42nd edition of the Bahrain Fine Arts Exhibition – Picture by BACA.
The Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition, in its 42nd edition, celebrates the creativity and ingenuity of the locally based artists. Every year, the art community gathers to present their finest work, uninhibited by a subject or theme. The result is a colourful display of styles, techniques, through different mediums of expression.
Under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain, the exhibition this year from January 21th to March 20 presents a collection of Bahraini innovation.
The Bahrain Fine Arts Exhibition is a space which grows year after year, affording people room to question and search.
Investing in culture and art is among the important tools used by countries vying for more development and progress, given its crucial role in building competencies and motivating them to work, HRH The Premier said.
Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) President, Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, said that with the celebration of this year under the slogan ” Your Destination Bahrain”, the 42nd Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition would provides a new opportunity to showcase Bahrain’s rich cultural experience and outstanding artistic creativity, and promote fine art to be among the destinations in which the kingdom is investing to bring about a sustainable development that upgrades the cultural infrastructure and makes culture as a human means of communication and a discourse that reaches all.
Honorary President of the Bahrain Arts Society, HE Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa extended heartfelt thanks and appreciation to his father-in-law and uncle, HRH The Prime Minister for his annual patronage of the Bahrain Fine Arts Exhibition. In the view of Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa, The Premier’s patronage and support encourages Bahraini artists and enables them to reach the world.
Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands with His Excellency Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohamed Al Khalifa the Ambassador of Bahrain, before he presents his Letters of Credence at a private audience in Buckingham Palace, in central London.
Whereas in London, Bahrain’s ambassador to St. James’s Court, HE Minister (ret). Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa presented credentials to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He is due to be accredited as non-resident head of mission to Ireland, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway.
Following Bahraini protocol Ambassador Sheikh Fawaz Al Khalifa presented the greetings to Queen Elizabeth II from HM King Hamad II bin Isa Al Khalifa, from His Royal Highness the Premier, Prince Khalifa bin Salman and Khalifa and of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
On the picture Grand Ducal Couple greeting Speaker Mars di Bartolomeo .
Their Royal Highnesses The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg as well as the Hereditary Grand Ducal Couple of Guillaume and Stéphanie hosted institutional audiences for Luxembourgian dignitaries at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City last week.
In the first place arrived the Speaker of Parliament, Mars di Bartolomeo and the members of the Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies followed by the audience for The Honourable Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel and subsequently the members of the Grand Ducal Government.
Hereditary Grand Ducal Couple, Grand Ducal Couple and Marshall of the Court Lucien Weiler greeting PM Xavier Bettel – Picture by SIP – Charles Caratini.
On 13 January a reception was hosted for the President and the Bureau of the State Council, the representatives of the national institutions, the heads of diplomatic missions residing in the Grand Duchy, the representatives of EU institutions based in Luxembourg as well as the staff of the Grand Ducal Household.
For more information:
The Luxembourgian Monarchy: www.monarchie.lu/fr/actualites/evenements/2016/01/12012016-aud-nvelan/index.html
Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in the Netherlands: http://lahaye.mae.lu/
Photography: Jean-Christophe Verhaegen – Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg
President Atifete Jahjaga of Kosovo with US President Barack Obama and wife Michelle – Picture by White House.The European Parliament in Strasbourg ratified on January 21th the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Kosovo.According to the counted ballots 486 MEPs were in favour, 102 against, with 81 abstained from the ratification. EP rapporteur for Kosovo, Austrian MEP Ulrike Lunacek uttered that the SAA “should come into effect immediately, which would be a very positive signal for the citizens and for commerce in Kosovo”.Kosovo and the EU signed the SAA on 27 October 2015, which the Kosovo Assembly ratified it on 2 November 2015. Kosovar President Atifete Jahjaga and Assembly President Kadri Veseli hailed the ratification as “an important signal for Kosovo’s admission into the EU and a great political victory for Kosovo.”For more information:Embassy of Kosovo to The Netherlands, Mission to the OPCW (HE Ambassador Dr. Vjosa Dobruna): http://www.ambasada-ks.net/nl/?page=2,1Mission of Kosovo to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg (HE Ambassador Dr. Mimoza Ahmetaj): http://www.ambasada-ks.net/be/?page=4,1
On the picture President Tusk, Ambassador Rami Mortada and PM Saeb Salam of Lebanon – Picture by EU.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister (and Acting President) Tammam Saeb Salam paid a visit to the EU institutions in Brussels on January 21th, to discuss the ongoing refugee crisis as well relations vis-à-vis the EU. He was received by President Donald Tusk.
Salam is Lebanon’s 68th Prime Minister in office since 15 February 2014. Moreover he serves as the country’s Head of State as the political parties have yet to agree on a president since May 2014.
EU-Lebanese relations are laid down in the Association Agreement which was adopted in 2002, and entered into force on 1 April 2006. It opened the way to fully incorporate Lebanon into the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).
On the picture Commissioner Johannes Hahn in charge of Enlargement, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, and Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders – Picture by EU.Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian was in Brussels on the 18 of January for the EU-Armenia Cooperation Council. He was received for political discussions by Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, the Austrian Dr. Johannes Hahn and Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders as the Netherlands is holding for the twelfth time the presidency of the Council of the EU.
