Diplomacy Magazine - June 2021

Diplomacy MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021

Photo: Anthony Georgieff, www.vagabond.bg

FULLY INVESTED, HALF-DANISH,THE NEW UK AMBASSADOR IS UNDER NO ILLUSION: THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE AFTER BREXIT!

Emma Hopkins, a tireless trailblazer as first a barrister and then a defender of victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, has arrived here with a clear agenda: after years of uncertainty, it’s time to reset the relationship and explore new forms of co-operation between Denmark and Britain 2

BY STEPHEN GADD Emma Kate Hopkins, the new British ambassador to Denmark, is something of a rare breed: she is halfDanish!

ACCLAIMED CIVIL SERVICE

Thanks to her mother, she has been a regular visitor to these shores from a young age.

Since entering public service in 2001, the University of Cambridge graduate has worked tirelessly in many areas – most notably immigration and asylum, human rights and violence against women.

So when the British Foreign Service needed to appoint a new ambassador to Denmark last year, it was an easy choice - particularly when you consider her credentials.

She was named 2008 Civil Servant of the Year for her work on establishing a UK strategy on human trafficking.

From 2015 until August, the former barrister had been proving her mettle as the ambassador to Bulgaria. Most would agree that her appointment in Copenhagen was a natural fit.

And more recently she led the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative to end impunity for such crimes during wartime, which resulted in a global summit attended by 125 countries.

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CPH POST recently caught up with Ambassador Hopkins to find out how she is settling IN and enjoying life in the same country her mother was brought up in.

Q

Ambassador Hopkins, I know you have family connections to Denmark and have been here many times – so do you feel that getting this posting is a bit like coming home?

I made a positive choice to come to Denmark because I wanted to explore my Danish roots and be a bit closer to my extended family, and also for my children to be a bit closer to my extended family, so it does feel like that. It also feels quite different because there is a lot that is familiar and a lot that is new. Denmark has changed so much over the years.

I’m discovering things I haven’t done before and visiting places I haven’t been to. I’ve never actually been around Denmark that much, so we’ve had a good opportunity to do that as well.

Q Q Q Q

When did you first come here?

Probably when I was three.

It has changed a lot. I was just thinking that in the time I’ve been here some things are almost unrecognisable …

Yes, over the last 45 years Copenhagen in particular has certainly developed a lot.

Where did your family come from in Denmark?

They came from Copenhagen. I have family in Frederiksberg, in Østerbro and in Bronshøj – so very central.

What do you see as your main priorities here in Denmark?

For me, arriving when I did in October last year, it’s very much about reinvigorating the bilateral relationship between Denmark and the UK. We’ve had a period of protracted EU exit negotiations and at the end of that, when we have transited outside the European Union, it’s very much about resetting the relationship and exploring new forms of co-operation with Denmark in areas of shared interest.

Q

Denmark and the United Kingdom have been close allies since WWII. How do you see that relationship developing now that the UK is no longer an EU member?

We share such a lot because we are quite like-minded in our approach to many of the issues of the day and global challenges; whether its climate, human rights, security issues – we do a lot together.

In terms of how we develop in the future, I think our co-operation will be more deliberate. We won’t be meeting around the table in Brussels quite so much, so we have to actually decide what we want to cooperate on bilaterally and make an effort to do that.

We’ve been talking to the Danish government over the last few months regarding a range of issues: from education to science co-operation and matters

4

With British PM Boris Johnson

of security. We’ve been trying to decide which areas of co-operation we want to evolve, and to make a choice to do that. That’s how I see our relationship progressing. The second area is trade because we are now outside the EU. We’re in control of our trade policy for the first time in 47 years, so we’re trying to grow and develop our trade relations with Denmark and other countries in the Nordics – that is going to be the key focus for me.

trade co-operation agreement and the withdrawal agreement has been extremely positive.

Q

Q

A lot of UK expats living in Denmark felt rather abandoned when Brexit happened.What can you do that might reassure them that things will return to some kind of normal?

