By Anton Lutter.
On Saturday the 24th the country honours the many veterans who have served the country during several wars and international peacekeeping operations. This annual homage is now organized for the 13th consecutive time.
The government wanted to pay homage to all Dutch veterans and in doing so founded the Dutch Veterans Day in 2005. Nowadays about 115.000Â living veterans have taken their tour of duty in a variety of operations all over the world.
Traditionally the program opens with speeches in the Ridderzaal – where also the state opening of parliament takes place – the oldest part of the Binnenhof parliamentary building complex in the centre of The Hague.
His Majesty Willem-Alexander the King of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Mr. Mark Rutte, the Minister of Defense Mrs. Hennis-Plasschaert and other civil and military dignitaries as well as veterans attend.
Following, with a military ceremony, decorations were given to veterans who served in overseas missions, at the courtyard of the Binnenhof.
The eye-catching event of Dutch Veterans Day is the military parade, in front of the King. 4000 veterans – representing many parts of the military in a variety of uniforms, both current and historical attires, 16 bands and 32 military vehicles participated in the parade, attracting 90.000 visitors from all over the country.
The highlight was the fly-past of 4 F16 fighter jets and historic airplanes.
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Pictures Anton Lutter.
After three days of discussions and exchanges the ICTY today concluded its final Legacy Conference, which took place from 22 to 24 June 2017 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
The Tribunalâs Principals, President Carmel Agius, Prosecutor Serge Brammertz and Registrar John Hocking, delivered welcoming remarks, after which His Excellency Dragan ĂoviĂŠ, Member of the BiH Presidency, spoke on behalf of the Presidency and the host country.
In his opening speech, President Agius emphasised that the aim of the Conference was âto âpass on the batonâto stakeholders in the region, because it is [they] who will, in many ways, be responsible for carrying the Tribunalâs legacy on beyond 2017.â Prosecutor Brammertz highlighted the crucial role played by national jurisdictions in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, stressing that: âEnsuring that national courts have the capacity to prosecute international crimes is therefore of paramount importance.â Registrar John Hocking stated that: âIn our courtrooms, the shields that protected Heads of State, Ministers, or Generals were pierced by the humble truth of their often powerless victimsâ, and explained how the Tribunalâs legacy will live on through efforts inside and outside courtrooms in the region and across the world.
During the Conference, regional and international participants discussed key areas of the Tribunalâs legacy, engaging in an active dialogue. In addition to eight main panel sessions, the Conference hosted ten side events, including book launches, a documentary premiere, the opening of an exhibition, and discussions of various regional transitional justice initiatives.
On the picture H.E. Ambassador Jaime Victor Ledda and spouse Gina Ledda during Kulinarya.By Roy Lie A Tjam.
Kulinarya, bringing Philipino cuisine to the Netherlands. Hence, the Embassy of the Philippines invited numerous guests to a cooking demo with food sampling. Further, a five-course sitting dinner prepared by top Filipino Chefs Myrna Segismundo, Jill Sandique and Raul Ramos was part of the project.
It is not the first time H.E. Ambassador Jaime Ledda an advocate of Philipino cuisine, organizes a cooking Demo. He did so two years ago at his residence introducing Chefs Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan and their team.
For additional Kim Vermat’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157685398331956Filipino Chefs Myrna Segismundo and Raul Ramos.
It doesn’t go unnoticed, the Philipino cuisine is surging in the USA as well as in the Netherlands. The KULINARYAâ project was launched on 25 May 2017 at the 59th Tong Tong Fair, Malieveld The Hague.
Ambassador Ledda with Mr. Peter Potman, director of the Asia and Oceania Department at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Philipinos love their food, however few foreigners have tasted or even heard of the country’s signature dishes like adobo, sinigang, lumpia, and pancit.
It is a situation that Ambassador Jaime Ledda endeavors to change.
Without any doubt, Kulinarya has been a resounding success. May and June 2017 have been busy times for the Embassy. Its not over yet, National Day 2017 celebration is coming up.