EU relations with Armenia are governed by the EU -Armenia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed in 1996 and entered into force in 1999.
For more information
Mission of Armenia to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg, H.E. Ambassador Tatoul Markarian: http://belgium.mfa.am/en/
Embassy of Armenia to The Netherlands, Mission to the OPCW, H.E. AmbassadorDziunik Aghajanian: http://netherlands.mfa.am/en/
By Baron Henri Estramant.
20 January 2016, Amsterdam: Nineteen top event locations in Amsterdam have unified into a unique platform. This was launched at the Royal Industrial Grand Club (Koninklijke Industrieele Groote Club).
The platform came about out of the need to have a general overview of the most exclusive event and congress locations in Amsterdam. It is supported by Amsterdam Marketing, and retains its exclusivity by requiring a 1,000 EUR membership fee.
The association’s aim is to inform and assist national and international meeting planners and event managers looking to hold their event in the city of Amsterdam about the city’s possibilities, specifically when it comes to its special venues, in order to achieve the highest success rate possible for the client’s events.
Members of “Unique Venues of Amsterdam”:
The Dutch and Belgian royal couples opened the concert to mark the beginning of the 12th Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union on Friday January 22 in Brussels.
They were joined in by Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the EU, Ambassador Pieter de Gooijer, bilateral head of mission to Belgium, Ambassador Maryem van den Heuvel and many other personalities including Brussels Airlines CEO Viscount Étienne Davignon.
Dutch Ambassador to Belgium, Maryem van den Heuvel, Royal Couple, Viscount Étienne Davignon, Dutch PR to the EU, Pieter de Gooijer.
The concert took place at BOZAR in Brussels city centre. Its orchestra was led by Swedish-born conductor Herbert Blomstedt who played Wagners Vorspiel und Liebestod from ‘Tristan und Isolde’, Lidholms Poesis as well as Dvořáks Symphony nr. 9 ‘Out of the New World’.
During its presidency The Netherlands has for goals to focus on migration, combating terrorism and the stimulus for economic growth and employment.
For more information: http://english.eu2016.nl
The Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group was officially be launched on 21 January 2016 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.In a panel discussion, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Co-Chairs of the Group, Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg, and President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, discussed how the new SDGs can be translated into practice. They were joined by four of the advocates: Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, Canadian physician and women’s right activist Alaa Murabit, American economist Jeffrey Sachs, and American actor, director and producer Forest Whitaker. The event was moderated by journalist Janine Di Giovanni from Newsweek.Advocacy is central to generating momentum and commitment to achieve the SDGs. The SDG Advocacy Group is composed of eminent personalities actively leveraging their unique resources, networks and specialized skills to help implement the 2030 Agenda.The members of the Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group are: Chair of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser bin Abdullah Al Misned, First Lady of the State of Qatar, Doha, Qatar.
H.E. Mr. John Dramani Mahama (Co-Chair), President of GhanaThe Honourable Erna Solberg (Co-Chair), Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway
Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
Mr. Richard Curtis, Screenwriter, Producer and Film Director
Ambassador Dho Young-Shim, Chairperson, United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) FoundationMs. Leymah Gbowee, Director, Gbowee Peace FoundationMr. Jack Ma, Founder and Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group
Mrs. Graça Machel, President of the Foundation of Community Development and the UNESCO National Commission in Mozambique
Ms. Shakira Mebarak, Artist, Advocate and Founder of Pies Descalzos Foundation, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Mr. Leo Messi, Renowned football player, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Ms. Alaa Murabit, The Voice of Libyan Women
Mr. Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever
Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute at Columbia University
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland
Mr. Forest Whitaker, Founder and CEO, Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative
Professor Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen BankFor more information: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdgadvocates/http://www.emg-csr.com/en/
On the picture Belgian Royal Couple greeting the Dutch Permanent Representative to the EU, Ambassador Pieter de Gooijer and partner.
Tuesday, 12 January 2016, Brussels: Philippus and Mathilde, King and Queen of the Belgians, received the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker at the Royal Palace in Brussels for a New Year’s ceremony and reception.
Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete in charge of Climate Action and Energy.
President Juncker was accompanied by several Members of the College of the Commission, President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz as well as the Dutch Permanent Representative to the EU holding the rotating presidency, Ambassador Pieter de Gooijer.Belgian State Secretary for Foreign Trade, Pieter De Crem, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and President Donald Tusk and European Parliament President Martin Schulz.Commissioner Margrethe Vestager charge of Competition and spouse Thomas Jensen.Pictures by EU.
The King and Queen of the Belgians welcoming US Ambassador to Belgium, Denise Campbell Bauer.
Their Majesties the King and Queen of the Belgians, Philippus and Mathilde as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Didier Reynders, welcomed the diplomatic corps accredited to the Kingdom of Belgium for a New Year’s Reception on January 7 at the Royal Palace in Brussels.
Benin’s ambassador to the EU and the Benelux countries, Charles Borromée Todjinou. Royal Moroccan Ambassador Samir Addahre awaiting his turn to greet the Belgian Royal Couple.
Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium and Luxembourg, Bishop Giacinto Berloco.Pictures by Akamai Technologies, Revue de presse royale.
