Diplomatic Connections Sept-Oct 2014 Issue by Diplomatic Connections

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Diplomatic Letter From

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dawn Parker

We kick off this issue with a poignant interview with Ambassador Kariyawasam of Sri Lanka. While his nation may be the size of West Virginia, it has pulled through some extreme times, including eradicating entrenched terrorism from its soil. Spanning the Strait of Hormuz and the Straits of Malacca, Sri Lanka is in a geopolitical hot spot. The Ambassador shares with us his country’s commitment to keeping the Indian Ocean a place of peace for safe passage, hopes for building stronger business links with other countries and growing the bustling economy.

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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is a divisive figure on today’s political stage. Our article delves into President Putin’s psyche and provides the necessary background for understanding his decision to reclaim Crimea and defy the wishes of the West.

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENTS and CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Roland Flamini, James Winship, PhD, Mike Mosettig, Monica Frim, F. Bristol Lewis, Mark Kennedy

Someone who is more into granting wishes than defying them is polo player Nacho Figueras. He has been named a Goodwill Ambassador for Prince Harry’s Sentebale Foundation. Working in the African country Lesotho, the foundation supports children whose lives have been touched by HIV/AIDS. One-third of all children in the nation are orphans, making this kind of care critical to ensuring this generation of young people survives and thrives. To meet another person in these pages who is truly changing the world, we head over to Jolly Ole England where American Angelina Jolie was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II during the Queen’s birthday honors. It’s a true rarity for a non-British citizen to receive so high a recognition. Jolie’s extraordinary work to end warzone sexual violence earned her the accolade. Another woman making her mark is Fedreral Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen. She recently took the stage at a high-profile event in Washington to discuss the ever-complicated topic of money. Rising interest rates were a central theme, as was the topic of how U.S. financial policies create a knock-on effect for financial markets the world over. Germany has much to be proud of, and we don’t just mean the FIFA World Cup. Our own Monica Frim gets up close to German’s “manufactories” — businesses who use handcrafted techniques to create some of the world’s most luxurious products. Their output is definitely for the discerning buyer and not the bargain hunter. From sound systems that cost as much as a car to watches with price tags to rival those of a baby grand piano, Germany is catering to high-end clientele in the modern age. Also, our next two International Diplomat Appreciation Receptions™ are upcoming and you’re invited! On September 18th we’ll be indulging and having fun at Washington, D.C.’s exquisite Fairmont Georgetown Hotel. October 16th, we’ll be welcoming foreign dignitaries to our first event in the windy city of Chicago at the world-renowned Peninsula Hotel. Mark your calendar and Save The Date!

Warmest regards, Dawn Parker Publisher & Founder Diplomatic Connections 12

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To contact an advertising executive CALL: 202.536.4810 EMAIL: info@diplomaticconnections.com DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS WEBSITE DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT IMS (Inquiry Management Systems) 304 Park Avenue South, 11th Floor New York, NY 10010 Marc Highbloom, Vice President marc@ims.ca Maria D’Urso, Project Manager Mariad@ims.ca CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHY Zacarias Garcia, Paula Morrison, Monica Frim, Christophe Avril To order photos from the events go to: www.diplomaticconnections.com Send any name or address changes in writing to: Diplomatic Connections 4410 Massachusetts Avenue / #200 Washington, DC 20016 Diplomatic Connections Business Edition is published bi-monthly. Diplomatic Connections does not endorse any of the goods or services offered herein this publication. Copyright 2014 by Diplomatic Connections All rights reserved. Cover photo credits: Angelina Jolie, Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images; Chinese President Xi Jinping, Feng Li/Getty Images; Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Secretary of State John Kerry, Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images; Nacho Figueras, Chris Jackson/Getty Images; IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen, Alex Wong/Getty Images; Sri Lankan Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam, Zacarias Garcia, Diplomatic Connections

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By Michael D. Mosettig

n a satellite photo of the Indian Ocean, the nation of Sri Lanka looks like a mere dot southeast of India. But to the extent that geography can be destiny, this nation of 21 million has a key position in international politics. More than two-thirds of the world’s petroleum pass through these waters, as does an increasing share of the Western world’s trade with a dynamic Asia. Sri Lanka is now the fastest growing economy in South Asia, but its path to recent prosperity has been anything but easy. In 2009, the government prevailed in a 26-year civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). While the 14

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U.S. and other governments had labeled the LTTE a terrorist group, it joined other Western governments and human rights groups seeking an investigation into allegations that the army killed, rather than captured, rebel leaders as the conflict ended. Sri Lanka’s new ambassador to the United States, Prasad Kariyawasam, told Diplomatic Connections that his country has begun a process of reconciliation. Diplomatic Connections: Excellency, thank you for joining Diplomatic Connections for this interview. Your country has been through a rough several decades — a 26-year civil war, the 2004 tsunami. How are you healing at this point?

H.E. Prasad Kariyawasam, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States

Photo by Zacarias Garcia of Diplomatic Connections

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Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam: Sri Lankan civilization spans about three millennia with a recorded history of over 2,500 years. In our history, we have had several periods of stress and trial. But we have always had the courage, fortitude and commitment to come out of situations of stress in our country. In the last 30 years, we had a very intense situation when a terrorist group waged a terror campaign to create a monoethnic state in the north of Sri Lanka. Before that, about 40 years back, we had a Marxist insurgency in southern Sri Lanka. That was also a drain on our country. Our governments have been able to contain and defeat insurgencies and terrorism, but at an unavoidable human and material cost. We are back to normal now. We are in the process of healing, reconciliation and consolidating peace. Diplomatic Connections: I’ll get to the reconciliation later. I wanted to focus on a couple of more geopolitical items first. You’re in the center of one of the world’s most vital areas, equidistant to the most important sea routes between the Strait of Hormuz and the Straits of Malacca. But you’re a small nation, only the size of West Virginia. How does your 16

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country protect its freedom of action in such a geopolitical situation? Ambassador Kariyawasam: Sri Lanka straddles a strategically important location in the world, the sea connecting the Orient with the Occident. Our ports have been used by ancient mariners, and now modern mariners as well, as a transit location and more. We are an island nation and islanders naturally welcome external influences, and enrich themselves by the positives of those interactions. As a result, we are today a multi-ethnic, multicultural, multi-religious nation. And similar to the U.S., we are also one of the oldest democracies in the world. In fact, as far back as 1931, Sri Lankans, both men and women obtained universal franchise. Since then we have championed democracy. As islanders with no land borders, we value our independence. Like the U.S., we have in our history struggled to retain our sense of independence. Therefore, although we are far away from America and with only 21 million people as compared to your 314 million, we have certain ethics and values that are similar to protect our freedom and independence.

Diplomatic Connections: Given that people like Robert Kaplan and other strategic analysts are talking about the Indian Ocean becoming a place of major global competition in the coming years and decades, particularly between China and India, and perhaps the U.S. from a distance, what does Sri Lanka consider its vital interests in this situation? Ambassador Kariyawasam: Our primary interest is to sustain a peaceful environment in the country and in the maritime domain around Sri Lanka so that the economic and social development of our people can progress unimpeded, unrestrained. For that we require, and we are committed to ensuring, the maritime security around Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean and beyond. In that context we are ready to work with regional countries as well as extra-regional powers to ensure that the Indian Ocean remains a region of peace, with secure sea lanes and protection against piracy. We want to work towards preventing transnational crimes such as human trafficking as well. We are willing to work with all countries that are interested in making the Indian Ocean a zone of peace. Diplomatic Connections: In practical terms, what kind

Local fishermen pull their boat into the shallows at a beach in Mathagal, situated 16 km from Jaffna in the north of Sri Lanka.

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A scenic view of Colombo, the largest city in Sri Lanka, located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to the capital city of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (also known as Kotte).

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of port or basing arrangements do you foresee with other countries like India, China or even the United States? Ambassador Kariyawasam: Colombo Port is the largest transshipment port in South Asia. It is a deep seaport that is open for all countries in the world, and it is owned by the Sri Lanka Port Authority, but we have several private sector entities effectively managing piers. Colombo Port is one of the most efficient in Asia. We have another new deep water port called Hambantota Port in the deep south which is still being developed to reach its full capacity. Sri Lankan ports are open for all shipping in the world. We welcome all interested businesses to use our ports for shipping related activities, which no doubt can be profitable. With regard to our connections with navies in the world, we are similarly open for exchanges and for arrangements that can make the seas and ocean around us secure. We are friends with the entire world. Diplomatic Connections: Given the major countries that are in your neighborhood, how do you describe at the moment your relationship with India? Ambassador Kariyawasam: India is our closest neighbor and a very close friend for centuries. We have civilizational connections with that country. Our relations with India have remained very robust, and of course like with any neighbor, there have been periods of stress and strain. But, being right next door, we solve issues amicably. We are

good friends with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries and beyond as well, such as China and Japan. All these relations are mutually exclusive and close relationships.