We have been doing a lot. My consular team and I have done many Facebook live sessions answering questions from Brits. We’ve been working hard with the Danish government regarding how we implement the withdrawal agreement, which preserves the rights of Brits living here. As of today, 7,000 Brits have already applied for residency under the Danish system, so that system is progressing as predicted. I think we have provided support by giving prompt information concerning things such as driving licences, passports and travel. We’re constantly trying to communicate information regarding these topics to UK nationals here. The Danish government has been extremely welcoming. They’ve repeatedly said they very much value the contribution that British residents have made here, and that they want to encourage Brits to stay. The way they’ve been interpreting the

When it comes to mutual exports, some of the hurdles seem extremely difficult to overcome and, although things seem to be progressing in the right direction, some of the problems were caused by the fact that nobody really knew what was going on until the last minute …

It was a last-minute deal and we saw that trade import and export figures dropped quite drastically in January. But I was studying them yesterday and there is a steady trajectory upwards, especially in relation to exports to the EU. We’re continuing to see that the trade figures are strengthening.

It is very difficult because we are in a global pandemic and it is hard to say what the covid impact has been on trade and what effect Brexit has had. Many of the companies I’ve been speaking to say that they’ve had this double whammy of uncertainty and had to try and mitigate that. But what I do hear from a lot of companies is that they appreciate what the trade cooperation agreement does insomuch as it gives them a certainty in terms of structure. That’s something they’ve lacked for quite a while, so they are able to plan against that. The investment figures for Scotland and the rest of the UK have held up quite strongly.

Earlier today I met with some CEOs, including the chief executive of Carlsberg, and we were talking about the economic forecast for the UK. It predicts growth of 7.9 percent next year. I think

With former British PM David Cameron

Q

the forecasts are strong for the UK economy bouncing back after covid.

Q

Knowing both countries so well, do you feel there is anything the Danes, or the way thing are done in Denmark, can teach the UK – or vice versa?

Well, there’s lot of things we can learn from each other. I think the UK can learn a bit about the work-life balance!

Over the last few weeks we’ve been looking at what we can learn from each other on climate and how we reach our climate goals. The Danish model for public/private partnerships in the area of climate is very interesting. We’re looking at that and how it encourages businesses to make a contribution to the Race to Zero (international carbon emissions reduction campaign).

But we’ve also been co-operating quite a lot on healthcare and science recently because of covid. We’ve had to do more together about our approaches to genome sequencing, which is really important in detecting covid variants. We’ve also been looking at digitisation. Denmark is very advanced in what it can offer its citizens digitally.

It’s interesting to explore that further because there is much more the UK can do on that.

We’ve also been looking into merging technologies.

Denmark is at the forefront, as is the UK, of things such as artificial intelligence, so there is tremendous potential to learn from each other.

6

Corona has dominated the world scene for the last 18 months or so – almost to the exclusion of everything else. Is it possible to carry out traditional diplomacy

Yes, and there are some conversations that you don’t want to have via a non-classified forum.

Q

via online meetings, or are new diplomatic channels

Prior to becoming an ambassador you have been very

being created?

involved in womens’ rights issues. Could you tell us a

It’s certainly much harder to do everything online. I think there are definitely some take-aways from the ‘covid working at home’ experience that we will carry forward into future working practices. As a diplomat you tend to travel quite a lot for regional meetings, and I think we’ve learnt that we can do more of that online than we did previously. There’s a saving on the environment and also to family life.

But much of diplomacy is premised on personal relationships. It’s all right to have a video conference with someone you already know because you already have a relationship, but to try and ‘cold call’ a new relationship via the internet is quite tough. Also, just negotiating things – much of the discussion you might have at international diplomatic meetings is in the margins. It’s hard to create the ‘in the margins’ moments online because you are much more transactional in a meeting.

I think we’ll have to go back to a more hybrid model in which you have in-person diplomacy coupled with a little bit more online engagement. I think that’s going to be how we move forward.

Q

little about that?

I’ve spent most of my professional career working on issues to do with violence against women. I started off as a barrister and worked on criminal cases to do with domestic violence. I then went into government and was working on asylum cases involving women in which they were seeking asylum on the basis of violence. I moved on to work in the areas of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, developing a UK strategy concerning human trafficking.

More recently I’ve been working on rape in war and an international campaign to tackle how to end the widespread impunity for people who rape in war - to try and reduce that as a tool of conflict.

