mrs. Zuraini Abdul Ghani hosted as the Master of Ceremony. The Embassy of Malaysia is the current chair of the committee “ASEAN Committee The Hague” (ACTH). The program included speeches, songs, and dances in which some of the Ambassadors demonstrated their skills of performing arts. The unveiling of the ASEAN Ladies Circle logo was also an integral part of the program. Similar celebrations took place in the capitals of ASEAN Member States besides The Hague.
Ambassador Ahmad Nazri Yusof, commenced the ceremony by expressing his remarks through extending a warm and cordial welcome to the special guest, Madam Pauline Krikke, Mayor of The Hague.
In his welcome address, Ambassador Yusof assured Madam Krikke that her presence was a tremendous honor to each and every distinguished guest here today which reflected the cordial, important relationship established between the countries of ASEAN and the Netherlands. Ambassador Yusof extended his warm welcome to Mr. Peter Portman, Director for the Department of Asia and Oceania.
For additional pictures courtesy of the Malaysian Embassy, please open the link below: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157684956149600The Ambassador of the Philippines, H.E. Jaime Victor Ledda, Mr. Peter Portman, Director for the Department of Asia and Oceania, and the Honourable Pauline Krikke, Mayor of The Hague.ASEAN History, mission and visionThis year’s ASEAN Day celebration is significant and historic for ASEAN as it marked 50 years of ASEAN existence. 50 years ago, 8 Aug 1967 to be percise, five founding fathers of ASEAN signed the Bangkok Declaration and ASEAN was born.The five ASEAN founding fathers are: former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdul Razak, former Foreign Ministers Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narciso Ramos of the Philippines, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand. Consequently, membership expanded beyond the initial member states (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) to nations such as Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.ASEAN was established during a tumultuous period with primary aims to maintain peace and security, and promoting social economic development in the region amidst the Cold War and post-colonial period. At this point in time, the region was facing a myriad of uncertainties, compounded by internal and regional conflicts.ASEAN has now become a family of ten nations of varied identities, cultures and religious background, yet embracing the same ideals of shared cooperation for peace and mutual prosperity as one harmonious committee.Economically, ASEAN has demonstrated impressive growth and remarkable progress. ASEAN achieved an average of 6% annual growth over the last decade, compared to the global average of 4% and is projected to become the world’s fourth-largest single market by 2030. Collectively, ASEAN economy is third largest in Asia with a combined GDP exceeding USD 2.5 trillion. ASEAN bilateral trade with the EU had reached USD 200 billion mark, and with the Netherlands alone exceeding EUR 31 billion in 2016, an increase of 5.78% from 2015, making ASEAN the Dutch’s second largest trading partner.The most recent milestone is the successful establishment of the “ASEAN Community” in 2015- the initial establishment for ASEAN to thrive as a single community. The ASEAN Community aspires to unite and fully leverage on the resources and expertise available within. ASEAN’s foundation relies on political stability, equitable economic development and social responsibilities, a prelude to wider and deeper regional integration that will provide ASEAN a stronger position to compete, not just regionally but also globally.This successful establishment is envisaged to bring about meaningful and positive change to the livelihood and wellbeing of its 633 million peoples.Looking AheadAt its heart lies its commitment to their people. The ASEAN Community Vision 2025, aspires to becoming more ‘people-oriented’ basing all decisions of the desires of the greater public. They are the backbone that push ASEAN integration to move forward and developed ASEAN into what it is today. This is crucial to ensure that Southeast Asia remains not only economically vibrant and competitive and politically stable, but also a better and enriched quality of life for its peoples.As we progress, ASEAN will continue to deepen cooperation with its Dialogue Partners, including the EU and strengthen engagement with other external parties to reach out to new potential for mutually beneficial relations.However, ASEAN is today not without threats and challenges. The issue of terrorism, transnational crimes, poverty and migration remains significant and very crucial in combatting. As such, unity and centrality is even more vital now than ever for ASEAN. The 633 million peoples of the ten nations