Diplomatic Connections: You described your relations with China as friendly?

Ambassador Kariyawasam: Yes, close and friendly and a commercially and economically productive relationship. Diplomatic Connections: Some of the analysts Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been talking to say there are two big stories in Sri Lanka: the economic story and the political, human rights story. To start with the economic story, an Australian newspaper recently said your country is going through an economic miracle; your stock market is up 700+ percent over 13 years, which makes it look like a pretty good place to invest. What are the keys to becoming what economists call a â&#x20AC;&#x153;middle-income country?â&#x20AC;? Ambassador Kariyawasam: Yes, we are a middleincome country now and our growth rate is the highest in the region, and inflation around 5 percent. We enjoy good macro-economic fundamentals. Keys to success for developing countries are peace and stability. We achieved that in 2009 when we defeated a terrorist group that was disturbing our country, and eliminated terrorism from our soil. Added to that is the high physical quality of life of our people, which means a higher literacy rate, good health indicators, and equal opportunities for men and women, and educated women. We have done very well on these social indicators for long years and now we are reaping results. Our people continue to

A tea plantation in Haputale in the Uva Province, with an elevation over 1,400 meters (4,600 ft) above sea level. This area of Sri Lanka has a rich bio-diversity surrounded by hills covered with cloud forests and tea plantations. D I P L O M A T I C C O N N E C T I O N S B U S I N E S S edition | S eptembe r - O ctobe r 2 0 1 4

Left: Simon Frost/CC BY-SA 2.0; Right: Mstyslav Chernov/ CC BY-SA 2.0

LEFT: The Polonnaruwa Vatadage, an ancient structure dating back to the Polonnaruwa period of Sri Lanka. It is regarded by most to be the best preserved example of a vatadage in the country and is believed to have been built during the reign of Parakramabahu. It is located within the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. RIGHT: A young monk in front of the Weherahena Temple in Matara, Southern Province, Sri Lanka.

enjoy free healthcare and free education, even at the university level. We continue to be proud of those achievements. We are in a sense a model developing country that has reached high levels of development at a lower cost. It is now required from our international friends to understand that we are on a painstaking, gradual and carefully planned reconciliation process. Time and space must be allowed to achieve our goals with our own efforts. Any unsolicited attempt to hurry us or force our hand will only vitiate the atmosphere and will lacerate wounds of the past that will make it much more difficult to consolidate peace. Diplomatic Connections: Is that why your government has objected now to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) investigation of the events of 2009? This time we are talking about a group headed by one of the world’s most respected statesmen, [former Finnish President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate] Mr. [Martti] Ahtissaari of Finland. Ambassador Kariyawasam: The primary reason is that we have ourselves set about achieving reconciliation and harmony locally, but at our own pace. It is against international law and practice to intervene in countries before domestic 22

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efforts and domestic processes are allowed time to fully flourish and mature. It seems these are motivated attempts to direct and force our hand toward objectives that are not in tune with what the people of Sri Lanka are comfortable with. That is why we are against international intervention in our situation, especially when Sri Lanka’s situation is not a human rights or international security crisis in the world. Since there is no human rights crisis in Sri Lanka, it is baffling as to why Sri Lanka is in focus with such high-level attention. Some in Sri Lanka wonder whether it’s due to lobbying efforts by Sri Lankan separatist groups living overseas who seem to be seeking retribution for the defeat of the Sri Lankan separatist terrorist group LTTE. Sri Lankans wish to seek “restorative justice,” and not “retributive justice,” which seems to be the focus of the UNHRC investigation. Even the current high level set-up of this investigation seems to be way above the mandate given by the UNHRC. Diplomatic Connections: Well, again, the United States and some other Western countries — India of course has changed its position now — have continued to push this. What do you tell the American government in this circumstance? Ambassador Kariyawasam: The U.S. and Sri Lanka have

a long and abiding productive relationship and we value that. The U.S. has stood by us every time we had an unexpected difficulty, including the tsunami disaster and in our struggle against terrorism. The U.S. is one of the first countries to ban LTTE as a foreign terrorist organization. The U.S. is our biggest export market. We have about 350,000 Sri LankanAmericans, and they are a very good medium for our connection to this great country. We appreciate our relationship with the U.S. and we are keen to further promote this valuable partnership, but there is dissonance with U.S.A. on the issue of human rights in Sri Lanka, especially the human rights related focus on the last stages of our armed conflict with the terrorist group. We need to work on these issues bilaterally to create a better understanding and more confidence in the U.S. with regard to the processes we have in motion, locally, to address their issues of concern. We have chosen a path of reconciliation based on recommendations of our own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, which are being implemented progressively. Diplomatic Connections: You say “progressively.” Over what kind of timespan are you thinking of? I think there’s some feeling in U.S. official circles that the Tamils represent 17 percent of your population, but they are not yet really fully participant in the economic, political and social life of your nation. Ambassador Kariyawasam: First of all, that’s a misconception. Colombo City has more Tamils than Sinhalese. That is the capital city of Sri Lanka. Seventy percent of Colombo City’s businesses are owned or run by Tamils, and there are Tamil cabinet ministers in the government. More Tamils live outside the Northern Province among Sinhalese. Tamil is an official language like Sinhalese. The Northern Province has an elected Tamil Chief Minister for the first time. This assertion that Tamils are not participating in the governance or economic activity of the country is a diabolic assertion. Second, with regard to further strengthening and sharing of political power both at the center and the periphery in the provinces, including the Tamil-dominated Northern Province, we have an ongoing process of consultation in the Parliament of Sri Lanka. This is to work out arrangements that would be acceptable for all communities in the country, including Sinhalese and Muslims, too. Muslims are important as they are 11 percent of our population and have their own issues. I am afraid Tamil separatist groups who have been campaigning against Sri Lanka for long years will be having a very different idea of how Sri Lanka should evolve. Sri Lanka is not a country that is looking at mono-ethnic separatist entities, but 24

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at multi-ethnic, multicultural integrated regions, like those in the United States.

Diplomatic Connections: Do you have any idea of when that goal might be achieved?

Ambassador Kariyawasam: We had a 30-year conflict with its attendant pain, emotional baggage and feelings of historic injustice perceived by all communities. These have to be handled step by step. You cannot heal all wounds overnight and we have to allow time and space. Just look at other situations in the world to see how much time has been taken in such scenarios. But we have been one of the fastest in rehabilitation and healing activities with certain landmark achievements. Let me tell you a few. At the end of the conflict, we rescued nearly 300,000 Tamils from LTTE custody. We resettled all of them within two-and-a-half years. That’s a record. We had about 11,000 LTTE cadres in custody by the end the conflict. Almost all of them have been rehabilitated and released. We had large tracts of mined areas and all have been de-mined. In many other post-conflict situations around the world, people are still trying to de-mine. What we have achieved is monumental. But, when you deal with hearts and minds, initiatives can take even more time. Diplomatic Connections: You’ve had a very interesting diplomatic career serving in a lot of important posts, including the United Nations and India — your most important neighbor. How has that prepared you for this job, which as we have been discussing, the relations with the United States have had their ups and downs? So how do you feel taking on this job as a new ambassador here — taking on this job in this city, which has its own funny ways of doing business? Ambassador Kariyawasam: I look forward to this challenge. I worked here at this embassy from ’95 – ’98. I recall during that time, in 1997, when I was here, the U.S. naming LTTE as a foreign terrorist organization. I have good memories of the U.S. as a country that stood by us then, and I don’t think that our relationship with the U.S. is down. It’s only some dissonance in terms of some issues that we have to find the best possible way forward, so that we can work in tandem. That is what I have set about to achieve. We think of the U.S. as a country which we should have a strong and sustained relationship with. My objective will be to achieve a relationship that we can call as having reached a level of irreversible excellence. Diplomatic Connections: The United States is now your largest export market. What are you doing to encourage even more, and particularly more American, investment in Sri Lanka?

Ambassador Kariyawasam: We are very eager that the U.S. engages with us economically, much more than now. There is great potential for investment for U.S. companies in Sri Lanka. We think U.S. businesses should look at Sri Lanka as a launching pad to reach the Indian subcontinent and leap into East Africa and to Southeast Asia by using the excellent sea connections we have from Colombo Port and Hambantota Port. Around Hambantota Port you have large tracts of land that can be used for manufacturing for export. We think U.S. investment could look at Sri Lanka as a manufacturing hub for production and for sale into the whole of Indian Ocean littorals. Diplomatic Connections: On that point, you’re getting a million tourists a year, but most of them come from Europe and an increasing number are coming from China. Any plans afoot to try and encourage more American tourism in your country? Ambassador Kariyawasam: We would welcome more American tourists, but we recognize we’re a little far away. In

a sense, we need to create packages that will attract American tourists, like for instance let’s say a total experience in tea and ancient culture. This means tea connoisseurs could go to Sri Lanka, stay in very comfortable accommodation in a hill country tea garden, drink and feel tea. Then they could marvel at monuments of our ancient civilization and feel our culture as well. Of course around our country there is warm sea water and golden sands. We can attract U.S. tourists for very specific excursions that will suit their individual tastes. Sri Lanka is one of the unique countries in the world where you can see the largest sea animal, whales, and the largest land animal, elephants, from the same location. Near the city of Trincomalee, one can sit in a place near the sea and on one side one can see elephants, the other side one will see whales frolicking in the sea.

