Pictured Jean-Yves Charlier, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of VimpelCom Ltd. The leading mobile Dutch-based company VimpelCom hosted an exclusive event in the summer pavilion of the  Nieuwe of Litteraire Sociëteit De Witte in The Hague on May 30th. About fifty special guests among them Ambassadors, diplomats, Dutch parliamentarians, government officials, CEOs from the finances and communications field together with Vimpelcom’s management international team led by Jean-Yves Charlier Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of VimpelCom Ltd attended the reception.

First, it was time to share contacts and take pictures in a particular scenario digitally backgrounded with emblematic places and buildings from around the world.  

  Jean-Yves Charlier explained the origins of the company from its Russian routes to the international company headquartered in Amsterdam today.  

He was followed by Christopher Schlaeffer, Chief Digital Officer, of VimpelCom Ltd., who talked about the new digital technologies, investments and  VimpelCom programs to support digital development in their markets. Christopher also spoke of a solar phone, the end of the emails’ era, the low mobile telephone prices, the banking digital services in developing countries and more.  

VimpelCom is an international telecommunications and technology business with more than 200 million customers and the ability to reach more than 10% of the world’s population. VimpelCom offers services to customers in 14 markets including Russia, Italy, Algeria, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Georgia, Laos, and Zimbabwe. VimpelCom operates under the “Beeline”, “Kyivstar”, “WIND”, “Mobilink”, “banglalink”, “Telecel”, and “Djezzy” brands.  

Vimpelcom has  55,000 employees, representing more than 60 nationalities. For additional pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157666722195913

On Monday 23 May, young growth-oriented companies from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia presented their startups and scale-ups to prospective partners and investors in Rotterdam, during the V4 Startups & Scale-ups conference. The conference was organised in light of Startup Fest Europe 2016. The Hungarian startup MosaicLights was awarded Best V4 winner. The conference was opened by Ms Jana Reinisová, Ambassador of the Czech Republic and keynote speaker HRH Prince Constantijn van Oranje, Chairman of Startup Fest Europe. During the V4 High-Level panel, with experts from the four Visegrad countries (Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia), Mr István Szalai of the Hungarian National Trading House highlighted what distinguishes Hungary from the other V4 countries, as an attractive location for startups and investment. Following the High-Level panel, start-up entrepreneurs from the V4 countries pitched their business models to potential investors. Participating startups and scale-ups from Hungary included SBrick, Sopreso, MashrooM and MosaicLights. MosaicLights After the pitches, the Jury met to discuss which startups and scale-ups performed best. ING Nederland and Ernst & Young had an award available for one start-up from each country. The jury also selected a Best V4 winner. The Hungarian startup Mosaic Lights won the award for the Best V4 winner, but also went home with the ING and Ernst & Young awards, available for a Hungarian company. The young company MosaicLights provides a revolutionary interior design solution, creating transparent tiles under which lights are set. The V4 Startups & Scale-ups conference was organised by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in The Hague, Altex Group, CzechInvest, the Embassy of Hungary in The Hague, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in The Hague and the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in The Hague.

On the picture the Hungarian chef  Janos Klimaj. On Saturday 21 May, Diplomat Magazine presented the first Diplomats International Gastronomic Festival at HANOS Den Haag-Delft. Fifteen embassies sparked up their grills, woks, and hotplates to let ambassadors, diplomats and other invitees taste their countries’ specialities. The event was opened by the mayor of Delft, representatives of Diplomat Magazine, HANOS General Manager Mr Frans Kieftenbeld and the Ambassadors of Thailand, Russia, Hungary, Pakistan, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Afghanistan, Sweden, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Turkey. Hungary was represented by the Smaak van Hongarije, the Trade Office of the Embassy of Hungary and the Embassy’s chef Mr Janos Klimaj. During the festival, Embassy chef Mr Klimaj cooked catfish stew, quark pasta with dill and cracklings, and pork medallions with lecsó mousse and potato crisps, on several hot plates. He also prepared two types of deserts, a quark desert ‘Varga’ style, as well as poppy seed pudding with acacia honey. Visitors could observe his cooking demonstration and be invited to taste his dishes, together with different types of Hungarian wine. The Smaak van Hongarije presented typical Hungarian food products such as Pick wintersalami, different types of Gyermelyi, ground paprika powder and ground caraway.

By Viviana Knorr. This year the Opening Ceremony of the 6th Ibero-American Week of International Justice once more was successfully staged at the Peace Palace, the seat of the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Wednesday, 1 June at 10 am. Engaging the audience the opening was preceded by a warm welcoming speech by Mr. Héctor Olasolo Alonso, IIH Chairman; Chair in International Law at El Rosario University from Colombia and Ad Hoc Professor at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Mr. Olasolo firstly expressed his deepest gratitude to H.E. Mr. Philippe Couvreur, the Registrar of the International Court of Justice “for his support given to this project in the Spanish language.”  For additional Kim Vermaat’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157669245256215

Mr. Olasolo extended his thoughts to The Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands, the Mayor of The Hague, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, the Embassy of Argentina in The Hague, the University Del Rosario in Colombia and lastly to all Ambassadors from Latin America and to all organisations involved. Mr. Olasolo words included his sincere recognition to all of them for allowing the event’s consolidation as for the participation of the juries and panelists of the Seminar of Ibero-American Thinking on International Justice.