I’ve worked in a number of countries around the world and have had a good exposure to the way different countries address the challenges of violence against women, whether that’s in Africa, Asia, or east or west Europe. The challenges prevail and are pretty consistent in every country of the world.

Q

I’m sure you’re aware that #MeToo has, belatedly per-

I guess there are also security aspects as well. The

haps, really taken off here over the last couple of years.

more things that happen online, the more chance

Do you feel that you can contribute to this debate?

there is of being hacked …

I think every woman has a view on the issues involved

in #MeToo. If you’re a woman in professional life and you’ve been working all your adult life, you will have been exposed to some of the issues.

requires big companies to publish their pay gaps.

That’s been quite a useful tool in order to try and expose some of the disparity.

No country in the world has solved this and Denmark, just like the UK, has ongoing challenges in this area. I do think it’s my role to look at where we can offer best practice and experience from the UK. Sometimes we will have tried to tackle some of these issues by using various policies and legal tools. It may or may not have worked, and that might be useful to other countries.

Other countries have approached it through more institutionalised quotas. It’s very useful to reflect internationally on what has worked and what has yet to work.

Q

I think there is a role from an international perspective: to make the debate not just a domestic one but more of an international one. These issues cannot be looked at in isolation. Yes, they are related to culture, but there’s so much more to some of the issues involved in violence against women, sexual harassment, and the culture that facilitates women and men being treated differently.

I’m very interested in hearing from people involved in the debate. I’m hosting a lunch in three days’ time with female business leaders to talk about women on boards. It is very interesting to hear how Denmark and Danish business is approaching that.

Q

Well, there aren’t really that many …!

In the UK we’re also struggling to reach some of our targets, so it is interesting to understand what the challenges and barriers are here and whether they are the same. We’ve got some really good legislation from 2017 in the UK concerning gender pay, which

so I feel privileged to be a partner for the chamber going forward. I hope I can support them in how they look to develop the trade relationship a bit more.

Q

Finally, an easy one: what do you do for relaxation when you are not on duty as an ambassador, although it doesn’t sound as if you have much time for that …!

I know that you have just become patron to the British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark. How do you envisage your role and what part to you see the chamber playing in future?

I’ve just got a new road bike and I like to go cycling up towards Skodsborg along the coast. It’s beautiful cycling there. I just love the outdoor lifestyle in Denmark: the kayaking, the running, the walking.

I think it’s quite an exciting time for the chamber because we’re in this new chapter of our trading relationship with the UK and Denmark. I think there’s a lot of opportunity moving ahead, both to grow the membership and to add value to some of the debates and some of the issues companies care about, whether it’s climate sustainability, regulation or tax.

The Danes love to be outside and I love their relationship with nature. I’m trying to exploit that with my family and be outside as much as possible. Now the weather’s getting better, it is very pleasant to do that.

Thank you very much for your time.

There’s lots to talk about from a business environment point of view, and the chamber has a role in that. We also have aspirations to have particular campaigns in certain sectors, whether it’s climate, offshore wind, tech, cyber – we would like to build a better relationship between the UK and Danish companies working in these areas who we could partner together with.

There’s a lot of potential and the embassy has had a good relationship with the chamber over the years, and

7

AMBASSADORS FOR A DAY, BUT LEADERS OF THE FUTURE Some 17 school girls from across Denmark were paired up with their Ambassadorial mentors at the British Embassy as part of the inspiring ‘Ambassador for a Day’ initiative In connection with International Women’s Day, the British Embassy hosted the winners of its ‘Ambassador for a Day 2021’ competition on June 16. Over a dozen girls aged 14-17 were selected from across the country to be paired up with women ambassadors serving their countries in Denmark. The theme was 'Think Global, Live Local' and the winners were asked to write an essay about what positive difference they would like to contribute to in their own communities.

Students Tarang Dalela (left) and Marie Anna Storch proudly represented Copenhagen International School at the event, pictured here with their ambassadorial pairings: Norwegian Ambassador Aud Kolberg (left) and Croatian Ambassador Tina Krce

British Ambassador Emma Hopkins hosted the event (left) while ambassadors Fatema Al-Mazrouei (UAE), Jasmina Mitrovic-Maric (Serbia) and Helga Hauksdóttir (Iceland) were among the mentors (right)

The participants enjoyed a lovely lunch and some cool refreshments out of the scorching sun − though there was still room for warm greetings across the board 8

9

Photos: Hugh Mayo

VIEW FROM THE BBCD PENTHOUSE: BREXIT’S A LONG WAY BEHIND!