Diplomatic Connections: I’ll have to get there myself. Excellency, thank you very much for this interview with Diplomatic Connections. We appreciate it. Ambassador Kariyawasam: Thank you very much. n

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By Michael D. Mosettig

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(L-R) U.S. Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, Vice Premier Liu Yandong, and State Councillor Yang Jiechi attend the opening ceremony of the 6th China-U.S. Security and Economic Dialogue and 5th round of China-U.S. High Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on July 9, 2014, in Beijing, China.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) attend the opening ceremony of the 6th China-U.S. Security and Economic Dialogue and 5th round of China-U.S. High Level Consultation on People-toPeople Exchange at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on July 9, 2014 in Beijing, China.

y the first full week in July, many diplomats in Washington and other capitals were starting, or certainly contemplating, their summer holidays. But for Secretary of State John Kerry, it was another week on the road: China for the annual Strategic & Economic Dialogue, Afghanistan to help sort out a post-presidential election mess and then to join other foreign ministers in Vienna for a crucial round of nuclear negotiations with Iran. Globetrotting has been a big part of the job description for a U.S. Secretary of State since John Foster Dulles assumed the post in 1953. It’s no accident that Washington’s international airport was named for him. Like many previous secretaries, Kerry is as often airborne as he is in his Foggy Bottom office suites. But there is one difference between Kerry and his immediate predecessor Hillary Rodham Clinton. She made Asia and China the key focuses of her four-year tenure and, along with a dynamic deputy Kurt Campbell, was instrumental in the Obama Administration’s pivot or re-balance to Asia. Kerry, by contrast, has spent more time and miles in the Middle East. But whichever direction their planes fly in, and wherever the crisis of the moment propels various Secretaries of 28

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State, there is little disagreement among American diplomats and analysts that the most critical U.S. relationship for the foreseeable future is with China. The relationship is often described as one between a rapidly ascending power, already the world’s second largest economy and with 1.4 billion people, bumping up against the nation that has been the world’s superpower since World War II. Amid observances of the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, historians and strategists are frequently reminding us that the roots of that devastating conflict were sown in the growing tensions between a rising Germany and the status quo power of the day, the British Empire. Which is why, even amid crises popping up from Baghdad to Gaza to Ukraine and Syria, much attention was focused on Kerry’s two days in Beijing for what is called in Washington the “S&ED” (The U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue). Even the acronym reflects how the sessions have mushroomed in participants and agenda items. The origins of the Dialogue were in one-on-one sessions, held every six months, between the Bush Administration’s Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and his Chinese counterparts. Thanks to Secretary Clinton, the economic dialogue was expanded into its present format in 2009. The most recent

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session in the Beijing government guesthouses, where President Nixon and Henry Kissinger opened relations with China in 1972, included a vast entourage. Among the participants, along with Kerry, were Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, Special Trade Representative Michael Froman and top White House aides dealing with environmental issues. The meetings are now so large they are held only once a year. Participation on the Chinese side was equally heavyweight, with President Xi Jinping opening the discussions with a speech in Beijingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Great Hall of the People. The Chinese leader said confrontation between the two nations would be a disaster for the world and that the Pacific Ocean was big enough to accommodate two great powers. But in Washington, the question is what does Xi mean? Is he suggesting parts of the Pacific should be under Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sway and the rest in the sphere of influence of Beijing? Xi has been in office only two years. But as Chris Johnson, a China analyst for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, has observed, Xi has consolidated more power in his hands than any Chinese leader since Deng Xiao Peng took control in the late 1970s after the death of

Mao Tse-Dung. According to Johnson and other analysts, Xi is driving the current policy to assert Chinese control over swaths of the East and South China Seas and to grab or make claims over islands and rocks equally claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Japan. One practical consequence, analysts assert, is that American and other foreign diplomats cannot do as much serious business with their Chinese counterparts, who previously had more freedom of expression and action. Now, these officials need to make sure they know what the boss thinks before entering serious negotiations, slowing down such encounters as the Dialogue. Similarly, according to Brookings Institution analyst Richard Bush, some of the hottest issues do not even make the Dialogue agenda. In the weeks before the Dialogue began, hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents were on the streets protesting what they saw as new Beijing efforts to curb their political expression in a former British colony now controlled by China, but under an arrangement giving it more liberties than the mainland. Analysts see Beijing-Hong Kong tensions coming to a boiling point in coming months, but there was no public discussion of Hong Kong at the Dialogue sessions.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang reaches out to shake hands with U.S. ambassador to China Max Baucus as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (2R) and U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew (2L) look on during a meeting at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound on July 10, 2014 in Beijing, China. D I P L O M A T I C C O N N E C T I O N S B U S I N E S S edition | S eptembe r - O ctobe r 2 0 1 4

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Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal (2ndL), United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed (3rdL) and U.S.Secretary of State John Kerry (4thL) meet with staff members at the U.S. Chief of Mission Residence on June 26, 2014 in Paris, France. Kerry hosted urgent talks with Gulf allies on June 26 to address the widening crisis in Iraq, where Sunni Islamic extremists have seized a swathe of territory.

At a concluding press briefing, Kerry said, “We seek a relationship defined not by strategic rivalry but by practical cooperation on common challenges and constructive management of differences where our interests diverge.” The Washington Post and The New York Times reported, based on background briefings, that Kerry told the Chinese that countries should not act unilaterally to assert territorial claims and that efforts to create a new status quo were “unacceptable.” In public, Kerry’s Chinese counterpart, State Councilor Yang Jechi, was more blunt. He said China would handle those disputes with neighbors one by one (seen in Washington as an effort to prevent the Asian nations acting in concert) and basically told 30

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Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh (L), Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal (2nd L) and Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (R), listen as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to the press before a meeting at the U.S. Chief of Mission Residence in Paris, France, on June 26, 2014.

the U.S. to stay out of the disputes. Most American analysts, surveyed by Chris Nelson in The Nelson Report, a bible for Asia watchers, said there was a similar lack of progress on U.S. efforts to get China to push North Korea harder to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. A human rights dialogue was removed from the agenda earlier, reportedly in protest against President Obama meeting the Dalai Lama. Similarly, talks on cyber policy were

scrubbed after the Justice Department indicted five Chinese military officers for hacking American computer systems. More upbeat assessments were offered on some economic and environmental issues. While not yet agreeing to a bilateral investment treaty, officials on both sides said progress was made on efforts to whittle down the number of industries that both sides prevent each other from investing in. For the first time, China now invests more in the U.S. than the other way around. The overall trade relationship has grown from $2.4 billion when diplomatic relations were established in 1979 to more than half a trillion dollars now. Perhaps the most substantial agreements were on the environment. As an executive of one American company working with China on environmental equipment noted, the Chinese Communist Party leadership has a real stake in cleaning the air choking some major cities at tens of times above acceptable levels set by the World Health Organization. Next to corruption, pollution is the major political issue for Chinese citizens. As one American analyst noted, even dictatorships have to pay attention to public opinion. According to reports from Beijing, China is still digging in its heels on agreeing to international environmental

standards and limits to be proposed at a world environmental conference in Paris next year. Environment and climate change only were added to the Dialogue two years ago, but Kerry told a press conference that the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two largest polluters are working on programs to adopt fuel efficiency standards, greenhouse gas emission standards and on carbon capture and smart grid demonstration projects. Even as overall relations have deteriorated, the gathering received pretty good marks from Kenneth Lieberthal, who handled Asia issues on the Clinton National Security Council staff and now a Brookings analyst. Lieberthal commented, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It played a useful role because both sides chose to cast the relationship not only in terms of the territorial disputes ... but on the overall scope of the relationship ... That produced rhetoric and framing of issues in a more balanced and realistic way than we have seen these previous months.â&#x20AC;? Even without a lot of concrete progress, Lieberthal added, the sessions also helped tee up issues for Presidents Obama and Xi to discuss when they meet in Beijing in November at the leaders meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group. The seventh annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue will be held in Washington some time next year. n photos through to page 34

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) walks Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to his car after a meeting at the U.S. Chief of Mission Residence in Paris, France, on June 26, 2014.

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Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud (C), Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel Al-Jubeir (R) and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) wait for a meeting at the Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s private residence on June 27, 2014, in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. Kerry arrived in Saudi Arabia to meet the Syrian opposition, a day after hosting urgent talks on Syria and Iraq in Paris, as Washington unveiled plans to provide some $500 million in arms and training to the Syrian rebels.