By Roy Lie A Tjam.Buren Law firm hosted a Law Seminar for Diplomats at Hotel Crowne Plaza The Hague on 8 June 2017. Some head of mission and representatives of embassies attended the session.
The objective of the seminar was for embassies to get acquainted with the services that Buren Legal, Notary and Tax provides to embassies and their relations. Founded in 1898, Buren is a well established, internationally operating Law firm with offices in The Hague, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Beijing, and Shanghai.
One of the speakers was Ms.Susan van der Kam, she elaborated on the following labor law points:
Phase I – Recruitment / Employment Agreement
Phase II – Probationary Period
Phase III â Sickness
Phase IV â dismissal
Phase V – pension
Buren also offers real estate services, Mr. Jonathan Gal held a presentation.
It has been a successful afternoon
The situation in Qatar right after the blockage is developing rapidly and new avenues on everyday issues are hurting the economy of the entire region including Saudi Arabia, the biggest supplier of goods and services to Qatar. Case in point, on the very first morning after the restricted measure, milk was nowhere to be found in Doha. Generally, about 80% of dairy products come from Saudi Arabia; same day Qataris imported fresh milk and 4,000 cows arriving by air freight from Turkey and the Netherlands to fill it up the demand. Another 32, 000 cows came by sea in an unprecedented cow operation that greatly benefited the Dutch, and Australian producers among a couple of others suppliers in an effort from Qatar Government to ensure normal life in the country. To prevent an escalade of incertitude in the general population, imported milk from Turkey is subsidised and cost now Πof the price.
Some banks are retaining funds to owners going to withdraw large quantities to change it in US dollars. Travelling to Egypt usually a 3hours 45 minutes direct flight is becoming a long journey of 21 hours or more while people forced to travel via Turkey, Lebanon, Kuwait or Jordan.
Diplomats had 48 hours to leave from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain, also Qataris nationals from every field, notably many working in the oil and gas industry, business, students named. In no time families have been separated from each other, mix marriages, and visiting relatives are now in third countries waiting for news while the crisis is giving the blockage to a major human rights connotation.
The situation remains quite dangerous despite the efforts from Turkey and Kuwait to mediate a diplomatic solution helping to reduce tension in the Gulf. In the meantime, neighbours are translating the etiquettes from turkey for others to know what they are buying on the market.
Jan Dop and Reinier Russell.By Roy Lie A Tjam.
The Embassy desk of Russell Advocaten hosted a seminar on Employment Law and Real Estate at their Amsterdam office on 12 June 2017.The goal was to present the Diplomatic community with valuable information in an easily accessible manner.
During the seminar, practical legal questions and developments have been discussed in two parallel sessions.
Workshop 1: Employment Law
This workshop focused mainly on the effect of a personnel handbook in preventing employment-related legal issues.
Topics discussed included:
Content and drafting of a personnel handbook
Which rules on, for example, employee absenteeism, sick leave, and reimbursement of (travel) expenses should be included?
Rules for the use of e-mail, the Internet and social media?
Misconduct and sanctions
How can the personnel handbook be amended?
Speakers: Jan Dop and Roos InklaarWorkshop 2: Real Estate
Speakers: Reinier Russell and Ynze Kliphuis,
This workshop provided an introduction to Dutch Real Estate Law, with a focus on government permits and building restrictions for Embassies.
Russell Advocatenâs Embassy Desk regularly organizes seminars and workshops for Embassies and facilitates legal lectures for incoming trade missions.
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Information:
www.russell.nl
OPCW Director-General Urges Continued Support for Norm against Chemical Weapons during Visit to United Statesâ
The Hague, the Netherlands â 21 June 2017 â The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Ambassador Ahmet ĂzĂŒmcĂŒ, delivered a keynote address at an event hosted by the US Department of State marking the 20th anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and met with senior officials during his visit to the United States from 19 to 20 June.
