By Roy Lie A Tjam.
Following the presentation of his credentials to H.M. King Willem Alexander on 1 October 2014, H.E. Mr. Chris Leo Clark Hoornaert, Ambassador for Belgium, hosted a reception at his residence to meet his compatriots residing in the Netherlands. The inclement downpour on the evening of Thursday 13 November 2014 did not deter guests from attending to congratulate Ambassador Hoornaert on his new assignment. 
By Nicole Pierre
On Friday 14th November 2014, an exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the First World War was officially launched. Despite the nippy weather, members of the diplomatic corps, as well as those from the francophone community, were present at the Peace Palace in The Hague to participate in the inauguration.
Presentations were made by Jeroen Vevliet, director of the Peace Palace Library, Richard Schreurs, the president of Alliance française de La Haye and Laurent Pic the new ambassador of France to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The exhibition was declared opened after the ambassador’s speech in which he stressed the significance of the war as an important event in history but also as a landmark of European identity and unity today.
The exhibition gives us an up-close and personal view of the day to day lives of soldiers at the beginning of the war, through the private and intimate correspondence of a French soldier named Raymond Molle which he had sent to his wife Emma. Unfortunately he fell in combat in April, 1915. With Officer Molle, the so-called “unknown soldiers”, who got lost in the transmittance of our historical past but who are the true pillars of that history, suddenly get a face again.
The exhibition is opened for viewing partly in the visitor’s center and partly in the main lobby of the Peace Palace and is available until December 7th, 2014.
http://www.aflahaye.nl/en/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/47-bien-chere-emma-en
By Baron Henri Estramant.
The State of Qatar’s ruling Amir has taken the unusual step to appointing one of his half-brothers, HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, to the position of “Deputy Amir”. Such office is normally held in trust by the heir apparent, who is not automatically the eldest son of the Amir but is usually appointed amongst the Amir’s sons.
His Highness Amir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani became Ruler on 25 June 2013 after the abdication of his father, Amir Hamad bin Khalifa. Amir Tamim has two wives, and thus far three eligible but infant male heirs, Sheikh Hamad (b. 2008) and Sheikh Jassim (b. 2012) through his first wife and second cousin Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani. The other son is Sheikh Abdullah (b. 2012) from Her Highness Sheikha Anoud bint Mana Al Hajri, his second wife.
Unlike European monarchies the Gulf states tend to appoint heir apparents (crown princes) on the basis of merit rather than automatically leaving the position to the eldest son of the ruling Amir. So the first two sons of the current “Amir Father” were excluded from succession in favour of the offspring of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser bin Abdullah Al Missned; of whom the eldest HH Prince Jassim bin Hamad renounced his hereditary rights in 2003, paving the way for his brother Tamim bin Hamad to be appointed Crown Prince and Deputy Amir. It should be expected that upon reaching their majority, the Amir shall appoint one of his sons as “Crown Prince of the State of Qatar”.
The current move to appoint Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Khalifa as Deputy Amir might be rationalised as an attempt to share political power with a co-lateral branch of Al Thani, but moreover to provide the country with a clear second in command. After all, the Amir Father, Hamad bin Khalifa who ruled from 1995 to 2013 is deemed to have withdrawn mostly from politics although his influence as adviser to the new Amir is unknown. The unofficial “Amir Grandfather”, Amir Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah who ruled from 1972 to 1995 until his deposition in a bloodless coup d’état by the incumbent Amir Father Hamad bin Khalifa is reported to live back in Qatar since 2004 yet he is kept out of public life. Hence Qatar is the only emirate with three amirs, and now a Deputy Amir.
The Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (b. 1988) is the second son of the Amir Father’s third wife and fourth cousin, Her Highness Sheikha Noura bin Khalid Al Thani. He holds a Bachelor of Sciences from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (Doha campus). He has served as Chief of Amiri Diwan (The Amir’s Court) with the rank of Minister. Moreover President of Al-Rayyan Sports Club, and holds several business directorships. Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad is married since 22 March 2012 to HE Sheikha Maha bint Mohammed Al Attiyah. His function as Chief of Amiri Diwan shall be taken over by HE Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, hitherto Director of the Amir’s Office.