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal (C) walk together upon his arrival on June 27, 2014, at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (C), Treasury Secretary Jack Lew (center R) and U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus (center L) tour the Badaling Section of the Great Wall of China in Beijing on July 8, 2014. U.S. officials including Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Beijing on July 8 for annual strategic and economic talks, with ties strained by differences over hacking and maritime tensions.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (4L) talks with former NBA player Yao Ming (3L) after thanking him for his activism during an anti-wildlife trafficking event on the sidelines of the sixth U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue on July 9, 2014, in Beijing, China. 34

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Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s President Vladimir Putin speaks at a ceremony of accepting the credentials of the new foreign ambassadors in Aleksandrovsky (Alexanderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) Hall at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, on June 27, 2014, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R), attending. Putin said that Ukrainian society is split after being forced to choose between Europe and Russia, speaking shortly after Kiev inked the EU Association Accord.

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James A. Winship, Ph.D.

n one of the most frequently cited literary allusions of the 20th century, it is the taste of a madeleine — a sweet teacake — that brings memories flooding back into French author Marcel Proust’s mind. For Russian President Vladimir Putin it is the complexities of the post-Cold War world and events in Ukraine — notably the demise of a pro-Russian regime in Kiev, Ukrainian efforts to join the European Union, the encouragement of pro-Russian resistance movements in eastern Ukraine and the resulting Russian annexation of Crimea — that have triggered imperial memories and efforts to formulate a new foreign policy doctrine that will renew Russia’s leading place in world politics. Putin has frequently said that the break-up of the former Soviet empire was “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century.” Clearly there is nostalgia for the Soviet past and the days of bipolar diplomacy, whether in the mode of Cold War or détente, but it would be wrong and even dangerously deceptive to try to fit Putin’s worldview into the rubrics of the Cold War. He is a leader with an historical sense of the destinies of Imperial Russia as well as of the Soviet Union, but he is not a man mired in the past. Instead, Putin values the vision of Imperial Russia’s Eurasian empire building and its continental European influence. He understands the power of the Soviet military and that Russia is destined by history, geography and historical forces to be a leading world power, regardless of its political system or ideology. That is what Putin seeks to reclaim. At the same time, Putin recognizes that Russian history is replete with invasions from the West that challenged the country’s survival. The Russian perception of “encirclement” fueled by the Cold War Western alliance system and the Sino-Soviet rift exploited by Nixon and Kissinger is never far from his memory. Moreover, from Putin’s point of view, it was the misguided attempts at political reform coupled with economic stagnation that caused both the Imperial and the Soviet Empires to implode. These are mistakes Putin is determined not to repeat.

Winston Churchill famously described Russia as a “riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” It is tempting to describe Vladimir Putin in similar terms or to see him as simply the product of his KGB Cold War training. However cloaked in misdirection and deniability Putin’s tactics may be, he has been anything but mysterious or enigmatic about the foreign policy principles that he believes should guide Russia’s actions. To the contrary, President Putin has used a series of speeches during the summer of 2014 to lay out the tenets of his foreign policy direction quite explicitly. Earlier this summer Putin gave a defining speech to assembled members of Russia’s diplomatic corps and foreign ministry officials. The speech has become a biennial tradition. However, this year’s version attempted to set out Putin’s vision of a 21st century world that confronts terrorism and revanchist national identities, rejects what he sees as American unipolar pretensions and reinforces the concept of national sovereignty. It outlined all this while rejecting efforts to strengthen international organizations and establish an expanding base of international law. The immediate background of Mr. Putin’s remarks was the continuing conflict in Ukraine following the Russian annexation of Crimea. “What did our partners expect from us as the developments in Ukraine unfolded?” Putin asked. “We clearly had no right to abandon the residents of Crimea and Sevastopol to the mercy of nationalist and radical militants; we could not allow our access to the Black Sea to be significantly limited; we could not allow NATO forces to eventually come to the land of Crimea and Sevastopol, the land of Russian military glory, and cardinally change the balance of forces in the Black Sea area. This would mean giving up practically everything that Russia had fought for since the times of Peter the Great, or maybe even earlier — historians should know.” Here is Putin at his clearest, restating a core principle of Russian foreign policy — access to the Black Sea — in historical context and phrasing it in terms of a virtually immutable Russian sphere of interest. But, Putin takes this historic

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interest a long step farther stating what was quickly labeled the Putin Doctrine, an assertion of Russia’s right to intervene to protect the interests of enclaves of Russian people in the neighboring territories that were once part of the Soviet Union. “I would like to make it clear to all: our country will continue to actively defend the rights of Russians, our compatriots abroad, using the entire range of available means — from political and economic to operations under international humanitarian law and the right of self-defense.” With these specifics of the Ukraine case, Putin then generalizes into a restatement of what he sees as the basic principles of international relations: the assertive reiteration of national sovereignty and nationality defined as cultural identity; the preservation of territorial integrity; and the protection of these rights through strengthening the material realities of national security, that is, renewed Russian military strength. Events in Ukraine, Putin insists, represent “the climax of the negative tendencies in international affairs that had been building up for years.” Without naming the United States, Putin makes it clear that he thinks America’s post-Cold War vision has spent itself. “There is hardly any doubt that the unipolar world order did not come to be. Peoples and countries are raising their voices in favor of self-determination and civilizational and cultural identity, which conflicts with the attempts by certain countries to maintain their domination in the military sphere, in politics, finance, the economy and in ideology.” The brave new world envisaged by the United States for the post-Soviet era, in Putin’s eyes, looks like nothing so much as a reassertion of the traditional international politics: 40

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power in pursuit of hegemony, dominant influence. “In the past 20 years,” Putin observes, “our partners have been trying to convince Russia of their good intentions, their readiness to jointly develop strategic cooperation. However, at the same time they kept expanding NATO, extending the area under their military and political control ever closer to our borders. And when we rightfully asked: ‘Don’t you find it possible and necessary to discuss this with us?’ they said: ‘No, this is none of your business.’ Those who continue insisting on their exclusivity strongly dislike Russia’s independent policy. The events in Ukraine prove this. They also prove that a model of relations full of double standards does not work with Russia.” And there it is, Putin’s characterization of the current state of international relations: “a model of relations full of double standards.” The United States and its European allies, he insists, have appropriated one set of international rules for themselves and another for those who resist their new directions. Instead, Putin reiterates, “We need to get rid of ambitions, of attempts to establish a ‘world barracks’ and arrange everybody by rank, or to impose single rules of behavior and life, and to finally begin building relations based on equality, mutual respect and concern for mutual interests. It is time we admit each other’s right to be different, the right of every country to live its own life rather than to be told what to do by someone else.” Somewhat ironically, Putin offers a celebration of Europe’s recent past as his model for a revised global future. “In August 2015 we will be marking 40 years of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. This anniversary is a good reason not only to turn to the basic principles of cooperation on the continent that were laid back in 1975, but

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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin toasts during a ceremony of accepting the credentials of the new foreign ambassadors in Aleksandrovsky (Alexander’s) Hall at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, on June 27, 2014, with Argentina’s ambassador Pablo Tettamanti (R) and Germany’s ambassador Ruediger von Fritsch (2nd R) attending.

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also to jointly make them work, to help them take root in practical European politics. We have to work consistently to rule out any unconstitutional coups in Europe, any interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, the use of blackmail or threats in international relations or the support of radical and neo-Nazi forces.” The irony of Putin’s statement is that it turns the clock back to the formation of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (now the OSCE – the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) in 1975. That was the height of the Kissingerian era of bipolar détente and tripolar diplomacy with the addition of post-Mao China as a counterweight to Soviet power. That was a time when Russian power was acknowledged and Moscow was a leading player and a recognized “great power” on the world stage. One last caveat regarding Putin’s foreign policy statements — it is important to understand that Putin does not stand alone. He speaks to a large segment of the Russian people who remember both the deprivations of the old Soviet economy and the limitations on personal freedom of the Soviet state apparatus — but who also remember the strength of the Soviet state, the international respect in which that state was held and the historic sufferings of the Russian people as they repelled foreign invaders at great cost. Those memories are part of a very real and deeply held Russian identity that cannot be ignored or diminished by any nascent international order. Every time Putin speaks, there are two flags in the background. The first is the white, blue and red banner of the Russian Federation. The second is the presidential flag bearing a smaller version of the national flag in the upper right-hand corner but centered on a slightly modified version of the double-headed eagle that was the seal of the Romanov dynasty and the Imperial Russian Empire. That double-headed eagle reflects the historic destiny of the Russian people looking both West and East. That vision is reiterated in Putin’s foreign policy priori-

ties. “Firm guarantees of indivisible security, stability, respect for sovereignty and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs,” Putin insists, “should become the basis that we can use to build a common space for economic and humanitarian cooperation that would spread from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. I already spoke of this as a single space from Lisbon to Vladivostok.” Notably, that is a space in which Russia would play a leading role and which excludes the United States and the Western Hemisphere — the historic American sphere of interest. There remains a series of overarching questions. Is Putin’s vision a remembrance of things past, a reassertion of 19th century great power condominium? Today’s world seems too large for that. Or is it an adumbration of a new world order struggling to be born, one in which the United States and a renewed “Great Russia” seek to deal with a truly global world confronting everything from terrorism and renascent nationalisms to nuclear proliferation and global warming . . . sometimes separately and sometimes together? Is President Putin’s policy in Ukraine, resulting in the annexation of Crimea and stirring the pot of Russian nationalism in Southeastern Europe through covert and often enough overt means, part of a new policy of Russian assertiveness that will reclaim Russia’s spot as a great power and cause the United States to rethink its post-Cold War policies of NATO and EU expansion in Europe? Or, will his reassertion of Russian power and identity prove counterproductive, driving former Soviet satellite states and members of the former Soviet Union deeper into the arms of the West, the rule of law and the messy institutions of functioning democracies? We live in interesting times. n

(L to R) Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff, China’s President Xi Jinping and South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma join their hands during the official photograph of the 6th BRICS summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, on July 15, 2014. Leaders of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) group of emerging powers gathered in Brazil to launch a new development bank and a reserve fund seen as counterweights to Westernled financial institutions.

