Recent events

For diplomatic events of May-June-July and August, 2013

Please click here:  https://diplomat.enlinea.com.do/diplo-events/recent-events-3/ ________________________________________________________

Floriaan Wempe Quartet at Worldhotel Bel Air

Young and upcoming jazz talent Floriaan Wempe performed recently with his Quartet in Worldhotel Bel Air’s Embassy Jazz Bar. A good crowd of international and local guests enjoyed the swinging sounds from the award-wining saxophonist. Some even enjoyed the first performance só much, that they came back for more two days later!

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AWC’s Holiday Bazzar 2013 at Carlton Ambassador

The American Women’s Club Holiday Bazaar 2013 was a tremendous success.  Ms Linda Divon, president of the Club was very enthusiastic with the number of visitors on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th of November at Carlton Ambassador.  The Bazaar offered delicious fresh baked goods, high quality European collectibles, drawings, jewellery, leather goods, pottery from different countries and specialty gourmet food items. This Holiday Bazaar is an annual activity organized by the AWC. Members of Diplomat Magazine and the diplomatic corps enjoyed the event.

 Panama National Day 2013

By Roy Lie A Tjam H.E. Mr José Manuel Terán, Ambassador for the Republic of Panama, hosted a reception to celebrate the 110th anniversary of his country’s declaration of independence. Panama lies on the isthmus connecting North and South America. In his welcome address, Ambassador Terán highlighted the century-old friendly ties which exist between the Republic of Panama and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Ambassador Terán also made mention of Panama’s Economy Profile, highlighting a GDP of US$ 9,534 and a very low unemployment rate. The reception was well attended and the “ambiente” was excellent. For more souvenir pictures click herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/72157637412105454/

Presentation at ASSER Institute

On the occasion of the experience of the Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union the T.M.C. Asser Institue, Centre for International & European Law has organized in cooperation with the Irish Embassy as well as as CLEER, Centre for the Law of EU External relations, a legal appraisal on Wednesday 6th of November at the Asser Institue in The Hague. Her Excellency, Mrs. H.E. Mary Whelan, Ambassador of Ireland has explained the progress which was made in the Council of the European Union during the Irish presidency. Dr Elaine Fahey, Senior Research fellow and lecturer at the Amsterdam Centre for European law and governance (ACELG), University of Amsterdam has given useful comments on the Irish Presidency of the Council of Europe. The lecture was finished by a well attended reception.

H.E. Karim Ben Becher supporting Les oiseaux Bleu

Direct from the Embassy of Tunisia. An organization from the Netherlands helping disabled children in developing countries. The Maurice Maeterlinck School in Delft and The Apostolic Society work in this foundation together to give to children with multiple disabilities tangible and intangible support, particularly in Tunisia. Each year a group of young people between 18 and 30 years travel to Tunisia to contribute to volunteering work there.

Launch of Indonesia Nederland Youth Society

It was officially launched the INYS on 19 October 2013 at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Hague. It was attended by a great variety of Indonesian and Dutch students, young professionals, businessmen and representatives of various Indonesia related organisations. The launch was attended  the Embassy’s Chargé d’Affairs Mr. Witjaksono, Deputy Director General Political Affairs of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Marissa Gerards.Launch.INDONESIA

Diplomat Magazine & Carlton Ambassador Halloween Party

Very well attended and exciting Halloween Party at Carlton Ambassador hotel. A high number of diplomats from different countries and expats from Russia were present. A group of distinguished ladies from Colombia also enjoyed the music and relaxed ambiance until midnight.

For pictures click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/72157637236395055/ 

National Day and Farewell Reception, Turkish Embassy

On the occasion of the National Day of Turkey, H.E. Ugur Dogan, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the Netherlands, hosted a very well attended reception on Tuesday 29 October. Amongst the dignitaries present was the Mayor of The Hague, Mr. Jozias van Aarsen and an outstanding number of Head of diplomatic missions. Pictures from the reception here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/72157637117712833/

National Day  of Hungary

By Bonnie Klap.  On the occasion of the National Day of Hungary, the 57th Anniversary of the 1956 Revolution, His Excellency Mr. Gyula Sümeghy, Ambassador of Hungary, and Mrs. Klára Lipcsei invited their guests to attend a unique puppet opera performance, the story of which was inspired by Haydn’s  work.  Ambassador Sümeghy no doubt impressed his guests by delivering his speech in both  fluent Dutch and English. After the opera performance, Ambassador Sümeghy and Mrs. Klára Lipcsei hosted a reception  which was very well attended. For pictures of the performance click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/72157636881008775/

200 Years of Music Created in Lithuania

By Roy Lie A Tjam. On 18 October, His Excellency Darius Jonas Semaška, Ambassador for the Republic of Lithuania to the Netherlands, hosted a concert dedicated to the Commonwealth of Lithuanian-Poland composer, politician and Envoy Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary to the Netherlands, Michał Kleofas Ogiński (1765-1833). The concert  took place at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and the evening’s performers were pianists Rokas Zubovas and Sonata Deveikytė-Zubovienė, with students of the Royal Conservatoire.