The AGM of the British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark (BCCD) at the Radisson Collection on Friday May 18 gave its chief executive Gareth Garvey a chance to reflect on what has been a challenging few years, with Brexit and then the pandemic, and then to raise a glass to a bright future of regrounding the special relationship between Denmark and the UK

A great many dignitaries from the British and Danish business worlds turned out for a splendid lunch on the top floor of the hotel, which boasts a stunning view of the city

The guest of honour was the new British ambassador, Emma Hopkins, who has taken on the role of patron of the BCCD. Also in attendance at the meeting were BCCD chair Klaus Søgaard (right) and Hans Hermansen, the CEO of CPH POST (centre right)

Ambassador Hopkins brought plenty of mirth to the proceedings when she handed out facemasks adorned with the Dannebrog and Union Jack

10

The board of BCCD: (left-right) Christina Liaos from Denmark's Department for International Trade, Peder Gellert, the executive VP of DFDS's ferry division, Anne Christine Fleischer, the CEO of Leo Innovation Labs, Graham Stuart, the UK's minister for exports, Hopkins, Garvey and Anne-Louise Eppler, an international sales manager at British Airways

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11

DESPITE THE OPPOSITION FROM WITHIN,THE FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER KRISTIAN JENSEN IS FOCUSED ON THE TASK AHEAD This is a one-task appointment for the leading politician, who was once tipped as a future prime minister of his country: get Denmark a seat on the UN Security Council from 202526. With his network of contacts, he has every reason to be confident

BY STEPHEN GADD In March, it emerged that a sizeable number of Danish diplomats and other employees of the Foreign Ministry have signed a letter of protest at the appointment of Kristian Jensen as a special envoy for Denmark.

Jensen was the deputy head of Venstre for ten years up until September 2019. In the former government (2015-19), he first served as foreign minister before making way for Anders Samuelsen when Liberal Alliance and Konservative joined the cabinet in 2016, and then as finance minister Jensen’s appointment, which will see the former foreign minister charged with getting Denmark a seat on the UN Security Council from 2025-26, marks the first time that a Danish politician has assumed a position in the Foreign Service.

Denmark last enjoyed membership of the powerful 15-member council from 2005-2006. Of the 15 members, five (the US, Russia, China, the UK and France) are permanent, while the remaining ten non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly.

CONVENIENT CHANGE OF RULES? Usually, positions within the Foreign Ministry are filled by officials, but the government recently changed the rules to allow politicians to be hired by the Foreign Service.

Experts contend that the Socialdemokratiet-led government picked a high-profile politician with roots in the opposition to avoid accusations of political maneuvering.

In total, reports Jyllands-Posten, 643 people who work for the Foreign Service have signed the protest letter.

Jensen will officially begin his role this summer.

12

Q Q

Firstly, congratulations on being named Den-

have any misgivings about taking the new post

mark’s first Special Envoy. How do you see

– or was it a dream job?

your role and how is it different from a traditional ambassadorial one?

I’d have to say that it was rather a dream job.

Once you’ve been a minister, it’s not the same to

My main task is to try to secure Denmark a seat

be sitting on the back benches in parliament!

Q

on the UN Security Council. It is true that an am-

bassador could probably do the job, but I can bring

Can you tell us a little about how this actually

a degree of experience on account of being an

came about?

ex-foreign minister and having an international network. I’ve also got the backing of a lot of competent people in the Foreign Ministry.

Q

I’m not too sure of the ins and outs of the process, but I was approached by the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen. She called me, and if the

You’ve had a long and distinguished career in

prime minister wants to talk to you, you are avail-

domestic politics for Venstre, as well as being

able! After that, we agreed the terms, conditions

foreign minister and finance minister. Did you

and areas that I would be involved in.

Q

It is very unusual for Danish politicians to be offered what are in effect ambassadorial posts. Bertel Haarder was tipped for a consular post in Germany which didn’t come to anything in the end. Do you think that the time is now ripe for more political appointees?