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acho Figueras is an athlete on horseback, one of the world’s premier polo players and the strikingly handsome human face of Ralph Lauren’s famed Polo horseman logo. That distinctive brand, says the company, evokes feelings of pride and elitism; it is the embodiment of the rich, proud American look and tradition. Historically, polo has 44

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been labeled the “sport of kings.” The sport’s contemporary “Beverly Hills” or “the Hamptons” image probably has more to do with one famous scene of a charity polo match and the “stomping of the divots” from the romantic comedy “Pretty Woman” (1990) with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts than it does with first-hand experience of the game on the field.

F. Lewis Bristol

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Internationally known Polo Player Nacho Figueras visits the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho with the charity Sentebale in Maseru, Lesotho. Figueras, father of four children, visits Lesotho to meet children benefiting from Sentebaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s projects, many of whom are orphaned, disabled or living with HIV. Figueras was announced approximately eighteen months ago as the new ambassador for the charity founded by Prince Harry and Lesothoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prince Seeiso.

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While Nacho Figueras is a spokesperson for popularizing and spreading the game of polo internationally, his friendship with Prince Harry Wales [Mountbatten-Windsor], a friendship nurtured on the polo field, led to Figueras being named a Goodwill Ambassador for the prince’s Sentebale Foundation based in Lesotho, Africa. The foundation was born as a result of Prince Harry’s “gap year” between his education at Eton College and entering the British Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, a part of which he spent in Lesotho where he worked with orphaned children. Sentebale was founded by Prince Harry and his good friend Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in memory of the dedicated work each of their mother’s had done with children. The name is derived directly from the Sesotho word meaning “forget me not,” an expression frequently used when people bid each other farewell. The title is particularly apt in the case of Lesotho — a small, mountainous kingdom, landlocked and completely enveloped by South Africa — that is often

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Polo players are world-class athletes and exceptional riders who must develop the horsemanship skills to become one with their mount on the field of play. Nobody has described polo better than Sylvester Stallone, best known for his Rocky Balboa and John Rambo characters. “Playing polo,” observes Stallone, “is like trying to play golf during an earthquake.” For the Argentine-born Nacho Figueras, however, the link between rider and horse on the polo field, approximately the size of nine American football fields, offers a spiritual experience. “Horses,” says Figueras, “are amazing creatures that give you this cable to Earth and put you in contact with nature.” Figueras points out that his life experience subverts the elitist image of polo, an image that he calls an “incredible myth.” He says, “I see [polo] as a bridge between the classes. Look at me. I’m a middle-class kid from Argentina who plays polo with Prince Harry. So to me, polo is exactly what people don’t think it is: this perfect salad of class and race, and women and kids and animals. It’s a fusion of these things, no?”

Polo Player Nacho Figueras visits the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho with the charity Sentebale in Maseru, Lesotho. Figueras visited Lesotho to meet children benefiting from Sentebale’s projects, many of whom are orphaned, disabled or living with HIV.

referred to as the “Forgotten Kingdom.” The mission of Sentebale is to help vulnerable children, who are most often the victims of poverty and Lesotho’s HIV/ AIDS epidemic, get the support they need to lead healthy, productive lives. The statistics are staggering. Lesotho is a country of 1.8 million people where one in three children is an orphan. Lesotho has the world’s third highest rate of HIV/AIDS infection. Twenty-three percent of Lesotho’s population between the ages of 15 – 49 is HIV positive. More than 37,000 children under 14 years old are living with HIV. Life expectancy, according to the United Nations Development Program, is 48.7 years. More than half the population lives on less than $1.25 a day, and one in three people are severely affected by an on-going food crisis. There is, in other words, much to be done. Nacho Figueras’ relationship has evolved from joining Prince Harry for charity polo matches in England, Brazil and the United States (the proceeds of which were designated for Sentebale’s work), to an active role in global fundraising for

Sentebale’s projects, to visiting with the children on-site in Lesotho. Cathy Ferrier, chief executive of Sentebale, noted that, “Nacho has shown great dedication to this new role, contributing his time and energy to help make a real difference for Lesotho’s most vulnerable children.” Nacho Figueras and his wife Delfina Blaquier are parents to four children. He approaches the work of Sentebale with a father’s sensitivity. “As a parent,” he observes, “it’s always difficult to see children who are suffering because of health issues or poverty. I can feel and see how Sentebale is helping and changing these children’s lives. It is really happening, and I see so much potential for these children in the future. We can help change a generation, so it’s a privilege to be able to help Sentebale carry out this vital work.” Sentebale reaches out to Lesotho’s children in a variety of ways by working with grassroots community services to provide funding and management support. At the center of the program is the network of Mamohato camps, named for Prince

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Inset photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Polo Player Nacho Figueras and Prince Harry pose during a Gala Dinner for Charity Sentebale in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Royal Salute

HRH Prince Harry (L) and Nacho Figueras compete at the Greenwich Polo Club.

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Seeiso’s mother, designed to deal with the isolation and lack of support that children with HIV often encounter in their homes and communities. Activities at the Mamohato camps and clubs are designed to encourage the children to talk to each other about their experiences and to improve their emotional and physical wellbeing. The hope is that the children will not only learn more about living with their condition, but also help to educate their peers about the disease. Right now work is underway on planning and building a new Mamohato Center that will allow the expansion of these programs.

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Another major area of Sentebale’s work is offering education to the herd boys of Lesotho. Boy children are often sent into the mountains to tend their family’s cattle at a very early age. The life is hard and demanding and has traditionally precluded educational opportunities for these boys. Sentebale sponsors an expanding network of night schools for the herd boys designed to teach them basic reading and writing skills, provide them with health education, introduce skills training and provide them with the warm clothes that will allow them to attend school at night.

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Polo Player Nacho Figueras visits the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho with Prince Harry’s Charity Sentebale in Maseru, Lesotho. Figueras visits Lesotho to meet children benefiting from Sentebale’s projects, many of whom are orphaned, disabled or living with HIV.

Prince Harry dances with deaf children during a visit to the Kananelo Centre for the deaf, a project supported by his charity Sentebale in Maseru, Lesotho. Sentebale is a charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. It helps the most vulnerable children in Lesotho get the support they need to lead healthy and productive lives as well as works with local grassroots organizations to help these children, the victims of extreme poverty and Lesotho’s HIV/AIDS epidemic. Cathy Ferrier was appointed as Sentebale’s Chief Executive and continues to spearhead a fundraising initiative to build the Mamohato Center which provides psychosocial support for children and young people infected with HIV. Prince Harry often visits Lesotho to catch up on Sentebale’s progress and meet key children who are supported by the charity.

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Prince Harry meets partially sighted children at St. Bernadetteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center for the blind, a project supported by his charity Sentebale in Maseru, Lesotho.

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Comparable programs have also been developed for girl children who are often denied education because of the early demands of providing childcare for siblings or caring for ill parents. Less than one-third of Lesotho’s children complete secondary education, an enormous loss of human capital that could be invested in the country’s development. With that in mind, Sentebale’s early education programs are followed up by a system of bursaries (scholarships) that allow a growing number of children to attend secondary schools by covering school fees, providing materials and school uniforms, and assuring nutritious meals. On his Facebook page, Nacho Figueras includes a quotation from Tibetan Buddhism’s Dalai Lama: “I believe that to 54

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meet the challenge of the next century, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for his or her own self, family or nation but for the benefit of all humankind.” Clearly, whether in or out of the saddle, whether on the polo field or encouraging the children of Lesotho, whether serving as the symbol of Ralph Lauren’s brand or on the charity fundraising circuit . . . Nacho Figueras lives out that sense of universal responsibility in his own life, in his family, and in his commitment to offering vulnerable children the opportunity to improve their lives and reshape their future — and that of their country. n photos through to page 58

For additional information see: Sentebale.org

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Polo Player Nacho Figueras visits the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho with the charity Sentebale in Maseru, Lesotho. Figueras visits Lesotho to meet children benefiting from Sentebale’s projects, many of whom are orphaned, disabled or living with HIV.