Starting with 25 students in 2011 to today’s 250 participants, all activities planned for the 6th Ibero-American Week of International Justice keep showing the vibrant spirit with which the Institute and the Ibero-American Week of International Justice inaugurated the event then, as Mr. Olasolo remarked. Following Mr. Olasolo speech the discourses of H.E. Mr. Philippe Couvreur the Registrar of the International Court of Justice, H.E. Mr. Johan van der Werff, Ambassador of the Netherlands for International Organisations, H.E. Mr. Alvaro Moerzinger, Vicepresident of the Asambly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court and, H.E. Ms. Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President, proceeded.  

“This monumental building has a strong value” stressed H.E. Mr. Couvreur about the Peace Palace in his imposing soulful historic reference, “it was erected about a century ago, following the vestige of the Conferences of Peace of The Hague of 1899 and 1907 as an attempt to materialize the efforts of the international society of the time, for the eradication of war and the establishment of a solid foundation of world peace.” H. E. Mr. Couvreur remarked the then outstanding progress of Latin America in the first two conferences where Mexico was the only participant in the first one, and 16 states of the 44,  represented by Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, la República Dominicana, El Salvador y Uruguay, were in the second one. Under the same light H.E. Mr. Couvreur emphasised Spain and Portugal’s part as the cradle of international law. H.E. Mr. Van der Werff emotively expressed his participation highlighting the pride of the Netherlands for having the presence of today’s participants and older international institutions settled in The Hague since the Peace Palace was founded.  H.E. Mr. Moerzinger extended a profound invitation to Latin American jurists stressing The Hague’s main message of peace. The respect and international development to combat “the everlasting fight of humankind with its own barbaric acts”.

Closing the welcoming speeches H.E. Ms. Fernández de Gurmendi warmly addressed the options this event offers to its participants this year for its (polifonica) panels including China. “The importance of the future of international laws lays in you” were her words addressing the young jurists in the audience. The immediate events highlighted following the occasion were the 4th Edition of the ICC Moot Court Competition in Spanish taking place on Thursday, 2 June at the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies of Leiden University, The Hague Campus. Some special visits happening during the 6th Ibero-American Week of International Justice are those to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). A reception followed the opening ceremony. The 6th Ibero-American Week of International Justice is taking place from 30 May until 10 June in The Hague.    

Pictured Javier Arias, MBA Senior Marketing, Nyenrode Universiteit, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Ambassador of Bangladesh and Ghisline Crombag, Talent Recuiter International& MBA.  By Viviana Knorr. Launching Event of the Diplomat Magazine Award by Nyenrode Business Universiteit: Everything you need to know from Diplomat Magazine master scholarship for diplomats and international students. Under an umbrella of blue skies Nyenrode University academic staff met at the Carlton Ambassador in The Hague on the 1st day of June to present Diplomat Magazine master scholarship for diplomats and international students. What’s it all about? For additional Marian van Noort’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157666681097513

Early this year Nyenrode Business Universiteit and Diplomat Magazine announced with great enthusiasm their new partnership to develop the Nyenrode – Diplomat Magazine Award. This award aims to officially regard the talents from the diplomat network in the Netherlands and worldwide with scholarships for their programs Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Master (MSc) in Management, full-time International MBA and part-time Executive MBA. The award includes 1 scholarship for each of the Nyenrode programs mentioned above worth €10,000. Dr. Mayelinne De Lara, Diplomat Magazine Publisher welcomed attendees from different embassies as H. E. Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Ambassador of Bangladesh,  the Apostolic Nuncio H.E. Aldo Cavali, H.E. Adam M. J. Sadiq, Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Minister Counsellor of Panama Armonia Chang de Belchieur, Minister Counselor Mr. Matiku Kimenya from the Embassy of Tanzania, Mr. Edgar Eckholt, First Secretary of the Embassy of Chile, Mr. Ramez Ali Abu Safia, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Palestine, as the cultural attachés from the Embassies of Peru, Lucas Ottero and the United States.

“Every three months an exchange between businesses from The Netherlands and Bangladesh takes place where personnel from companies have an intensive training”, remarked H. E. Sheik Mohammed Belal, Ambassador of Bangladesh to The Netherlands, in reference to the program that improved the commercial lives of many small traders enrolled in the university’s exchanges. This as a result of the meticulous selection that allowed the businesspersons with the most potential, to be direct beneficiaries of the knowledge taught in the courses. “Therefore our strong desire to expand and persist with Nyenrode university programs remains”, concluded Mr. Belal.

Mr. Javier Arias, MBA Senior Marketing Nyenrode Universiteit, proceeded with a presentation about the university’s business network, its location and accreditations, the universities involved in their programs, and with further details about Nyenrode programs that are both, taught in English and Dutch aiming to cater the international components of the diplomatic world that aims to address with Diplomat Magazine award scholarship.  Presentation details: Date: 1st of June 2016 Time: 19h Venue: Carlton Ambassador in The Hague

About Nyenrode: Nyenrode Business Universiteit is the only private university in the Netherlands, founded for and by business. Nyenrode pillars of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Stewardship are reflected in all of their programs which include undergraduate and graduate degrees in management, business, finance and accounting.    