I do think the time is right. I actually think the time has been right for some time. If you look around the world, for example the World Bank, the IMF, or the OECD – who is leading there? It is experienced politicians, because the role of politicians has been growing for some time. On the other hand I don’t think it’s a role that all politicians can handle – it’s a role that certain politicians with special experience and networks will be able to do well.

Q

Can you understand the criticism levelled that this could become a tool of political patronage for rewarding prominent politicians or exiling troublesome ones, rather than getting the best-qualified person for the job?

Well, I’m not afraid of that because I have the privilege of being the first! In my case, there is a specific narrow timeframe in which I’m spearheading this effort [getting a seat for Denmark on the UN Security Council] and leaving the foreign service in 2024 and doing something else, although I don’t know quite what yet.

Q

What do you think that you can particularly bring to the table when it comes to dealing with foreign heads of state and foreign governments?

First of all, I think that politicians like to talk to politicians. And I think that the combination of the skillful people from the ministry and a politician with significant international experience will yield the best results. Of course I’ll draw on the network that I have, both from Europe and from abroad. I was very active travelling when I was foreign minister, but I kept that up when I was finance minister – especially when it came to climate change, so I think I have quite a lot of contacts who I can draw on.

Q

I know that your first task is to get Denmark a seat on the UN Security Council.

For people who don’t really know what it does, could you explain why this is so important and what Denmark can contribute there?

Well, the UN Security Council makes binding decisions for the entire world. As we’ve just seen, it deals with international relations, for example with the corona pandemic and the recent Suez Canal problem. Denmark is a small but very global country that depends on having a rule-based international system. We’re dependent on having to work with other people to fight the likes of climate change and migration, and to work with other countries with regard to conflict areas.The work that Denmark is doing regarding women in conflict areas, as well as womens’ rights to education now and in the future, is something that we would very much like to put on the agenda.

Q

How do you go about getting Denmark a seat in a practical sense?

I think this is a triangular effort. There is an effort from the embassies around the world that have a very good relationship with governments; there’s an effort from the fantastic people we have in New York and Geneva, working on a day-to-day basis with other UN ambassadors; and then there is the team in Denmark, which reaches out to those countries that we don’t have an embassy in, or don’t have a very close dialogue with.

Q

Where do you think the greatest difficulties will lie?

Some years ago it was very obvious that there was a lot of support for the Nordic countries in the UN system having a seat on the Security Council. Now, there is much more competition. It’s up to the individual countries if they want to take a seat at the table. There are many more candidates that can run against us, so Denmark is perhaps not a natural choice anymore.

Q

Apart from the UN Security Council, what other tasks do you have lined up?

With Wilson Kipketer

That is the primary task and it will probably take up all my time, but if there are any issues where the minister of foreign affairs thinks that I could be of assistance, I’m at his or her service! Let’s see what happens. I’d like to stress very clearly that the primary task I have is to obtain the seat on the security council.

Thank you very much for your time.

14

Many of the faces on these pages will be familiar to readers of CPH POST as they are foreign ambassadors to Denmark and feature regularly in Hasse Ferrold’s About Town. Many are not based in Denmark, but fulfil their ambassadorial positions from overseas

AMBASSADORS BASED IN DENMARK

Albania

Algeria

Argentina

Elida Petoshati

Rachid Meddah

Conrado Solari

Belgium Michiel Maertens

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Australia Mary Ellen Miller

Brazil Rodrigo de Azeredo Santos

Bulgaria Svetlan Stoev

Austria

Bangladesh

Maria Rotheiser-Scotti

Allama Siddiki

Canada

Burkina Faso Maria-Goretti Agaleoue

Denis Robert

Emir Poljo

Chile Adriana Fuentes

Estonia

Colombia Ana Maria Palacio Calle

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Tina Krce

Roger López García

Penelope Erotokritou

Radek Pech

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Vesa Vasara

Caroline Farrari

In Transit

Detlev Rünger

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Mart Laanemäe

China Feng Tie

Iceland Helga Hauksdóttir

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Ghana Amerley Awua-Asamoa

Greece Nikolaos Kotrokois

Egypt Ayman Alkaffas

Hungary Kristof Altusz

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India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Pooja Kapur

