By H. E. Willys Delvalle Velasco, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama.
With great determination and pride Panama has made all efforts necessary for the success of the VII Summit of the Americas, on April the 10th and 11th, and due to concerns about our region, since the very beginning proposed as the main theme: “Prosperity with Equity: The Challenge of Cooperation for the Americas”, a crucial meeting at which converge the countries of the Americas confirmed by high level of each delegation.
This Summit is framed by the valuable exchange of views and the discussions on regional topics based on the eight themes that supported the main programme of the meeting: health, education, environment, citizen participation, democratic governance, migration, energy and security.
Panama welcomes all participants in a friendly environment to share the concern about the difficulties that involve the countries of our hemisphere in diverse aspects, as well as the great challenges that require a common strategy, aiming to achieve the main goal: prosperity and equity for our people.
Prior and parallel to the official programme of the Summit of the Americas, several pre-Conference events have been organized to take place, including four major events to strengthen the process of the presidential meeting such as the Bussiness Forum, the Youth Forum of the Americas, the Forum of Civil Society and Rectors Forum, held for the first time as an innovative high level dialogue in Panama.
The First Forum of Rectors represent the space in which authorities of the foremost centers of highest education in the continent can present their points of view and recommendations on prosperity and on the highest level of education to the Heads of States and Government, as well as coordinate assessments and analyze the challenges of current situation on cooperation between universities.
With great enthusiasm, Panama has been totally committed to working hard and offer the appropriate conditions for a fruitful dialogue in order to promote respect for our diversity as societies and the will of looking forward for understanding through consensus, sending a strong message that all efforts should be deployed for deep hemispheric consolidation.
H. E. Willys Delvalle Velasco, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
In terms of foreign policy, Panama has worked hard to promote the convergence, building bridges between nations, approaching positions and making efforts to strengthen the principles of international peace and security, returning to the historical vocation of seeking reconciliation and promoting the tools that enable the implementation of an effective and practical diplomacy.
Thus, Panama offers comparative advantages to the world including all the services that have developed around our privileged geographical position, the Panama Canal has expanded as a strategic point between the logistics and multimodal platform which is available for international trade, with last generation ports in both sides of the country, on the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts, and complemented by the activities of a highly qualified financial center.
It has also facilitated our air platform through the Hub of the Americas which is located in Panama city and connecting all the main cities and countries of the hemisphere with a convenient flight schedules, that gives the business, tourists and cargo a parallel connectivity al around the world. The legal stability remains the strength of commercial transactions, with incentives for multinational enterprises and creating sustained growth.
We see a prosperous future ahead for this five-year period, with the optimism of the hard work of the Panamanian people, at the same time it is expected that our neighbors and friends undertake joint efforts to identify opportunities that can generate benefits for the people of the Americas, with the determination to increase cooperation and strengthen common values that can create an impact in our region.
Hosting the Summit of the Americas represents and will represent Panama’s strong and decisive start of a new phase, the consolidation of a forum in which our region converges the challenge presented: is to effectively work for the welfare of the citizens of the Americas, with the expectation of generating an increase in the quality of life and human development with equity.
By Sonia Meijer, Direct Languages Center.Human intelligence is richer and more dynamic than we have been led to believe by academic education, I am passionate about communication, especially in teaching. As Philosopher Allan Bloom said : ‘Education is the movement from darkness to light ‘.I believe in education as in its general sense, it is a form of learning in which knowledge is transferred from generation to generation, this science and the art of how to teach is called Pedagogy .Education began in the earliest prehistory and skills deemed necessary in society. It is true English has become a global lingua franca over the past several decades. However learning another language opens up new opportunities and gives perspectives that you might never have encountered otherwise : like: personal, professional, social and economic; all points to the advantage to learning foreign languages .It also gives the ability to step to another culture because we live in a world where nations and people are more dependent upon one another to supply goods and services. We also live in a world of globalization and mobility, ever more urgent for people to be competent in other languages .With all these factors these are good reasons why you should be learning a foreign language .
By John Kennedy Stewart, special for Diplomat Magazine.
After his departure from the Netherlands last December for his new diplomatic post as Minister Counselor at the Dominican Republic Embassy in Buenos Aires, Dr. Eugenio Matos G was invited as guest violinist to perform at the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Buenos Aires, on the occasion of the Francofonie, 2015.
The event was hosted by Head of Diplomatic Missions and dignitaries in Argentina. It took place last March 19th at the Theater of the Ministry of Foreign affairs in the presence of ambassadors, the press and special invitees. Mr. Matos, founder of Diplomat Magazine, was part of the professional Dominican National Symphony Orchestra in Santo Domingo.
He is currently in charge of the department of public affairs of the embassy.
We were proud to find this source at: http://embajadadominicana.com.ar/embajadores-de-la-francofonie/
On Monday March 30, 2015, the Amitié-Club de la Haye celebrated it’s the 50th anniversary as well as the month of the Francophone. H.E. Mrs. Ireny Comaroschi, Ambassador of Romania in the Netherlands was envisaged to deliver a lecture on Orthodox Easter traditions in her country Roumania.
Furthermore, an introduction into the tradition of decorating Easter eggs. More than 85% of Roumania is Orthodox and Easter is the largest Orthodox celebration in Romania.
For a photo-album on this event, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/sets/72157651312672578/
Two artists from Bucovina performed. Bucovina is the region in the North-West part of Moldavia, the “High Country”, that is also the region of the monasteries. Cristina Timu and Maria Zinici explained the ancestral technique passed on from generation to generation, and they demonstrated the different symbols in some of the eggs.