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Nacho Figueras with his wife Delfina Blaquier and children at the Will Rogers State Historic Park Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, California.

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Delfina Blaquier (wife) and Ignacio ‘Nachos’ Figueras attend ‘An Unbreakable Bond’ premiere at Gusman Center for the Performing Arts on March 11, 2014, in Miami, Florida.

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A Rarity: American

Angelina Jolie

By Roland Flamini

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is Made a Dame by the Queen for Humanitarian Work

UN Special Envoy and actress Angelina Jolie stands with British Foreign Secretary William Hague as they attend the Global Summit to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;End Sexual Violence in Conflictâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on June 10, 2014, in London, England. They collaborated together in hosting this four-day conference on ending sexual violence in war. D I P L O M A T I C C O N N E C T I O N S B U S I N E S S edition | S eptembe r - O ctobe r 2 0 1 4

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U.S. Actress and Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Angelina Jolie talks to a delegate at the ‘End Sexual Violence in Conflict’ summit on June 11, 2014, in London, England.

“There is nothing like a dame; nothing in the world. There is nothing you can name that is anything like a dame.” So goes the song from the musical “South Pacific,” and Britain’s Foreign Office must feel that way about Angelina Jolie. At Foreign Secretary William Hague’s recommendation, the movie actress and human rights activist was included in the Queen’s Honors List and was named a Dame Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, one of the highest honors usually reserved for senior diplomats and other top members of the British establishment. Angelina Jolie’s official citation says she was being honored for services to UK foreign policy and the campaign to end warzone sexual violence, of which she is a co-founder 70

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with Hague. Her title is the female equivalent of a male knighthood, but as a non-Brit, Jolie will not be entitled to be addressed as, or call herself, Dame Angelina. Even so, Jolie, who is a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, told the BBC, “To receive an honor related to foreign policy means a great deal to me as it’s what I wish to dedicate my working life to, working on the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (the name of her movement) and with survivors of rape is an honor in itself. I know that succeeding in our goals will take a lifetime and I am dedicated to it for all of mine.” Twice a year, at the New Year and on Queen Elizabeth’s birthday, Buckingham Palace nominates a number of British

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citizens to be rewarded with titles and honors for distinguished service in the military, diplomacy, the arts or other fields of endeavor. Royal honors for foreigners are rare, but have included several Americans over the years. For example, former Secretary of State Colin Powell was made an honorary knight commander of the Order of the Bath. In Britain, being on the Honors List is somewhat irreverently referred to as being gonged, a reference to the fact that the recipients receive and wear an ornate cross or — in the lower categories — a medal, generically called a gong. The 39-year-old Oscar-winning actress founded the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative with William Hague. In June, she was in London to co-chair a summit on war rape with Hague, who made no secret of his admiration for her. He described her as “a pleasure to work with.” He said, “My admiration for her work has grown even greater over the last two years.”

Over the past two years, Hague and Jolie have traveled to Bosnia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to meet victims of such crimes. At the four-day conference they chaired, they called for an end to the “culture of impunity” and more prosecutions against such rapists. Opening the conference, Jolie talked of a woman she and Hague met in Bosnia who was still too ashamed to reveal her rape to her family. “This day is for her,” Jolie said. “We truly believe this is a summit like no other.” Jolie, who was joined at the summit by Brad Pitt, her partner, added, “We are here for the nine-year-old girl in Uganda, kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery … and for all the children of rape. We want the whole world to hear their stories and understand that this injustice cannot be tolerated, and that sorrow and compassion are not enough.” Hague has come in for some criticism in London for

Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and her partner Brad Pitt, look at displayed pictures of victims of violence during the Global Summit to ‘End Sexual Violence in Conflict’ in London on June 12, 2014. Pitt added his A-list support to his partner Angelina Jolie’s efforts to eradicate rape in warzones when he joined her in aflashbulb-popping appearance in London. D I P L O M A T I C C O N N E C T I O N S B U S I N E S S edition | S e ptembe r - O ctobe r 2 0 1 4

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UN Special Envoy Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the Global Summit to ‘End Sexual Violence in Conflict’ on June 13, 2014, in London, England.

UN Special Envoy Angelina Jolie embraces Neema Namadamu of the DRC during the Global Summit to ‘End Sexual Violence in Conflict’ in London, England on June 11, 2014. Namadamu is the founder of Maman Shujaa, a women-led initiative that uses digital media to amplify the voices of women demanding peace in eastern Congo. She formed it earlier this year after her own 25 year old daughter was attacked. The Summit welcomed governments from over 100 countries, over 900 experts, NGOs, Faith Leaders, and representatives from International Organizations across the world. The conference was the fruit of a two-year campaign by Jolie and British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who have visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bosnia to meet victims of rape during wars.

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Lefteris Pitarakis/AFP&WPA Pool/Getty Images

spending so much time with the movie star, and for what some regard as his starry-eyed view of Jolie. But the Foreign Office said her involvement has helped focus public attention on the problem of women raped during conflict, and recommended her for a high royal honor. Later this year, the Queen confers these honors in a formal ceremony — called an investiture — at Buckingham Palace. The new knights kneel before the sovereign who taps them on the shoulder with a sword. Among these will be British actor Daniel Day-Lewis, most recently the star of “Lincoln” who becomes Sir Daniel, and Damien Lewis, star of the television series “Homeland,” who is also British, will receive a lower level of accolade. Dames receive their gong with a royal handshake. n

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Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen (R) participates in a discussion with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde (L) at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on July 2, 2014, in Washington, D.C.

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By Roland Flamini

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n the stage were two of the most powerful women in global finance, Federal Reserve Board Chairwoman Janet Yellen and managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde. The topic, appropriately enough, was early detection of a repetition of the 2008 financial meltdown, and what to do — and not to do — about it. The occasion was a high-profile event at the IMF’s Washington headquarters. Yellen’s main message to the audience of top international financiers, bankers and economists was that the central bank would not raise interest rates to prevent potential bouts of turbulence. Instead, she said, the Fed much preferred to strengthen the financial system through regulation and supervision. She cited banking leverage and higher margin requirements, and called monetary brakes a weapon of last resort, to be applied if all else failed. Her term of choice was “macroprudential,” as in, “Macroprudential policies, such as regulatory limits on leverage and short-term funding, as well as stronger underwriting standards, represent far more direct and likely more effective methods.” She explained that this view was shared by central bankers around the world. Besides, she added, studies have shown that tighter monetary policy would not have repaired the economic damage had it been used to prevent the U.S. housing bubble. “The job losses and higher interest payments associated with higher interest rates would have directly weakened households’ ability to repay previous debts, suggesting that a sizeable tightening may have mitigated vulnerabilities in household balance sheets only modestly,” she said. The bottom line, she argued, was that, “Efforts to promote financial stability through adjustments in interest rates would increase the volatility of inflation and employment. The potential cost in terms of diminished macroeconomic performance is likely to be too great.” Experts interpreted Yellen’s core message as an assurance that when it comes to interest rates, the Fed would in future avoid nasty surprises. Yellen, said The Wall Street Journal, reflecting widespread sentiment, “assured investors and the public that the Fed won’t raise interest rates abruptly simply because some markets may look bubbly. The Fed has taken pains to reassure investors that rates will remain low even as the economic recovery picks up.” The financial markets took her comments in their collective stride — the Dow Jones Industrial Average continued on to record highs, as did the Standard & Poor’s 500. 80

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Yellen, the first woman to head the mighty U.S. Federal Reserve Board, took over from Ben Bernanke on February 1, 2014. In 1978, she and her Nobel Prize-winning economist husband George Akerlof went to Britain to teach at the London School of Economics. Since then she has made several forays into government service, including a couple of years as economic adviser to President Bill Clinton. In 2010, President Obama set her up to succeed Bernanke by appointing her the Fed’s vice-chairman. In another first, Christine Lagarde was the first woman chosen to head the IMF. She is a French citizen but educated in Washington, D.C., and a long-time Chicago resident. There, she worked for a legal firm for more than 20 years, eventually becoming the firm’s chairman. But she went back to France during Sarkozy’s presidency to become finance minister. When IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Khan, also French, was dismissed after dubious dealings with a New York hotel chambermaid, Lagarde was appointed as a safe pair of hands at the IMF, which is what by and large she has proved to be. The question-and-answer session focused in part on the ripple effect of American interest rate movements on the global economy. Countries with emerging markets have asked the United States to pay more attention to the impact of U.S. monetary policies on their economies. The central banks of the largest economies have pressed for consultation on interest fluctuations. Yellen acknowledged the ripple effect throughout the global economy when the world’s largest economy raises interest rates. She said the Fed will do its best to dampen the impact by keeping rate hikes as small as possible. “We’ll do everything on our side to make sure that it goes smoothly,” she said. Yellen said there were increased indications of risktaking in the financial world that could in due course require a more “robust microprudential approach,” but not yet. “I do not presently see a need for monetary policy to deviate from a primary focus on attaining price stability and maximum employment,” she said. Yellen also addressed the problem of “shadow banks,” the huge, fast-growing and little understood group of lending institutions outside the traditional banking sector, which at $71 trillion account for a quarter of the global financial system. Admitting that regulating them was “a huge challenge,” she said the Fed has “developed very active monetary programs to try to be on the lookout for the cause of the next crisis — hopefully many, many years in the future.” Hopefully. n

