By Baron Henri Estramant.   The world’s formerly longest serving minister of foreign affairs, the late Prince Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, or rather colloquially known as Saud al-Faisal passed away in the USA on Thursday, 9 July 2015 at age 75.  Prince Saud al-Faisal had been relieved of his post as chief of Saudi diplomacy at his own behest by King Salman in April 2015 after serving since October 1975. He had long suffered from back pain and Parkirson’s disease. He was succeeded as chief of diplomacy by Adel Al Jubeir, hitherto royal Saudi ambassador to the USA.  Prince Saud, a son of King Faisal, was born in 1940 in the mountain city of Taif near Makkah where, in 1989, he helped Saudi Arabia negotiate the agreement that ended Lebanon’s 15-year civil war. A graduate from Princeton in the 1960s he was posted for years at the Petroleum Ministry. His diplomatic career began with trauma: King Khalid appointed him foreign minister because of the assassination of Prince Saud’s father King Faisal, who had retained the foreign affairs portfolio after acceding the throne in 1962. Prince Saud’s body arrived on Saturday morning at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah from the US. It was thereafter taken to Al Adel Cemetery in Makkah for burial and funeral prayers led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman.  Minister of State, HRH Prince Khalid al-Faisal, Adviser to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah, shall receive mourners at his Jeddah palace for three days. Delegations from Gulf states attended the burial service. The Emirati delegation was led by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Amir of Abu Dhabi’s Representative in the Western Region, and Deputy Prime Minister HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior. Other UAE dignitaries who attended included HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, HE Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, HE Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Rashid Al Nuaimi, former foreign minister.  Bahrain was represented by Deputy Premier HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa and Foreign Affairs Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa. Kuwait’s delegation was led by the country’s Amir, HH Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Ali Al Sabah, but also included First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al Sabah and the Director of the Amir’s Office, Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al Sabah.  Qatar was represented by its Deputy Amir, HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani as well as its Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.  His Majesty The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, sent his condolences to his Saudi counterpart, and regretted the lost of a “brother”.  Other mourners included Foreign Minister of Turkey, Jawish Ihsanoglu, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Jordan, Nasser Judeh, Abdul Qadir Bin Saleh, Speaker of the Algerian Parliament, accompanied by his country’s foreign minister, Ramtane Lamamra and the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Abdullatif bin Rashid Zayani.     For more information  King Faisal Foundation: www.kff.com/ Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs: www.mofa.gov.sa         

  On the picture Israel’s ambassadors David Walzer (EU & NATO) and Jacques Revah (Belgium and Luxemburg) greeting Mr.  Alain Le Roi , Secretary General EEAS.   With a reception hosted at Brussels Gothic City Hall, the two heads of missions of the State of Israel in Brussels celebrated the Yom Ha’atzmaut, or Independence Day of Israel.  More precisely the fête commemorates the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel by the Jewish leadership set up by future first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion on 14 May 1948 (corresponding to 5 Iyar 5708 in the Hebrew calendar). Annually the day is marked in Israel on 5 Iyar according to the Hebrew calendar.  Israel keeps two diplomatic missions in Brussels. One delegation to the EU and NATO headed by Ambassador David Walzer since 2012, and another one led by Ambassador Jacques Revah accredited to Belgium and Luxembourg. Ambassador Revah is due to retire in August 2015.  For more information: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel) http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/foreignpolicy/peace/guide/pages/declaration%20of%20establishment%20of%20state%20of%20israel.aspx Mission of Israel to the EU: http://embassies.gov.il/eu/Pages/default.aspx Embassy of Israel to Belgium and Luxembourg: http://embassies.gov.il/Brussels/Pages/default.    

  By Roy Lie A Tjam The 21^st Kwibohora or Liberation(Day) was celebrated in the Netherlands on July 7^th 2015. H.E. Mr. Jean Pierre Karabaranga hosted a reception at the Carlton Ambassador Hotel The Hague. Many guests were present at the event, including members of the diplomatic community, Dutch government officials, friends and members of the Rwandan Diaspora.   For a photo album on the Rwanda’s National Day, please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/72157653472728023     The theme chosen for the 2015 Kwibohora celebration is “Prosperity in dignity”, a highly suitable theme given Rwanda’s impressive progress in recent years. Reflecting on his country’s development, Ambassador Karabaranga stressed that, under the leadership of President Paul Kagame, Rwanda has made tremendous strides in numerous social and economic fields. Rwanda repeatedly ranks as one of the safest, cleanest, most peaceful and most economically progressive countries, not just in Africa but in the world. Before long, Rwanda will become a middle income country, and the nation is exemplary in gender equality.     The reception program featured traditional Rwandan music and dance, along with a special performance by singer Masamba. Ambassador Karabaranga concluded, Rwanda still has long way to go but he is convinced that Rwandan will surmount the challenges on her path. Rwanda is looking at the future unfazed.