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On the picture Mr. Didier Reynders Belgian Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs with His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
ByBaron Henri Estramant.
Belgian Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Didier Reynders, was in Abu Dhabi paying a visit to his Emirati counterpart, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on 26 March 2015. The visit took place in the framework of the Belgian economic mission comprising 400 business people being led by HI&RH Princess Astrid of Belgium as Personal Representative of HM The King of the Belgians, Honorary Chairman of the Board of the Foreign Trade Agency.
The visit was focus on economic diplomacy, and finding new ways to enhance the partnership between Belgium and the UAE. Hence the Assistant Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs
Mr Khalid bin Ghanim Al Ghaith attended the meeting alongside ambassador to Belgium, Mr Sulaiman bin Hamid bin Salem Al Mazrouei.
The United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Belgium established diplomatic relations in 1973. Belgium opened an embassy the same year and appointed its first ambassador to the Emirates in 1975. The UAE reciprocated by opening an embassy in Brussels in 1976. Belgium ranks in the top eleven main trade partners for the UAE.
Didier Reynders is a Belgian politician from the Wallonian party Movement Réformateur (MR). He has held the office of Minister of Foreign and European Affairs since 2011.
Leidschendam, 1 April 2015 – Yesterday, the Head of Defence Office of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Mr François Roux, concluded a working visit to New York. During his time there, he held talks with the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Mr Miguel de Serpa Soares, as well as with several diplomatic representatives who are members of the Tribunal’s.
On the picture His Highness Sabah IV Amir of Kuwait.By Baron Henri Estramant.
31 March 2015, Kuwait City: The Third International Pledging Humanitarian Conference for Syria (Kuwait III) was held in the State of Kuwait under the auspices of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and His Highness The Amir of Kuwait. The United Nations had appealed for $8.4 billion for Syria this year to help deal with the ballooning humanitarian crisis.
Some 200,000 people have died and nearly half the Syrian population has been displaced by the turmoil that began with anti-government protests in 2011 and spiralled into full-scale civil war. The number of people needing humanitarian aid has increased by 2.9 million in merely ten months.
The Amir of Kuwait meets Fujairah’s Ruler, Amir Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi.
Although the response to the first annual conference in Kuwait in 2013 exceeded the $1.5 billion requested, last year’s conference only secured pledges of $2.4 billion towards a $6.5 billion appeal.
Amir Sabah IV of Kuwait who last year was honoured by Ban Ki-Moon as a “humanitarian leader” announced a USD 500 million pledge. The conference was attended by nearly 80 governments and dozens of aid agencies, with the United States promising $507 million, Kuwait $500 million, the United Arab Emirates $100 million and Saudi Arabia $60 million.
EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, was also present to pledge the EU monetary and moral support.
Kuwait III conference was held just after the 26th Arab Summit in Sharm el Sheikh where the possibility of setting up a “voluntary”, pan-Arab military force of ca. 40,000 élite troops backed by jets, warships and light armour was discussed, and in principle agreed upon by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Saudi Arabia.
The summit also provided the outlet for bilateral meetings amongst regional leaders including a rendezvous between Kuwait’s Amir, Sheikh Sabah IV and Fujairah’s ruler, Amir Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Member of the Supreme Council of Rulers and Head of the Emirati delegation to the summit on behalf of the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Amir of Abu Dhabi.
His Majesty The Sultan of Oman has returned to his sultanate after an absence of eight months of medical treatment in southern Germany.
Sultan Qaboos (b. 18 November 1940) returned to Oman on Monday, 23 March 2015; his health is an important issue in Oman as he is childless and has not named an heir to the throne publicly.
The last time Sultan Qaboos had been seen in public was back in November 2014, when he appeared apologetic on national television for having had missed the country’s National Day due to his stay in Germany. Oman’s National Day and the Sultan’s Birthday fall on the same day, 18 November. Last year The Sultan had invited HRH Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales as a VIP for the military parade, and a welcome at Al Alam Palace in Old Muscat. Nevertheless due to the monarch’s absence Prince Harry was instead warmly received by the sovereign’s cousins including the Minister of Heritage, His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said as well as His Highness Sayyid Kamil bin Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. Oman is the world’s only “official” sultanate. Qaboos bin Said bin Taimur Al Said rules over Oman since 23 July 1970 which is now fêted as “Renaissance Day” annually.
The Sultanate first opened an embassy in the Benelux area based in The Hague because of the trade and historical links between The Netherlands and Oman. Currently the mission is co-accredited (non-resident) to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg under the leadership of Ambassador SayyidMohammed bin Harub bin Abdullah Al Said. In Brussels, an Omani diplomatic mission is accredited to Belgium and the EU, and is being headed by HE Ambassador Najeem bin Sulaiman Al Abri.
Two artists from Bucovina performed. Bucovina is the region in the North-West part of Moldavia, the “High Country”, that is also the region of the monasteries. Cristina Timu and Maria Zinici explained the ancestral technique passed on from generation to generation, and they demonstrated the different symbols in some of the eggs.
Two artists from Bucovina performed. Bucovina is the region in the North-West part of Moldavia, the “High Country”, that is also the region of the monasteries. Cristina Timu and Maria Zinici explained the ancestral technique passed on from generation to generation, and they demonstrated the different symbols in some of the eggs.