Book Launch at Turkish Residence

On the 14th of October a reception was hosted at the residence of the Turkish Ambassador in The Hague. The book ‘Treasured Heritage’ was released by Mrs. Manolya Doğan.  See pictures of the event here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/72157636697014045/

National Day of Spain.

At the Embassy of Spain in The Hague, 12 October, the day that Europe got to know America and America got to know Europe. A reception hosted by H.E. Javier Vallaure, Ambassador of Spain to the Netherlands. Click here for more pictures:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/72157636498058054/

 

 

The Republic of China’s  National Day Reception His Excellency James Lee, Representative of the Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands, hosted a reception on October 7 in the Hague to celebrate the 102nd national day of the ROC. More than 300 guests attended the reception, including Dutch officials, members of the Parliament, ambassadors and other dignitaries. Representative Lee said in a speech that although Taiwan and the Netherlands differ considerably in terms of geography, history, and culture, both share common values and principles such as peace, human rights, freedom, and democracy. These values and principles enable the two countries to build closer connections.

 

 

 

German Unity DayBy Bonnie Klap Click here for more pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/72157636188270996/ His Excellency Mr. Franz Josef Kremp, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, hosted a reception to celebrate the Unification of Germany , which took place 23 years ago. The reception was held at Huis Schuylenburch, his palatial residence opposite the Houses of Parliament. 700 guests attended, many of whom were dignitaries such as Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Frans Timmermans, Mr. van Aartsen, Mayor of The Hague, as well as numerous Ambassadors. Ambassador Kremp welcomed his guests in fluent Dutch, after which Dr. Dietmar Woidke, Prime Minister of the State of Brandenburg held a speech promoting Brandenburg and thanking the Dutch for their partnership in tourism, education and economic affairs.

National Day Republic of Korea

By Bonnie Klap His Excellency Mr. Key Cheol Lee, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, hosted a well-attended reception to celebrate the National Day of Korea. In his speech the Ambassador spoke passionately about the Dutch veterans of the Korean War, who made great sacrifices. More than 5000 Dutch veterans fought in the Korean War, of whom  768 were killed or wounded. Ambassador Cheol Lee wants to honor their memory and has worked tirelessly to convince the authorities to include this part of history in Dutch school textbooks. “Without honoring our past, we have no future,” the Ambassador explained.

 

Ceremonial Opening New Embassy of Belgium

By Bonnie Klap More pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/72157636179573215/ On October 1st 2013 the new  Embassy of Belgium  was officially inaugurated. The official ribbon cutting  ceremony was performed by His Excellency Mr. Frank Geerkens, Ambassador of Belgium, Mr. Dirk Achten Secretary-General of Belgium and His Excellency Mr. Frans Timmermans, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands. Mr. Achten held a speech praising the perfect location of the  new Embassy, in the close vicinity of the International Organizations. Minister Timmermans also took the floor elaborating on the increased cooperation between the three Benelux countries. He specifically underscored the importance of cooperation between the two harbours: Antwerp and Rotterdam. “We should not compete with each other, but complement each other. My dream for the future would be a shared Harbour Delta, stretching from Amsterdam and Rotterdam to Antwerp and Zeebrugge,” Mr. Timmermans remarked. The event was attended by many dignitaries and Ambassadors, including Mayor Jozias van Aartsen of The Hague.

Fantastic Tunisian evening !

At the Embassy of Tunisia in The Hague. More info coming soon.

The Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia celebrates.

By Bonnie Klap For more pictures click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/72157635983951825/ His Excellency Mr. Abdullah A. Alshaghrood, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in The Netherlands, hosted a magnificent reception to celebrate the National Day. The reception took place in the 5 star Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel, where a very large number of guests came to congratulate Ambassador Alshaghrood on this special day. In his speech the Ambassador referred to the historic relations between Saudi Arabia and The Netherlands, that date back to the 17th century and were formalized with the opening of the Dutch consulate in Jeddah in 1869. Today the relations between the two Kingdoms remain  excellent.

National Day Reception of the Czech Republic.

By Robert Buurke. On the occasion of both the National Day at 28th of octobre as well as St Wenceslas Day His Excellence mr Jaroslav Horak invited on wednesday 25 th of september more than 300 guests to his Residence to celebrate with him these days. The St. Wenceslas Festival belongs among the most popular autumn celebrations taking place at many venues throughout the Czech Republic. It is traditionally held around 28 September, on the date of the Czech national holiday commemorating the death of the Czech prince St. Wenceslas. ”

 

 

The Independence of  the Republic of Armenia “On the occasion of the 22nd Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Armenia on Tuesday 24th of September 2013 a concert by “Karin” took place at the Schouwburg Theater in Rijswijk which concert was followed by a well attended reception.”Karin” is an Armenian Folk Singing and Dance Ensemble which was established in 2001. The founding director was Gagik Ginosyan, the Honoroury cultural employee of Armenia. The conductor is Sevada Iritsyan “Karin” is regularly performing on festivals, participating competitions, joining television programs and last but not least wining awards. In the beginning ”Karin” only performed in Armenia but nowadays they are performing in the Armenian diaspora. In 2008 ‘Karin'” has received from the Armenian Ministry of Culture.

