Pictured H.E. Gabriel Aguilera Peralta, Ambassador of Guatemala. By Viviana Knorr. On 17 May, the Embassy of Guatemala and the Hispanic Association of The Hague organised a showing of the Guatemalan film Donde nace el sol  “Where the sun rises”, Platinum Nominated for Iberoamerican Film Awards 2014 and one of Oscars 2015 best foreign language film contenders in the Americas. The President of the Spanish Association of The Hague Mrs Edith Bergansius introduced  H. E. Gabriel Aguilera Peralta, Ambassador of Guatemala in The Hague. He presented the film produced by Casa Comal in Kqchi!e, a Maya’s language and 36 Maya film program students. The audience was made up of a mixture of Dutch and international viewers who enjoy the acclaimed film by director Elias Jimenez (2013) over a beautiful story focusing on the indigenous Maya‘s beliefs and legends. “Where the Sun is Born” is surely a visually powerful film with a current message. The film’s main character is young woman whose origin are Maya. She witnesses the invasion of her homeland immediately to set away and run to survive. Four stories are alluding critical historical moments over the course of the last half millennium. A nomadic existence is portrayed to show how live as a refugee has hardly changed across the centuries. The main protagonist lives during the time of the conquest, so have to flee their lands to survive. Throughout its history the sufferings of the Maya peoples are shown, but also their spiritual and cultural wealth, showing key aspects of the latter, as the close relationship with nature and respect for ancestors. Donde nace el sol,  teaches how despite the Spanish invasion, the Maya worldview has endured in history. The film was shot thanks to financial support from several institutions, including the Comal House and the Norwegian Embassy. Some of the locations were Guatemala, Tikal, Yaxha, Zaculeu, Quirigua, Iximché, Los Cuchumatanes, Rio Dulce and Villa Florence in Antigua.

On the picture HRH Princess Léa of Belgium and  H.E. Chris Hoornaert. Under the High Patronage of HRH Princess Léa of Belgium, CIDIC (Cercle International Diplomatique et Consulaire – Centre Européen de Diplomatie Economique) and DEA (Diplomatic, Economic and Academic) visited the Netherlands from 10 – 12 May 2016. This on the occasion of the Dutch Presidency of the EU Council. CIDIC was founded in 2010; it has over 650 members and sympathisers. HRH Princess Léa of Belgium is the Honorary chairperson of CIDIC The Board of Directors is made up of: Baron Ernest Laminne de Bex, President; Mr Paul van der Vloet, vice president; Mr Christian Mouvet, Secretary General and Treasurer and Mr Frederic the Pryck, Chairman of the Executive Committee. For additional Hester Dijsktra’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157668901179196

The CIDIC-DEA mission visit aimed at bringing together Dutch and Belgian entrepreneurs, businesses and universities, in order to deliver real diplomatic, economic and academic scope to the Dutch EU Presidency. After The Netherlands, there will be a CIDIC-DEA missions to Slovakia.In 2017, missions are envisaged to Malta and the United Kingdom. While in the Netherlands, members of the mission participated in an extensive but very interesting 3 days program. On the first day, 10 May there has been a session at The Hague Security Delta campus. The program featured: Innovation Quarter, an opening session graced by the presence of HRH Princess Léa of Belgium. Many speeches and presentations followed. H.E. Mr Chris Hoornaert, Belgium’s Ambassador in The Netherlands, Mr Pascal Goergen of FEDRA (Federation of European Regional Actors), Mrs Kris Dejonckheere, and General Secretary of UNICA (European Capitals’ universities network). Province of South Holland, Jean-Christophe Spapens gave a brief presentation. Innovation Quarter of the session, Ms Lissa Culbertson Boxy. Innovation Quarter is the regional economic development agency for the South Holland province in the Netherlands. The mission of Innovation Quarter is to strengthen the regional economy by supporting and stimulating the innovation potential of the area. In close cooperation with all the key corporations, educational and research institutions – like the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Delft University of Technology and Leiden University – and government organisations, Innovation Quarter supports technological developments, encourages entrepreneurship and invests in startup companies. Hague Security Delta Mr Mark Ruijsendaal. The Hague Security Delta is the largest security cluster in Europe. THSD forms partnerships and creates knowledge bridges with the main global security clusters in the USA, Canada, Singapore and South Africa. Besides, THSD has strong ties with the central European security regions and Brussels, making the Netherlands Europe. The THSD Campus is the national innovation centre of the Dutch security cluster, with living labs, education and training facilities, innovation rooms and meeting rooms. Businesses, governments and knowledge institutions from across the country collaborate to harvest knowledge at the campus and develop products and services that contribute to a safer and more secure world. The HSD Campus is serving as an inspiring place to meet entrepreneurs, students and professionals in the security cluster. It is home to the educational programs of the new Cyber Security Academy (CSA) and European Network for Cyber Security (ENCS) and it is the place where SME Connect will provide security entrepreneurs with advice. CIDIC: Baron de Liminne de Bex, President CIDIC, Christian J. Mouvet, Secretary General, Frédéric de Pryck, Chairman Steering Committee. All shed light on the Circle and the purpose of the visit. Presentations by the companies: GFCE Global Forum on Cyber Expertise. “GFCE is an international platform organisation for countries, international organisations and private companies to exchange best practices and expertise on cyber capacity building”, says David van Duren, Head of the GFCE office. “The aim is to identify successful policies, practices and ideas and multiply these on a global level. GFCE members develop practical initiatives to strengthen cyber security, fight cybercrime, protect online data and support e-governance.” The speaker from Tracks Inspector was Marco de Moulin (Product Director) “Tracks Inspector is an innovative solution that resulted from many years of experience in digital forensics investigations in close collaboration with law enforcement. The mission is to simplify digital forensics for investigators and to develop further and deliver the Tracks Inspector solution to law enforcement and corporate customers through our channel partners worldwide. Our solution can extract valuable information from mobile devices and computers without having to wait for the digital experts in the forensic lab, resulting in quicker and more efficient prosecutions.” City of The Hague, Mr Karim Adarghal talked about the Robot named Sam. There was also a speaker from FONDA. A lunch and get-together concluded the session at campus of The Hague Security Delta The CIDIC delegation went on to Delft (incubator project) and Leiden to visit the Bioscience Park. The day concluded with a reception and dinner buffet at the residence of H.E. Mr Chris Hoornaert, Ambassador of Belgium.                            