 

By Ann O’ Brien, Executive Director, T.M.C. Asser Instituut.   Last Wednesday, June 24, I had the honour and the pleasure to attend a lunch to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Diplomat Magazine. I found myself in the company of some twenty Diplomat Magazine’s supporters in the fine ambiance of the Worldhotel Bel Air hosted by his General Manager Stephan van der Meulen, here in The Hague. I say ‘supporters’ because, our lunch group was composed of DM’s contributors, reporters, photographers, sponsors  and others whose collective efforts and input during the last year, have enable this unique (to The Netherlands) Magazine to grow and prosper. It is fine to witness such good collaboration with the diplomatic community and to learn that the Magazine’s readership has grown in the previous 12 month period from 41,000 to 62,000. For a photo-album on this special occasion, please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/72157652929393794   Such success does not come without much dedication and hard work but last Wednesday’s lunch was a relaxed and convivial affair, enriched by good conversation, musical interludes and the opportunity to make new acquaintances. I wish The Diplomat Magazine continued success and a very bright future.      

One hundred years ago – without the intervention of the First World War – The Third International Peace Conference would have taken place in The Hague. Now, a century later, The Hague University of Applied Sciences is organising The Third Hague Peace Conference. From 1 through 3 July, lectures and debates were held and students from all over the world met for discussion. Subjects addressed during the three-day event included the humanitarian law of war and how the international community can devote its efforts to maintaining peace. Included in the programme was a lecture given by Nico Schrijver, Professor of Public International Law, about improving the decision-making process of the UN Security Council and a talk given by Joris Voorhoeve, head of the International Peace, Justice & Security research group, about the prevention of war and the building of peace after a war situation. But there was also a workshop on how to make peace go viral on social media. Essays The focus of this event was the new generation of students and their ideas about effective ways of peace-keeping and improving human rights. Students from all over the world were given the opportunity to write essays about these subjects, and the one hundred students who wrote the best essays were invited to attend the conference. The best essays are also being published in a book. Georgia One of the students coming to The Hague for this conference is Nino Makhauri from Georgia. She witnessed the Five-Day War in 2008 and wrote her essay about the situation in the Georgian region of Tskhinvali in the years that followed. Nino’s essay describes how Russia failed to comply with the six-point plan that Nicholas Sarkozy had drawn up under the supervision of the European Union and that had been endorsed by both Russia and Georgia. Nino explains that in 2011, on orders given by Russian soldiers, the ‘peacemakers’ behind the six-step plan set up barricades and barbed wire on Georgian territory thus sealing off 50 villages and forcing citizens to leave their homes. Although international organisations, including the European Commission, expressed their dismay, this has been of little concern to Russia and little has changed in the situation. Nino’s essay shows that international conventions are difficult to enforce when one of the parties is uncooperative. His question: what can Georgia and international organisations working together achieve for this region? Nino Makhauri’s essay: link.hhs.nl/xmsp/xms_itm_p.download_file?p_itm_id=98988

  The Embassy of Pakistan’s Trade Office,  is  organising the  12^th edition of Pakistani Mango Exhibition on 22^nd July 2015 at 16:00 hours at Hilton Hotel, The Hague. Importers, retailers and superstores will exhibit several  varieties of Pakistani Mangoes like Sindhri, Chaunsa , Beghan Phali, Sunhera and Lasi during the event were also  Mango tasting through Mango cubes, Mango shake, Mango Ice cream and more will be offer to the guests.  This is a unique opportunity of tasting wide varieties of the wonderful Pakistani’s fruit.   Pakistan is the 4^th largest producer of mangoes in the world and Pakistani mango is known for its appealing colour, enticing aroma and delicious taste. Its is important to mention that the Netherlands is the second largest importer and exporter of  Mangoes been the Trade Gate way to Europe. The exhibition is being organised in collaboration with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and Diplomat Magazine. H.E. Mr. Moazzam Ahmad Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan will inaugurate the exhibition.