Ambassador Mauricio Robles celebrates in big Honduras’ National day!

H.E. Mauricio Ricardo Aguilar Robles, Ambassador of Honduras to the Netherlands, hosted a warmth-typical gathering at his diplomatic mission last September 14th to commemorate the 192th independence day of Honduras. Ambassador Aguilar Robles welcomed the guests with music, drinks and food from his country. It was an exceptional gathering here in The Hague. Mrs. Andrea van der Waag Bogran, a local engaged-staff at the embassy coordinated part of this event.

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¡Felicidades El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua ! on your 192nd Year of Independence

By Roy Lie. Embajadores Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica y Nicaragua flags.central.america2On Friday 13 September 2013, the Republics of  El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua celebrated the 192nd anniversary of the region’s independence. A festive gathering took place at the Hotel Bel Air in The Hague. There were many cultural offerings for guests including artisanal presentations, food tasting, printed material and an ongoing audio-visual show. ___________________________________

_______________________________________ Cartooning for Peace

By Nicole H. PIERRE The Peace Palace came alive on Friday September 13th 2013 when Jean Plantureux conducted his first ever conference in the Netherlands. Approximately 300 guests were in attendance at this monumental event. Plantu is a journalist and cartoonist from the well known French newspaper Le Monde, as well as the president of the not-for-profit organization Cartooning for Peace. As part of the continued celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Peace Palace which is, coincidentally, also the year of the 125th anniversary of the presence of The Alliance Française in The Netherlands, it seemed only fitting that such an event should take place in the city known for justice and peace. Initiated by the director of the Alliance Française, Martin Beyer, and in collaboration with the Carnegie Foundation, The French Embassy and the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, the afternoon began with the launching of the Cartooning for Peace exhibition at the GEM, where the French Ambassador Pierre Ménat and Dr Franz Kaiser, curator of the museum, were among the different speakers present. Following the launching, the guest of honor conducted an animated yet educational conference in the auditorium of the Peace Palace. Ambassador Ménat warmly hosted a reception at his residence where he again addressed the topic of peace and justice.

Successful first Hotel Night The Hague and “Hôtel Excentrique”

On September 7th the first Hotel Night The Hague started and it was a great success. Worldhotel Bel Air hosted the highly frequented final party “Hôtel Excentrique” : until 4 AM no less than 600 party guests danced to DJ’s Luuk Wessels & Sjeazy Pearl, enjoyed eccentric performances on stage – taking the wonderful world of hotels to the extreme, sipped champagne from Moët & Chandon’s  Champagne Bar and had their picture taken by a professional photographer with a brand new MINI Convertible in the private Garden Terrace. For additional pictures please click here:  https://plus.google.com/photos/104336367942684343686/albums/5923579780998616769

Farewell Reception at the Embassy of Cuba

On September 11th took place at the residence of the Ambassador of Cuba to the Kingdom of The Netherlands, H.E Mrs. Zelmys Domínguez Cortina,  a farewell reception to Mr. Mauricio Martínez Duke and Mrs. Kira Ruiz Amaro, Cuban officials at the Embassy of Cuba. The occasion was also favorable to welcome their replacements, Mr. Carlos Ernesto Rodriguez Etcheverry, Third Secretary and Mrs. Wendy Garayta Orúe, Diplomatic Attaché. The activity took place in a friendly atmosphere in which the Cuban Ambassador said some warm words of farewell to her staff, who successfully completed their mission, while she wished good luck to the new diplomats. He also welcomed the presence of all the guests, among whom there were more than 80 people, including representatives of the diplomatic corps, businessmen and Cuban and Dutch friends. FOR ADDITIONAL PICTURES PLEASE CLICK HERE: https://plus.google.com/photos/104336367942684343686/albums/5923569586637232785

Diplomat Magazine at Embassy Festival

We are promoting Diplomat Magazine at all levels and very successfully. Publisher Robert Buurke and Associate Editor Nicole H. Pierre were taking care of our stand during the second version of Embassy Festival in The Hague organized last Saturday September 7th.  Also promoting our sponsors !!!

Adios Ambassador Madeiros

Click here for farewell reception details: https://diplomat.enlinea.com.do/2013/09/08/adios-ambassador-medeiros/ _______________________________________________________

Vietnam National Day in pictures

For additional pictures click here: https://plus.google.com/photos/104336367942684343686/albums/5925718738650297713