The Director-General met US National Security Advisor, Mr Herbert Raymond McMaster; US Deputy Secretary of State, Mr John Sullivan; and US Acting Assistant Secretary of State, Ms Anita E. Friedt. During these meetings, the Director-General shared information about the Organisationâs priority activities, including the investigation into the 4 April 2017 chemical weapons incident in Syria, and efforts to clarify elements of Syriaâs chemical weapons declaration. They also discussed OPCWâs global role in preventing the use of chemical weapons by non-State actors. US officials reaffirmed their countryâs resolute support of the goals of the CWC and the work of the OPCW.
The day-long forum on 20 June focused on the Chemical Weapons Convention 1997-2017: Progress, Challenges, and Reinforcing the Global Norm against Chemical Weapons. The Director-General took stock of achievements and lessons learned from the last 20 years of OPCWâs work, and highlighted challenges still facing the CWC. While referring to investigations of alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria by the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission and the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism, Ambassador ĂzĂŒmcĂŒ concluded: âThis is work of historic importance in our collective quest to uphold fundamental norms and values as an enlightened and humane civilisation and to bring to book those who choose to violate them. I am confident that the United States will continue with its tradition of strong support for the Organisation.â
Mr Herbert Raymond McMaster provided a keynote address and the forum featured discussions about strategies to meet on-going and future challenges by a number of senior officials and experts including Ms Izumi Nakamitsu, the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.
 H.E. Mr. Venu Rajamony, the new Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, during his first speech in The Hague.
Largest ever Yoga event in the Netherlands organised in The Hague to mark Third International Day of YogaÂ
The largest ever International Day of Yoga event in the Netherlands was organised in The Hague on Sunday  June 18, 2017, with participation of nearly 1000 people.
The event was organised by the Embassy of India with the support of The Hague City Council in the Atrium of the City Hall, an iconic building, often referred to as the âIce Palaceâ. HE Mr. Venu Rajamony, the new Ambassador of India to the Netherlands welcomed the gathering  and described Yoga as the ” India’s gift to mankind.”
He announced that Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi, the man behind the initiative to celebrate the International Day of Yoga three years back, would be visiting the Netherlands in few days. He send a special message to the audience ‘ in the present century we are observing that yoga has connected the entire world. Yoga is a medium to experience and realise how holistic life can be lived in a balance way’ Prime Minister said.
Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
The guest of honour at the event, Mr Rabin Baldewsingh, Deputy Mayor of The Hague spoke of the vibrant connection between India and the Netherlands and promised the gathering and the Indian community of the continued support of the City Council in their activities. Participants in the group yoga session included Indian cricketer Mr Suresh Raina, Mr Joris Geeven from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms Preety Dhillon, Miss India Holland 2017, Dutch nationals and members of the Suriname-Hindustani as well as the Indian communities.
The event was organised in association with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, India Tourism Amsterdam, Art of Living Foundation, ISHA Foundation, and Jet Airways.Dr Amit Khanna,Yoga expert at The Gandhi Centre in The Hague and Ms Madeleine Gaastra from the Art of Living.
The yoga event was led by Dr Amit Khanna, Yoga expert at The Gandhi Centre in The Hague, which is the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy, Ms Shikha Khanna, a yoga expert from the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, New Delhi, Ms Madeleine Gaastra from the Art of Living, and Mr Farooq Abdul Khader, a local yoga teacher.
Volunteering during the third International Yoga Day in The Hague.
By Dr. Eugenio Matos G.
As founder of Diplomat Magazine, together with other four ambassadors that were accredited to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, allow me to congratulate its team of outstanding writers and incredible photographers. They are the heart of this unique project. This is absolutely the very first diplomatic magazine in the Netherlands âhistory, founded by and for diplomats.
Diplomat Magazine was officially launched during a diplomatic reception held at Carlton Ambassador Hotel back in 19 of June 2015, in the presence of more than 60 Heads of Diplomatic Missions, the Major of The Hague, representatives from the media, and special guests.