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Monica Frim veers off the beaten path to follow a trail of luxury handmade products from Munich to Berlin. There’s not much time for taking in tourist attractions, but a rainy night in Dresden and a ride past Berlin’s most eye-popping landmarks stimulates an urge to return. Story and photos by Monica Frim

erman design and engineering have long been associated with luxury, quality and beauty. Think vehicles. Think electronic equipment. Think pencils. Yes, pencils! Faber-Castell, maker of opulent writing implements, is one of 250 German “manufactories,” enterprises that rely on hand labor to make products of the highest quality and value. The company has taken the lowly writing tool and elevated it to international renown and luxury on par with cars like BMW and Porsche — with prices to match. A limited edition fountain pen encrusted with diamonds retails for €70,000 (US$96,000). I was part of a team of 16 international journalists from 11 countries who travelled along Germany’s east side, from Munich to Berlin, stopping at traditional towns en route to get a firsthand look at how Germany translates its reputation for exceptional engineering into quality handmade products at a time when the rest of the world is focused on mass production. As guests of the German Federal Foreign Office and the German Manufactories Initiative – Handmadein-Germany, we visited eight manufactories that made products as varied as gloves, brushes, traditional writing implements, hi-tech

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Castle of Faber-Castell

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audio systems, pianos, manual watches, fine porcelain and mouth-blown glass. The German Manufactories Initiative (Initiative Deutsche Manufakturen) was established in 2010 as an umbrella organization for medium-sized companies that adhere to classical craftsmanship but in modern workshops. The organization’s aim is to pool interests and promote a positive image of German handmade luxury items on an international level. Germany has no desire to join the bandwagon of bargain brand items that are quickly made, easy, cheap and globally available for mass consumption. Instead German manufactories are targeting a more discerning clientele: moneyed collectors who value individuality, quality workmanship, attention to detail and cutting-edge design that is nevertheless inspired by centuries’ worth of tradition and pride. In this vein, the country is also taking traditional workmanship to new technological heights. In preparation for a week of intense travel and learning, participants rallied together at Ayingers am Platzl near Munich’s City Hall for some genuine Bavarian fortification and, possibly, the best soup south of the Baltic — a dense mix of

dumplings, noodles, meat and vegetables followed by plattersized schnitzel, potatoes and the local specialty of thick, white asparagus spears. Meanwhile, Michael T. Schröder, chair of the German Manufactories Initiative, regaled us with information. “The manufactories are all from different high-end industry sectors,” he said. “Each is unique so they are not competitive. They are joined by the fact that they are all producing handmade items.” According to Schröder, most are familyowned enterprises that have been passed down through the generations. Our first stop was at the glove-making headquarters of Roeckl, where sixth generation CEO Annette Roeckl spoke passionately about the company’s focus on authenticity and attention to detail. “That’s something that hasn’t changed in a hundred years,” she said. Items such as deer horn buttons are still painstakingly sorted by hand to ensure perfect color

A touchline glove by Roeckl

Johannes Teucher demonstrates how gloves are propped and sewn by hand at Roeckl in Munich. 84

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Munich City Hall

Glockenspiel in the City Hall Tower

Michael Schröder, Chair of the German Manufactories Initiative and his wife Lea Schröder-Dolinsek

A custom-made da-Vinci brush.

matches, and leather materials are laid out so that the natural markings of one glove correspond perfectly to those of its partner. “As a result, we have fewer products, but those products are perfect,” Ms. Roeckl stated proudly. The company uses only premium materials — such as Amazonian peccary leather or hair sheep from the highlands of Ethiopia. The work is finicky and intricate. Gloves can have as many as 2,000 hand stitches and 24 components. Over the years, Roeckl expanded its line to include handpainted foulards (silk scarves), bags, belts and knitted wares. The company tried to replace the old sewing machines (some concession is made to hand-operated machinery), but it turned out that the old machines worked better than the new ones. Yet for all the emphasis on traditional methods, Roeckl embraces the future with modern designs and products befitting an electronic age. Their “Touchline” gloves feature a special insert on the index finger for dexterity in handling electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets. One of Roeckl’s retail shops is near Marienplatz where the ornate City Hall draws both local and visiting onlookers with its famous Rathaus-Glockenspiel midway up the City Hall tower. The Glockenspiel’s 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures enact stories several times a day including the marriage of a former duke,

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The Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) on Museum Island in the River Spree, is the largest Protestant Church in the city. Begun in 1451, the current building was finished in 1905. Damaged in World War II, it remained closed during the DDR years until its reinauguration in 1993.

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Left: Count Anton-Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, eighth generation head of Faber-Castell, one of the oldest industrial companies in the world. Right: Faber-Castell Headquarters in Stein.

complete with life-sized jousting knights, and a 16th century coopers’ dance. The display is as traditional as the dirndls and lederhosen still worn by service workers in the local Bavarian hotels and restaurants. A hundred miles north of Munich, Nuremberg was historically one of two great trade centers between Italy and northern Europe (The other was Augsburg). Later Nuremberg became the center of the German Renaissance, a movement inspired by German artists and free thinkers who had traveled to Italy. Today, the da Vinci Künstlerpinselfabrik champions the city’s artistic past with its fine brushes, painstakingly bundled, combed and tested by hand. Different hairs are used for different applications: soft Siberian squirrel hair for gilders’ dusters, hog hair for oil painting, goat hair for shavers and cosmetics, and even synthetic brushes for those looking for a more affordable, but still good quality, brush. The company’s most exclusive brush is a size 50 Kolinsky sable brush, used for watercolors, that retails for €1,200 (US$1,635). To an outsider walking among tables laden with hairs, glue stuffs, tweezers and gum Arabic (for starching bristles into shape), the work can seem achingly tedious. Yet skilled workers with keen eyes and adroit fingers take an inordinate amount of pride in their tasks. After undergoing a three-year apprenticeship, they earn the title of “master” — an honorific that can refer to any accomplished artisan or technician in a variety of fields. It’s that kind of workers’ enthusiasm that drives Germany’s economy. Forward-thinking employers recognize the value of loyal, skilled employees and provide them with special benefits that, in the end, prove advantageous to all.

They also contribute to community enrichment. Da Vinci offers scholarships to emerging artists that include free materials and brushes plus exposure of their work at a Nuremberg museum. In the case of Faber-Castell, company benefits at its subsidiary in Peru include free breakfasts, lunches and medical treatments. Count Anton-Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, eighth generation head of the pencil dynasty headquartered in nearby Stein, says, “If you treat people well, it comes back to you.” This sentiment was first implemented by his greatgreat-grandfather Lothar von Farber, whose sense of social responsibility in the 1800s extended to providing the community with schools, libraries, nurseries and banks. For German companies, profit goes hand in hand with social and environmental responsibility. Toward that end, Faber-Castell engages in tree-planting projects in South America, Roeckl integrates recycled bottles into their handbags and da Vinci uses only wood from sustainable European forests. “You can only do social good if you are profitable,” says Count Anton-Wolfgang von Faber-Castell. There seems to be a synchronicity between profit and passion. In Waldsassen, near the border with the Czech Republic, Reiner Meindl’s enthusiasm for mouth-blown glass shines through in novel ways. Meindl is CEO of Glashütte Lamberts, a world leader in mouth-blown architectural plate glass, with a penchant for whimsy. He and his wife, Gudrun, hosted our team for an evening buffet with tables set amid the glass-burning furnaces of the workshop. We tucked into potato or garlic soup — which Meindl explained as typical fare for a region that was historically impoverished — fol-