must collectively believe in the strength of a united ASEAN.In conjunction with the ASEAN Day Celebration of 2017 and in the spirit of unity and cooperation, let us holds hands together to celebrate 50 years of ASEAN success and appreciate our diversity of traditions so that we can contribute to create a world of greater understanding and tolerance.I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone ‘happy ASEAN Day’ and my sincere thanks to our special guest today, Madam Pauline Krikke, Mayor of The Hague and Mr Peter Portman from Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their presence and sharing in the celebration.Datin Linda Zin, spouse of the Ambassador of Malaysia, President of the ASEAN Ladies Circle The Hague.Unveiling of the ASEAN Ladies Circle logo
The President of the ASEAN Ladies Circle The Hague, Madam Datin Linda Zin, side-by-side her colleagues, Madam Rusdijana Puja and Madam Gina Ledda, proudly presented the ALC logo to the public. She expressed: The draft of the logo was submitted by Ms. Edelwina, of the Philippines Embassy and later on, my husband’s first born, Ms. Ikka Syahirah, who is now a young Architect in Kuala Lumpur took up the challenge to create the logo into a reality. It depicts the full name of the association encircling the logo. ASEAN’s stalks of padi on its right and left, represent the dream of ASEAN founding fathers, the symbol of friendship and solidarity. The 5 tulips colored in the association’s colors; red, blue and yellow, represent the 5 ASEAN Countries which are currently based in The Hague. Finally, the tulips represent The Netherlands and its association women’s’ affection for flowers.For additional pictures courtesy of the Malaysian Embassy, please open the link below: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157684956149600
Simon Stone made a radical adaptation of Euripides’s Greek tragedy about revenge. He turned it into a contemporary play, inspired by the true story of an American doctor who set fire to her own house after a difficult divorce in 1995, killing two of her children. Marieke Heebink won the Theo d’Or for her portrayal of the main character. The play was selected for the National Dutch Theatre Festival in 2015. Medea will be performed in Amsterdam for the fourth consecutive season, surtitled in English from 25 till 31 Augustand on 7 September.
Perhaps there is no woman from Ancient Greece who speaks more to the imagination than Medea. In Stone’s version of the tragedy Medea is called Anna, a successful doctor who is trying to get on with her life after a forced confinement. She is willing to forgive the affair of her husband with a younger woman and to make a new start with him and the children. Soon it turns out that their plans for the future do not correspond. Anna is in danger of losing everything: her husband, her children, her career. She is cornered and sees only one way out.
‘If you want to see something that is as old as the 2,000 years ago when it was written and at the same time as modern as the moment you live in, if you want to connect the history of time and of human existence, then come to the theatre.’ – Simon Stone
English surtitles at the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam
Toneelgroep Amsterdam provides English surtitles (projected English translation) for all performances in August and year round on Thursday evenings at the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam. In order to reach Amsterdam’s expat community, foreign visitors and other theatre loving English speakers, TA has opted to make it available for them to view the performances by celebrated Dutch actors with the aid of projected translation. This way, English speakers can experience the multi-layered approach to Dutch theatre in all its facets, while encountering no difficulties as to understanding the Dutch texts.
The Ambassador of Russia to the Netherlands, H.E. Alexander Shulgin during his speech. The Inauguration in Maastricht of a Memorial Plaque Dedicated to the Tricentennial of the Second Visit of Peter the Great to the Netherlands
27 July 2017. An inauguration ceremony of a stone memorial plaque dedicated to the tricentennial of the second visit of the second visit of Tsar Peter I to the Netherlands took place in Maastricht.
The ceremony was organised by the efforts of the Honourary Consul of the Russian Federation in the provinces of Northern Brabant and Limburg Mr Constantijn van Vloten. The plaque was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Russia to the Netherlands, H.E. Alexander Shulgin, the King’s Commissioner/Governor of the Province of Limburg, Mr Theo Bovens and the Mayor of Maastricht, Ms Annemarie Penn-te Strake.
In his speech Ambassador A.Shulgin noted that the second visit of Peter the Great to the Netherlands could be considered as the first full-fledged visit of a Russian sovereign.