We are celebrating our five-year anniversary. Diplomats accredited to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and contributors from all over the world are the ones who made this endeavor possible. One can mention many other volunteers, such as academics, students (mainly from the University of Leiden, the University of Ottawa in Canada, University of Vienna, Asser Institute, Clingendael) and so forth. They are the people working behind the scenes to make Diplomat Magazine a truly international publication. The team is composed of ten reporters and six photographers, most of them are based in The Hague.
Diplomat Magazine is the fastest growing diplomatic magazine worldwide, in content and readership, thanks to our partnership with Down Jones and universities. Since 2015, we have printed six special editions for foreign governments, following the exact specifications of quality and design of Diplomat MagazineÂŽs printed edition. Diplomat Magazine holds a record of diplomatic events in the European Union and probably around the globe, with sixty-six (66) major activities since 2015.
We have started the 1st Diplomatic Food Festival, the 1st Diplomatic Automobile Show, special farewells, welcome events to new arriving diplomats, the 1st Annual Diplomats Fun Run & Walk, 1st Diplomats Meet & Greet, special classical concerts, 1st Diplomatic Biking Tour, 1st Diplomatic Excursion, Diplomatic Soccer World Cup screening, and the like. We make the difference by giving opportunities not only to diplomats, heads of states and ministers to write for us, but also to local individuals willing to be introduced to the diplomatic corps. The people behind Diplomat Magazine have many different nationalities and all kinds of educational, professional and cultural backgrounds.
About the author:
Dr. Eugenio Matos G. is Associate Publisher, founder of Diplomat Magazine
Former Minister-Counselor (2009-2014) for the Dominican Republic Embassy in The Hague.The author is a career Dominican diplomat, a specialist in international Public Diplomacy.
Traditionally the program opens with speeches in the Ridderzaal – where also the state opening of parliament takes place – the oldest part of the Binnenhof parliamentary building complex in the centre of The Hague.
His Majesty Willem-Alexander the King of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Mr. Mark Rutte, the Minister of Defense Mrs. Hennis-Plasschaert and other civil and military dignitaries as well as veterans attend.
Following, with a military ceremony, decorations were given to veterans who served in overseas missions, at the courtyard of the Binnenhof.
The eye-catching event of Dutch Veterans Day is the military parade, in front of the King. 4000 veterans – representing many parts of the military in a variety of uniforms, both current and historical attires, 16 bands and 32 military vehicles participated in the parade, attracting 90.000 visitors from all over the country.
The highlight was the fly-past of 4 F16 fighter jets and historic airplanes.
——
Pictures Anton Lutter. 
Without any doubt, Kulinarya has been a resounding success. May and June 2017 have been busy times for the Embassy. Its not over yet, National Day 2017 celebration is coming up.
Workshop 2: Real Estate
Speakers: Reinier Russell and Ynze Kliphuis,
This workshop provided an introduction to Dutch Real Estate Law, with a focus on government permits and building restrictions for Embassies.
Russell Advocatenâs Embassy Desk regularly organizes seminars and workshops for Embassies and facilitates legal lectures for incoming trade missions.
—–
Information:
The event was organised by the Embassy of India with the support of The Hague City Council in the Atrium of the City Hall, an iconic building, often referred to as the âIce Palaceâ. HE Mr. Venu Rajamony, the new Ambassador of India to the Netherlands welcomed the gathering  and described Yoga as the ” India’s gift to mankind.”
He announced that Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi, the man behind the initiative to celebrate the International Day of Yoga three years back, would be visiting the Netherlands in few days. He send a special message to the audience ‘ in the present century we are observing that yoga has connected the entire world. Yoga is a medium to experience and realise how holistic life can be lived in a balance way’ Prime Minister said.
The event was organised in association with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, India Tourism Amsterdam, Art of Living Foundation, ISHA Foundation, and Jet Airways.