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lowed by pork, ham, rice, knödl (dumplings), potatoes, rice and lasagna. Nearby, fires turned sand, soda and lime into liquid glass. After the meal Reiner asked for volunteers to pull glass from the furnace so it could be tested for color. A few intrepid souls were shown how to insert a long metal rod into the oven, pull out a dollop of molten glass and flatten it into a disk. The rod is then reinserted to soften the disc so it can be pulled like taffy into a dripping glob or “zapfen,” hardened, broken off the rod, then taken to the company laboratory for a color check. The actual mouth-blowing of glass into cylinders takes place in the morning. Once cooled, the cylinders are cut from top to bottom, reheated to unfurl and pressed flat with a large wooden mallet. The glass may be made the old-fashioned way but its applications are among the most innovative in the world. With more than 5,000 colors and textures to choose from, internationally renowned artists such as Brit-

ish architect Norman Foster and Danish-Icelandic sculptor Ólafur Elíasson favor Glashütte Lamberts’ glass for its creative possibilities. The company exports 80 percent of its products, most for modern architectural impact, such as the colorful ceiling and columns of Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Train Station, but also maintains a foothold in tradition with its conventional window replacement in Dresden’s most famous church, the Frauenkirche. A 10-minute walk from the glassworks, Waldsassen’s most famous tourist attraction is its 12th century Cistercian Abbey. The intricately carved figures and ornate ceiling in the abbey’s library and the bejeweled skeletons in the basilica, to which the abbey is connected, make Waldsassen a worthy stop for travelers along the Munich to Berlin corridor. But if you have time for only one waypost, Dresden wins hands down. Our team managed to squeeze in a “dark and stormy night” (with apologies to Edward Bulwer-Lytton) when Dresden’s emblematic, blackened baroque and rococo buildings were blacker than usual owing to a downpour that kept the saner members of our team warmly ensconced in their hotel rooms. Your humble scribe, in the company of three intrepid teammates, opted to shiver and trudge through puddles in a downpour, under

Fine-adjusting a piano by hand at C. Bechstein, makers of upright and grand pianos in Seifhennersdorf. 88

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Glashütte Lamberts Waldsassen is the only one of its kind to make decorative mouth-blown sheet glass in Germany.

The Waldsassen Basilica is known for its display of jeweled skeletons.

cover of night, in hopes of catching the “jewel box” spirit of old that was supposedly resurrected with the rebuilding of the city after the devastation wrought during World War II. Alas, the Semper Opera House, the Zwinger Palace, the multi-domed Frauenkirche and about 13,000 itemized cultural monuments were missing the jewel box effect — either out of reach or shrouded by the nighttime deluge. I could almost hear Richard Wagner’s delirious passages from “Tristan and Isolde” pinging with the raindrops. Thomas Mann referred to the opera as “a perfumed fog shot through with lightning” in his 1901 novel, “Buddenbrooks.” Perhaps he had penned those words on a rainy night. I thought of Wagner again the next day in Seifhennersdorf, where the C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik once customized a piano for him. Franz Liszt and Claude Debussy were also favored clients and, more recently, the Beatles, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Paul Simon and his brother Eddie. The company uses cedars from the Italian Alps for its soundboards, and the finely honed skills of piano technicians with dexterous fingers and acutely tuned ears, to handcraft upright and grand pianos in the price range of €11,000 (US$15,000) to €130,000 (US$174,000). Leonardo Duricic, Chief Technical Officer, explained that the company was founded in 1853 to provide pianos to aristocratic and royal families. “Kings, queens, popes, emirs … many had Bechstein pianos,” he said. Duricic leads us through the building process, from fitting cast iron frames to soundboards, through staining, lacquering and damping processes, to voicing, tuning and final inspections. “Piano workers undergo an apprenticeship. For five years they are considered to be journeymen, and only then do they earn the title of master technician,” he says.

The fact that Germans are willing to spend years honing their skills says something about the pride, passion and devotion with which they view their jobs. Whether sewing a glove, voicing a piano or fine-tuning a watch, the precision and extreme focus demanded of the artisans is what gives the end product its superlative quality and staying power. There’s a cost to this type of quality and it seems discerning buyers are willing to pay it. In the watch-making town of Glashütte, Moritz Grossmann creates timepieces that cost as much as a Bechstein concert grand. Company CEO Christina Hutter revived the name Moritz Grossmann after a 19th century master watchmaker, built an ultra modern headquarters above the town and within five years of launching the company in 2009, produced four models of manually operated wrist watches, last at the rate of 200 watches a year. The number may seem small, but it’s impressive considering the design stage for a simple watch is 1½ years and assembly consists of 200 to 250 components. An innovative element is a stop-seconds mechanism made of human hair. This is one industry where manual dexterity cannot compete with the precision of robotic machines. And while robotics can also mean faster delivery, the company aims to cap future growth at 1,000 watches per year. “We want to expand, but still keep the watches exclusive for collectors,” says Hutter. Collectors items are the mainstay of many manufactories. At KPM (Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur) in Berlin exclusivity comes through historical connections with royalty. Frederick the Great bought the porcelain company from a Berlin merchant in 1763. Other companies, like Burmester Audiosysteme, are first-generation newcomers who perceive an idea, then pour their hearts and souls into making it the

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best there is. Both rely on precise craftsmanship, rigorous quality control and sophisticated aesthetics. Dieter Burmester calls his handmade sound systems “art for the ear.” It’s a fitting descriptor given that the products look like pieces of art and project sounds with concert hall perceptibility. You’d almost believe Elvis was alive and living in Germany after listening to an analog recording from the 1960s burned onto a CD. Burmester started the company in 1977 after building himself a pre-amplifier finished in gold leaf. “Since I intended to build only one, for myself, I wanted it to be the very best both in materials and the quality of sound.” But when he demonstrated the system to his friends, they wanted the same, and so began the story of Burmester Audiosysteme, now a world leader in luxury home audio systems with exports to more than 50 countries. Burmester compares his style to Bauhaus style, clean and sleek, with polished chrome fronts inspired by the glass and chrome tables of Eileen Gray. A complete system can cost as much as a car, but with a good chance of no further maintenance costs. Quality control and testing are the most extreme that Burmester knows. Speakers are set to vibrate nonstop for a week before they are put on the market to soften the rubber and test their endurance. “No other company does this,” says Burmester. “If a drive survives this type of testing, it will not break in your house.” Not so KPM’s fine china, although the company’s delicate giftware has withstood the test of time with centuries’ old place settings still in private and museum collections. A tour of the KPM factory is like a walk through porcelain history. Beginning with the flowery place settings of Frederick the Great, visitors stroll through corridors of rococo exuberance, intricate china sculptures of the Schinkel era and on through Art Nouveau, Art Deco and the sleek New Objectivity collections. Old kilns have been turned into display areas that showcase various stages of the manufacturing process. You can watch artisans hand paint pieces in the workshop, stroll through the Boccherini Hall, with its lavishly set table, and finish up in the company showroom. There you can check out a porcelain Bugatti commemorative of KPM’s partnership with the car company. Bugatti was the world’s first car to sport porcelain components. Bugatti is also one of three car companies that have contracted with Bermester Audiosysteme for high-end sound systems. I sat in on a demonstration of an audio system in a Porsche with

From top: A few components of a Moritz Grossmann watch; a Moritz Grossmann watch; Christine Hutter, CEO of Moritz Grossmann Uhren, a modern company that still makes manual watches by hand. 92

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Dieter Burmester, CEO of Burmester Audiosysteme in Berlin.

a surround sound system of 1,000 watts and 16 speakers including a sub-woofer, then repeated the experience in a Mercedes with slightly less oomph. In both cases the concert quality — as good as the company’s living room version — needed to be experienced to be believed. I am still waiting for a test blast in the Bugatti with anticipatory goose pimples … Or perhaps I am just remembering the drive into Berlin and the excitement of our two guides, proud as artisanal masters, as they pointed out their city’s prime attractions: green spaces; lakes; the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin wall, known as the East Side Gallery, with its depictions of the works of artists from all over the world; the Berlin TV tower; Marienkirche; the Berliner Dome; the River Spree; nightclubs; theaters and Sovietstyle apartment buildings known as “Plattenbauten” after their prefabricated concrete slabs. We skirted Alexanderplatz, the former central square of East Berlin, now lined by shops and

Burmester Audiosysteme is now also producing powerful sound systems for Porsche.

a world clock. Everywhere graffiti. Everywhere construction cranes. The futuristic sky-blue Humboldt Box serves as a museum and information center for the reconstruction of the

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The Altes Museum on Museum Island in Berlin houses antiquities. It is one of several internationally renowned museums on the island in the River Spree.

An old kiln at KPM is now used for displaying colorful dye powders used in the hand painting of porcelain products.

Berlin City Palace. The palace, once the home of Prussian kings and German emperors, was razed in the 1950s by the East German government for a parade ground. We followed Unter den Linden to Berlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous site, the Brandenburg Gate, then traced along one side of the 2,711 concrete blocks that make up the Holocaust Memorial, over to the Bundestag (parliament) and along the KurfĂźrstendam with its avant-garde shops and cinemas. Berlin screamed for attention and deserved more than a quick drive-through. But the purpose of this trip was not tourism, although I welcomed the reprieve that swept me up in momentary excitement. It gave me something to look forward to for a future visit. n KPM showroom

The historical Reichstag, the neoclassical parliament building offers 360-degree views from its modern glass dome designed by Norman Foster.

Visitors wander through a maze of concrete slabs at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. 94

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