In addition Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad will hold the rather powerful position of Vice-President of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) which manages an estimated $170 billion of assets. The appointment took place on 11 November 2014 after the publication of the Amiri decree thereto on QNA news agency. 
By Roy Lie A Tjam.
The exhibition New Horizon by Bruno van Elshout fills you with awe, arousing a profound sentiment of gratitude in the viewer; gratitude for the marvelous experience of serenity and space which the multiple images of the horizon emanate.
The New Horizon concept was born after a special reconnaissance trip to view the horizon of the North Sea from Kijkduin in The Hague. The project started in the summer of 2011, after Bruno van Elshout considered the idea of allotting the theme of serenity and space, rare phenomena in this hectic world, to the year 2012. The term New Horizon appeared to be the most appropriate for the work and following that revelation, the contours of the multifaceted project unfolded rapidly.
A custom-built installation was stationed on the roof of the NH Atlantic Hotel in Kijkduin, from 31 December 2011 to 6 January 2013, to capture one image every hour of the horizon in detail. An incredible number of captures, 8,785 in total, would tell the universal story of an infinite cycle: 8785 portraits of the very same stretch of infinity, where everything reunites: Heaven and earth, imagination and reality. Past, present and future. Somewhere you will never arrive, but the desire to reach out changes everything.”Images from the New Horizon project are now on show at the Panorama Mesdag until 1 March 2015. Bruno van den Elshout’s exhibition will transport you to the serenity and space of the horizon as he has imagined it.
The launch of the New Horizon book which accompanies the exhibition will take place on 4 December 2014 in the Garden Room of the Gemeente Museum, The Hague. The first copy will be dedicated to Van den Elshout’s son whose observations while strolling along the beach prompted the artist to select the title New Horizon. Only 2012 copies have been published. Purchasing the book online before 1 December 2014 will entitle each owner to attend the book launch. Van den Elshout hopes that his work will surprise and inspire many. For those who love the sea and The Hague, this compelling exhibition is well worth a visit.
Roy Lie A Tjam
H.E. Mr. Maris Klisans, the Latvian Ambassador celebrated his country’s important anniversary by hosting a concert followed by a reception at the Societeit De Witte. The concert featured soprano Inessa Galante and Alexander Schmalcz, pianist.
The music commenced with a piece by Jazeps Medins, Mirdza’s song from the opera Vaidelote. People from many different walks of life, including representatives from the Latvian community who live and work locally, came to shake Ambassador Klisans by the hand in celebration. 
By Roy Lie A Tjam
On Tuesday 11 November 2014, Diplomat Magazine awarded a Certificate of Merit to the parting Ambassador of Angola to the Netherlands, H.E. Dr Luis Jose de Almeida.
The certificate is a token of gratitude for the parting ambassador’s support to the diplomatic community in the Netherlands as well as to Diplomat Magazine. Ambassadors and other well-wishers came to bid farewell to Ambassador De Almeida who was one of the leaders of the liberation of his country and a long career diplomat.
In 1993, after the country re-established its monarchical system, Sihamoni served as Cambodia’s envoy to UNESCO and the cultural institutions based in Paris with the rank of ambassador albeit he declined to be accredited to France where he had been based for about twenty years of exile. King Sihamoni serves as a unifying symbol for Cambodians, and plays a mostly ceremonial roles whilst the country is in fact run by the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen. He is fluent in English, French, Czech and his native Khmer. He is noted for being the world’s only monarch to speak fluent Czech which he learnt whilst studying in Prague between 1962 and 1975.
Albeit the King is childless, there is no problem in the royal succession as the throne does not automatically go to one of the King’s sons but to a chosen prince who professes Theravada Buddhism, and is over thirty years old. The decision process is handled by the “Royal Council of the Throne”. The reigning dynasty is called Varman which has two houses, one named Norodom and one Sisowath. All princes and princesses belong to one of these two houses.
The present King holds a court of 26 royal advisers, all members of the extended Royal Family. The celebrations of His Majesty’s jubilee included monks chanting and praying for the King’s well-being before a giant portrait of the former. Thousands took to the streets of Phnom Penh to catch a glimpse of the King greeting the crowds from the Royal Palace.
Since 2009 Cambodia is represented to the Benelux countries, the EU and Austria by HE Ambassador Saem Hem. He is based in Brussels.