Pictured Drs.Reinier Russell. By Roy Lie A Tjam. The Chair of the Latin American Table at the Litteraire Scocietet de Witte in The Hague and Honorary Consul of El Salvador, Ms Sonia de Meijer, hosted a second lecture.

The lecture was delivered by Drs.Reinier Russell, chairman of the Honorary Consuls in The Netherlands, Secretary of Consular Corps, Honorary Consul of the Federative Republic of Brazil in Amsterdam and Managing Partner at Russell Advocaten.After welcoming Ambassadors, diplomats and guests Sonia de Meijer invited the speaker Drs. Russell to deliver his lecture.

Mr. Russell talked about the activities of the CCN, Corps Consulaie Nederland and passionately about his activities as Hon. Consul for the Republic of Brazil in Amsterdam. Very impressive. Drs. Russell highlighted what the consular tasks are:

• First line helps to nationals and Dutch
• Opening doors
• Solving problems and assisting Brazilians in the Netherlands
• Strengthen ties between the two countries
• Economy
• Culture
• Science
• Representation
• None political matters

 

Russell elaborated on all these points providing vivid examples. Besides the predicament Brazilian nationals could find themselves in while in the Netherlands, Russell also mentioned the centuries long historical ties. Maurits van Nassau, after whom the Mauritshuis has been named. This part of the Dutch presence is very much alive in N.E.Brasil – Recife to date. The 25 minute lecture in the Leeszaal of the Soc. De Witte, has been a revealing one. Cocktails and a dinner concluded this second session of the Latin American Table.

Pictured H.E. Ken Wu, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China. By Roy Lie A Tjam. The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to the Netherlands invited guests of various strata in the Netherlands to a welcome reception at the Chancellery for the newly accredit Ambassador, H.E. Ken Wu. The reception took place on Monday 20 May 2016. Mr. Ribiao Chen, Minister Counselor cordially welcomed the guests and introduced H.E. Ken Wu, Ambassador. To the surprise of the audience, Ambassador Ken Wu started his address in Dutch before switching to Chinese. The discourse was simultaneously translated into English.

Ambassador Ken Wu is a Civil servant. He has served his country in many positions. He was posted as diplomat to Austria and Switzerland. Ken Wu is fluent in Chinese, English and German. Ambassador Ken Wu mentioned his reason for being in the Netherlands and what his aspirations are. A resume of address follows. ‘It is now perhaps the best season of the year in the Netherlands, and it is vibrant everywhere. It’s my great honor to work in this beautiful country. Upon arrival, I am deeply impressed by the enthusiasm and friendliness of the Dutch people, as well as their talent for languages. A few days ago, when I presented the letter of credence to His Majesty King Willem Alexander, considering the fact that I can fluently communicate in German, His Majesty the King talked with me especially in German, which is a unique and unforgettable experience for me. It reflects the King’s friendliness to the Chinese people and also urges me to speed up my Dutch language study. Today is my first try and I hope to communicate more with you in Dutch in the near future. The exchanges between China and the Netherlands date back to 400 years ago, when the Maritime Silk Road stretching from Guangzhou of China to Rotterdam connected the two countries. Early in the 17th century, influenced by Chinese blue and white porcelain, the Dutch people made the Delft blue porcelain which enjoyed great popularity all over Europe.’ During his tenure in The Hague Ambassador Ken Wu aspires to achieve the following objectives. ‘Firstly, continue to work hard to add new ‘bricks’ to the ‘great mansion’ of our friendship Secondly, strengthen our cooperation. The high-level development of the Sino-Dutch relationship is deeply rooted in the practical cooperation in various fields. I would like to raise some evident figures.

Thirdly, to broadcast “The Voice of China. “The Voice of China” is the Chinese version of the Dutch famous entertainment show “The Voice of Holland”. It gains high audience rating since its introduction into China. In this age of globalization, in spite of the language and cultural differences, all countries are expecting to sing out their voices, The Netherlands is willing to hear the Chinese voice and learn its story. As the Ambassador of China, it is my obligatory duty to sing out the Chinese voice and to articulate the Chinese story. I sincerely wish that, by my efforts, the Dutch people from all circles could have more comprehensive knowledge about the bright and long history and culture of China, as well as the great achievements of China’s modern development. I wish that the Dutch people could feel the deep friendship from the Chinese people and see our firm determination on keeping peace, seeking cooperation and promoting development. I myself and the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands would act as bridges and windows, and work hard together with you all to enhance mutual trust, reduce differences, eliminate barriers and promote cooperation At last, I would like to express our thanks to everybody for your support and assistance to our Embassy’s work. I would try my best to perform my duties and push the Sino-Dutch relationship and the international cooperation to a higher level. I’m looking forward to having good cooperation with all of you in the future.’

Photography by Jan van der Loos.