On the picture H.E. Ittiporn Boonpracong, Ambasador of Thailand, H.E. Adia Sakiqi, Albassador of Albania and Mr Ribiao Chen, Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of china. By Roy Lie A Tjam For the second year in a row, the Royal Thai Embassy The Hague, in conjunction with the Thai Tourism Authority, the Department of International Trade Promotion-Ministry of Commerce, Thailand organized an exclusive Cooking Demonstration. It took place at the residence of the Thai Ambassador, H.E. Ittiporn Boonpracong,  in Wassenaar on May 23rd 2016. For additional Kim Vermaat’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157666432595524

The demonstration was given by Dr Surachai Jewcharoensakul. He is in the Netherlands for a series of demonstrations to be held in Delft, Wassenaar and Amsterdam. He performed in Delft at the first ever Diplomat Gastronomic Festival in the Netherlands on 21 May2016. As for the cooking demo at the residence of the Ambassador, it has been extremely successful, Dr Jewcharoensakul treated the guests to a range of traditional Thai dishes such as: Thai spicy salad, Massaman curry beef and vegetarian Pad –Thai.

The demo was followed by a buffet consisting of: green curry (fish) chicken with cashew nuts, stir fried tofu with basil leaves and Thai jasmine rice. Desserts included sticky rice with Thai custard and Tamarind tart. Guests left the Thai hospitality event smiling.

Pictured H.E. Carlos Herrera, Ambassador of Peru. By Roy Lie A Tjam. On the 17th May 2016, the FMO, the ISS and the Embassy of Peru held a seminar with the title “What do the Poor need from Financial Inclusion?” at the auditorium of the FMO. This was followed by a second question, asking whether there are lessons to be learned from the Peruvian experience. During the seminar a panel of experts discussed the Peruvian experience but also focuses on the challenges that lie ahead. Peru has been identified by the Economist Intelligence Unit as the world’s most conducive environments for financial inclusion. In Peru, financial inclusion has had a positive impact on poverty alleviation, the percentage of people living below the poverty line has dropped drastically in the last decade from 45% to 26%, whilst extreme poverty has gone from 14% to 5% in the same period. Real income in rural areas has also increased by 60% since 2004, whereas in urban areas it went up by only 20%. Mr Nano Kleiterp CEO at FMO opened the seminar. He welcomed the Ambassadors and many other guests including Ms Inge Hutter, Rector of the International Institute of Social Studies(ISS), Ms Carolina Trivelli, former Minister of Development and Social Inclusion of Peru and current General Manager of Pagos Digitales Peruanos. The first speaker was H.E. Mr Carlos Herrera, Ambassador of the Republic of Peru to the Netherlands. Ambassador Herrera read a letter from HM Queen Maxima in which the queen lauded the key role Peru played in achieving financial inclusion. Her Majesty referred to the role Peru also played in prompting the UN General Assembly to pass the first resolution on financial inclusion.