The Ambassador thanked the sculptor, Alexander Taratynov, and his wife, a professional artist Ekaterina Taratynova for the plaque and “paid the tribute” to Constantijn van Vloten for the brilliant organization of the event.
He also expressed sincere appreciation to the authorities of Limburg and the city of Maastricht for their support. “This is the occasion for me to say how much we appreciate the relations between our cities, our provinces and our regions” – noted the Ambassador. “I am convinced that all the existing hardships in the nowadays bilateral relations are of a temporary nature and will undoubtedly be overcome” – he added.
The plaque is located on the wall of the “Bijenkorf” store next to the stone portal that has remained from the entrance into the building where Peter I stayed during his visit to Maastricht on July 27, 1717. The Russian Emperor is depicted wearing the traditional garments of a Russian Tsar against the backdrop of the Moscow Kremlin.
The ceremony was attended by some 140 people including representatives of authorities of the Province of Limburg and the city of Maastricht, Russian diplomatic missions in the Netherlands and Belgium, people of art, compatriots and the mass media.
The Honorary list of Fallen Soldiers.
By Anton Lutter.
Annually on the 14th of August the victims of the Second Worldwar in The Dutch East Indies and other places in South East Asia are commemorated. This event is organised a day before the national commemoration of the official end of WWII which was when Japan capitulated before the Allied forces on the 15th of august 1945.
Both the president of Parliament Mrs. Khadija Arib and the president of the Senate Mrs. Ankie Broekers-Knol laid a reef at the Indische plaquette, a bronze monument depicting the Netherlands-Indies and a part of South East Asia where many Dutchmen have been interned in forced labour camps by the Japanese Army. Circumstances later famously depicted in the movie Bridge over the River Kwai.The president of the Senate Mrs. Ankie Broekers-Knol and the president of Parliament, Mrs. Khadija Arib.
The event – attended by many guests – started with the turning of a page of the Honorary list of Fallen Soldiers.
In her speech Mrs. Arib mentioned that she was very touched by an interview of Mrs. Anne Ruth Wertheim who in her youth was interned in Tangerang Camp (West Java). The story was about surviving in a Japanese internment camp for women and children and how Mrs. Wertheim’s mother tried to do this by inventing some kind of game whereby the children could try to “forget” their imprisonment.
Lots of these stories exist and must be made public for future generations, so they might understand the sometimes painful and difficult situations of others nowadays. She furthermore concluded that “the further we are away from WWII, the more we need those stories, to keep the memories alive”. At last Mrs. Arib cited part of the poem by a surviver of the Japanese internmentcamps Mr. Leo Vroman:
Kom vanavond met verhalen hoe de oorlog is verdwenen, en herhaal ze honderd malen: alle malen zal ik wenen.
Brussels, Tuesday, 19 July 2017: the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union hosted a reception to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in the premises of the diplomatic mission itself located in the Brussels suburb of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.
HE Ambassador Yang Yanyi was pleased to welcome to the event high-ranking EU including the Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, or HRH Prince Laurent of Belgium. During the ambassador’s allocution she highlighted the importance the army has played in creating a stable China, and by default to the security and peace in the region.