Credit goes to the outstanding efforts of Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez. Furthermore, Her Majesty mentioned Peru’s commitment to the financial inclusion agenda “Modelo Peru” which solidifies Peru’s status as a role model to for other countries. The rest of the world is following Peru’s initiative with great interest, H.M. Queen Maxima further added that she is particularly looking forward to celebrating more achievements in the years to come. Ambassador Herrera expressed his gratitude to all those that have contributed to making the seminar a success especially the ones who came from abroad to attend the seminar.

The next speaker was Ms Carolina Trivelli, she highlighted the enormous progress made by Peru in financial inclusion from the public sector point of view as well as from the private sector point of view. Ms Trivelli also dwelled on the national strategy and the launching of the electronic wallet or E-wallet. Mr. Nanno Kleiterp in his address stressed the participation of the Dutch Development Bank (FMO) in Peru, with a budget of over 250 million Euros, to the promotion a more inclusive development in Peru. Ms Inge Hutter, rector of the ISS, closed the very informative and successful seminar.

By Antonia Barthel. On the 20th of May, Her Excellency Mrs. Odette Melono, the Ambassador of the Republic of Cameroon, hosted a celebratory reception at the Marriott Hotel in The Hague to honor her country’s National Day.

The 20th of May was chosen by the Government as the National Day in order to commemorate the unification of the country in 1972. However, Cameroon achieved independence on January 1st, 1960 alongside other African countries. For additional Marian van Noort’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157668007635310

The room was filled with guests who came to congratulate Ambassador Melono. A slideshow with pictures was shown in the background, giving guests the opportunity to see the beautiful nature and cities of Cameroon. Additionally, the atmosphere was celebratory and women in dresses with traditional African patterns added to the color of the day. Guests were able to enjoy a lavish buffet with a variety of national dishes including fish, beans and vegetables. Furthermore, a delicious cake in the shape of Cameroon was presented as desert for the guests. There were many distinguished guests, including several Ambassadors and diplomats, members of the Dutch business community and representatives of the Dutch administrations, international organizations and courts. The day was a great success and was enjoyed by all present.          

Pictured H.E. Simona Frankel Ambassador of Israel to Belgium and Luxembourg. Israeli Independence is fêted annually on 5 Iyar according to the Hebrew calendar, the corresponding Gregorian date this year was 12 May 2016. It entails the State of Israel’s establishment, or more precisely the date when its independence was proclaimed by Israeli first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion after publicly reading the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 5 Iyar  5708/14 May 1948. 

In Brussels a concert and subsequent reception were jointly hosted by the missions of Israel to Belgium and Luxembourg HE Ambassador Simona Frankel and to the European Union HE Ambassador David Walzer at Flagey Cultural Centre located in the square bearing  the same name. Both ambassadors addressed an auditorium full of fellow ambassadors, including US ambassador to Belgium Denise Campbell Bauer, Rwanda’s Olivier Jean-Patrick Nduhungirehe, Philippines’ Victoria Bataclan or Kosovo’s Mimoza Ahmetaj, a plethora of Israeli business people as well as MEPs and members of the EEAS.

After the solemn speeches, an hour-long concert was performed by the world renowned “Jerusalem Quartet” consisting of members Alexander Pavlovsky (first violin), Sergei Bresler (second violin), Ori Kam (viola), and Kyril Zlotnikov (cello). They delighted their audience by playing Beethoven as well as Bartók.  After the concert the Israeli missions offered a reception in the rooms overlooking the Flagey lake.  For more information: Embassy of Israel to Belgium and Luxembourg (HE Ambassador Simona Frankel): http://embassies.gov.il/language/Pages/default.aspx Mission of Israel to the EU (HE Ambassador David Walzer): http://embassies.gov.il/eu/Pages/default.aspx Jerusalem Quartet: www.jerusalem-quartet.com  ——————– All pictures by IsraelinEurope (https://www.facebook.com/IsraelinEurope/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1133022693408364)         