For further information:
Mission of the PRC to the EU: http://www.chinamission.be/eng/
Pictures by Mission of China to the EU (https://www.flickr.com/photos/129701717@N05/sets/72157684039594263)
The 8th MBBI’s Conference centred around the new long-term initiative: “Keep People Affected by Conflict in Charge” will be held on 3-6 October at the Peace Palace in The Hague, As important part of the program of the MBBI Conference,will be the workshop on de-escalation given by Doug Noll, who was a business and commercial trial lawyer for 22 years before turning to problem-solving and peacemaking. What?Workshop:De-escalating Strong Emotions in negotiation, Diplomacy and Conflicts. Doug Noll’s de-escalation trainings are the culmination of years of research and experience in the Prison of Peace project. He has taught this state of the art technique for over 7 years in some of California’s most violent men’s and women’s prisons with remarkable results. This time, a day-long de-escalation training workshop will teach the participants how to de-escalate strong emotions in mediation, solve problems and create accountable agreements in their practices of negotiation, diplomacy and conflict resolution.To whom?The workshop is developed for specialists in mediation, law and diplomacy. Mediators, diplomats, lawyers and judges often have to negotiate and problem-solve in tense, escalated situations. All of them would benefit enormously from learning this skill from the Master himself. The workshop will be also promote to military higher-ranking officers.Why?Traditional forms of negotiation and communication have been shown to be less effective than desirable. In this workshop, the participants will gain new insights into how a human processes information in conflict and will also master innovative new skills. They will learn how to de-escalate a volatile situation and move the discussion into effective problem-solving and durable agreements. We also consider this a unique opportunity given that it is the first time Doug Noll is coming to the Netherlands to give this workshop.How?The day will be divided in two following sessions: 1. Micro-Interventions in Mediation, devoted to exploration of the concepts of emotional invalidation, reflective listening, core messaging and affect labelling; and 2. Guiding Decision-Making in Mediation, that will focus on teaching and developing skills in recognising and working with decisional errors commonly made by parties in high conflict, understanding the systems of decision making, malware, ignorance and information gaps, strategies and techniques for guiding counsel and parties leading to better decisions.Both sessions will be highly interactive.When and where?
October 4, 2017
9:00 am – 4:30 pmPeace Palace, Carnegieplein 2,The Hague,2517 KJ,NetherlandsTo register and/or to have more information about the workshop and Doug Noll please go to the following link:https://mbbinternational.org/events/workshop-de-escalating-strong-emotions-in-negotiation-diplomacy-and-conflicts/
The ceremony was organised by the efforts of the Honourary Consul of the Russian Federation in the provinces of Northern Brabant and Limburg Mr Constantijn van Vloten. The plaque was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Russia to the Netherlands, H.E. Alexander Shulgin, the King’s Commissioner/Governor of the Province of Limburg, Mr Theo Bovens and the Mayor of Maastricht, Ms Annemarie Penn-te Strake.
In his speech Ambassador A.Shulgin noted that the second visit of Peter the Great to the Netherlands could be considered as the first full-fledged visit of a Russian sovereign.
The Ambassador thanked the sculptor, Alexander Taratynov, and his wife, a professional artist Ekaterina Taratynova for the plaque and “paid the tribute” to Constantijn van Vloten for the brilliant organization of the event.
He also expressed sincere appreciation to the authorities of Limburg and the city of Maastricht for their support. “This is the occasion for me to say how much we appreciate the relations between our cities, our provinces and our regions” – noted the Ambassador. “I am convinced that all the existing hardships in the nowadays bilateral relations are of a temporary nature and will undoubtedly be overcome” – he added.
The plaque is located on the wall of the “Bijenkorf” store next to the stone portal that has remained from the entrance into the building where Peter I stayed during his visit to Maastricht on July 27, 1717. The Russian Emperor is depicted wearing the traditional garments of a Russian Tsar against the backdrop of the Moscow Kremlin.
The ceremony was attended by some 140 people including representatives of authorities of the Province of Limburg and the city of Maastricht, Russian diplomatic missions in the Netherlands and Belgium, people of art, compatriots and the mass media. 
Lots of these stories exist and must be made public for future generations, so they might understand the sometimes painful and difficult situations of others nowadays. She furthermore concluded that “the further we are away from WWII, the more we need those stories, to keep the memories alive”. At last Mrs. Arib cited part of the poem by a surviver of the Japanese internmentcamps Mr. Leo Vroman:
HE Ambassador Yang Yanyi was pleased to welcome to the event high-ranking EU including the Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, or HRH Prince Laurent of Belgium. During the ambassador’s allocution she highlighted the importance the army has played in creating a stable China, and by default to the security and peace in the region.
For further information:
Mission of the PRC to the EU: http://www.chinamission.be/eng/
Pictures by Mission of China to the EU (https://www.flickr.com/photos/129701717@N05/sets/72157684039594263)