Pictured H. E. Willys Del Valle, Ambassador of Panama.  By Viviana Knorr. This year on 24 May at the Dutch port of Rotterdam in the installations of Nhow, H. E. Willys Delvalle Ambassador of Panama, visited Panama Invest Rotterdam 2016 event. “Our history encompasses a land of commerce and transit, and above all, Panama is a nation of a welcoming dialog aiming to open its doors to visitors”, —H. E. Willys Del Valle Ambassador of Panama. Investment and promotion of business potential in Panama was the aim that gathered specific Dutch sector investors with Panama’s government to impulse participation in potential ventures in the Central American nation. For additional Kim Vermaat pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157668819471626   Further H. E. Willys Del Valle Ambassador of Panama highlighted about the dynamic tourism activities that since long have been an imperative pilar of national interest for growth during his speech. CFO Phillips Herman Hanssen not only stressed the importance to attract Dutch investment with the Panamanian government as fruitful exchange for job opportunities, but also provided information and further viable developments to be able to handle investments successfully. Mr. Hanssen shared about the experience of Phillips building its regional hub with local certified talents. Panama Invest Rotterdam 2016 had a schedule of live panel sessions providing information also on technological and institutional innovation for potential investors and traders on logistics and multimodal services, maritime and auxiliary services, the Panama Canal, as information on the Colon Free Zone. Apart from learning about some of the latest trade developments in the Central American nation, there were also opportunities to questions and answers, a networking lunch and drinks sessions to get a glimpse on the consensus on a one-on-one view and know further about the locations where Dutch investment could develop as a fantastic opportunity to learn first hand, from the delegates, speakers, and exhibitors.    

Pictured ambassadors of Thailand, Russia, Hungary, Pakistan, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, India, Afghanistan, Sweden, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Turkey, together with the Mayor of Delft, Hanos General Manager and Diplomat Magazine publisher. By Viviana Knorr. On Saturday 21 May at midday, under Dutch spring sunshine, fifteen embassies and their world-renowned cuisines gathered to spark up their grills, woks, and hotplates, at HANOS Food Wholesaler installations in Delft for the 1st Diplomats Gastronomic Festival. Ambassadors, diplomats and invitees appeared to savour a unique food scenery full of festive delights initiated by Diplomats Magazine’s publisher Dr. Mayelinne De Lara together with Hanos General Manager, Frans Kieftenbeld, Marloes Mos, Manager and their team. For a complete album from our photographers Hester Dijsktra and Marian van Noort, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157668866183135 Video by Mirza Kamram ”I’m honoured because the ambassadors of Afghanistan, Argentina, Chile, Hungary, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, supported our idea and made possible the first-ever Diplomats Food Festival in The Netherlands.  I’m proud because today we are building -Diplomat Magazine and the embassies working together with the private sector,- an event that will mark a new way of commercial diplomacy in this country.”, said Dr. De Lara before presenting the fifteen ambassadors to the public.

During the opening ceremony, Mr Kieftenbeld made a visual presentation of Hanos and its multiples departments ”enriched by 116,000 products coming from more than 34 countries”. The Mayor of Delft Mr Bas Verkerk also welcomed everyone to his city and expressed how impressed he was by the authentic attention of the ambassadors and the quality of food exposed. Each ambassador presented their cuisine, talked about their unique products and invited the guests to seize the opportunity to taste their food and exchange impressions with their chefs.

Cooks and chefs surrounded by plenty chairs and tables with attendees enjoying their freshly made dishes were the perfect frame making the event the place to be for an unparalleled Saturday foodie-fun afternoon. ”It is the highest standard of international gastronomic festival  we have ever experienced in the Netherlands, regarding the quality of food, presentation and venue”  said a group of attendees.

HANOS 1st Diplomats Gastronomic Festival was overwhelmingly good where participants were walking around and comfortably sample the fantastic dishes that each of the fifteen nations had to offer. Traditional drink bars were busy with attendees who could sit away and soak up the delicious atmosphere.

Cookery masterclass demonstrations followed after the speeches of each of the ambassadors whose dishes where present: Argentina’s savoury stewed empanadas, Thailand’s elegant night meal Beef Massama by the renowned Iron prized chef Chef, Assoc. Prof. Dr Surachai Jewcharoensakul, Mexico’s rich culinary heritage was delivered by chef Edwin Méndez with a world known Xocolatl mixture established as Mole Poblano.

Turkey followed with an Ottoman favourite nutty Adana Kebab & kunefe, to finally wrap up, with Peru’s delights distinctive touch to highlight thanks to the vastness of the country and its Ceviche by chef Alberto Lara. Dutch gin from Schiedam, Sweden’s salmon dishes prepared by chef Marcus Johansson, Russian pastries and vodka, Hungary’s millenary wines, sausages, paprika and Quark’s dessert transported us from pre-columbian dishes to current modern fusion flavours thanks to the magic of the ingredients served. Never the least, Afghanistan, Argentina, Chile, Hungary, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Vietnam had an unparalleled array from top wines and the very best of world-know delicacies, to new recipes to discover.

One of the objectives of HANOS 1st Diplomats Gastronomic Festival is to impulse the channels of importers and distributor exchanges between some of the world’s culinary cultures and the Dutch market. This great event was sponsored by Mercedes-Benz and Diplomatic Card. Looking forward our Second Diplomats Gastronomic Festival 2017, on Saturday May 20th.