Dewi Savitri Wahab

Afsaneh Nadipour

Habib Al-Sadr

Ireland Adrian McDaid

Israel In Transit

Italy Luigi Ferrari

All photos: Hasse Ferrold unless stated

AMBASSADORS BASED IN DENMARK

Japan

Latvia

Libya

Lithuania

Manabu Miyagawa

Alda Vanaga

Mohamed Selim

Ginte Damusis

Nepal

Netherlands

Niger

Yuba Nath Lamsal

Rob Zaagman

Moussa Dourfaye

Portugal Joao Maria Cabral

Faton Bejta

Janine Finck

Norway Aud Kolberg

Romania

Russia

Mihai-Alexandru Gradinar

Vladimir Barbin

Mexico Carlos Pujalte

Pakistan Ahmad Farooq

Saudi Arabia In Transit

Palestine Manuel Hassassian

Serbia

Morocco Khadija Rouissi

Philippines Leo Herrera-Lim

Slovakia

Jasmina Mitrovic-Maric Miroslav Wlachovsky

UN

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Poland In Transit

North Macedonia

Luxembourg

Slovenia

South Africa

South Korea

Edvin Skrt

Fikile Sylvia Magubane

Sang-jin Park

Turkey

Uganda

Ugur Kenan Ipek

In Transit

Ukraine Mykhailo Vydoinyk

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Thailand

Román Oyarzun

Charlotte Wrangberg

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States

Vietnam

Emma Kate Hopkins

In Transit

Pham Thanh Dung

Fatema Almazrouei

Florence Mattli

Vichit Chitvimarn

All photos: Hasse Ferrold unless stated

AMBASSADORS – BASED OVERSEAS

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Ecuador

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Ethiopia

Lautaro Malo (Stockholm)

Patricia G Aguillon (Stockholm)

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Deriba Kuma Heiy (Stockholm)

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Albert Fotabong (London)

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Guatemala

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Francisco Hernandez-Kramer (Oslo)

Siradio Diallo (Berlin)

Apolinario de Carvalho (Brussels)

David Hales (Brussels)

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Jamaica Seth G Ramocan (London)

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Gambia

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Honduras Roberto Ochoa (Brussels)

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Francis Blain (London)

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Belarus Aleksei Samosuev (Helsinki)

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Gabon

Aichatou Aoudou (London)

Barbados

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Fiji

Jitoko Tikolevu (London)

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Djibouti Omar Said (Brussels)

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Costa Rica Rafael Fábrega (London)

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Cambodia Soeung Rathchavy (London)

Dato Ali Apong (Home based)

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Joy-Ann Skinner (Brussels)

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Should you notice any omissions, out-of-date information or errors (mis-identifications, spelling etc), please

Tunisia In Transit (Stockholm)

Turkmenistan Toyly Atayev (Berlin)

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Vatican City

Zambia

James Patrick Green Rose Salukatula (Stockholm) (Stockholm)

Zimbabwe Alice Mashingaidze (Stockholm)

don’t hesitate to contact CPH POST at ben@cphpost.dk

19

THE ‘QUEEN OF THE NORTH’

Photos: Kino.de

Trine Dyrholm is Queen Margrete

PLAYED BY TRINE DYRHOLM

Long, long, long before ‘Game of Thrones’, a matriarchal monarch reigned over the whole of Scandinavia. Never has there been a more worthy bearer of the title Last year, it was the heroics of Henrik Kauffmann, the Danish ambassador to the US during World War II and, in recent times, the stories of Lili Elbe (The Danish Girl) and Johann Struensee (A Royal Affair) – the world can’t get enough of Danish historical dramas right now!

Joining this rich tradition this year is ‘Margrete den første’, which SF Studios is planning to release during the third quarter of the year.

The film focuses on a point in the queen’s life when she stood to lose it all. Aged 50, she faced her biggest challenge in 1402 when the Kalmar Union to bring together the countries of Denmark, Sweden and Norway threatened to collapse.

20

With a budget of 8 million dollars kindly provided by Netflix, Charlotte Sieling has assembled a cast led by Trine Dyrholm, Denmark’s answer to Meryl Streep, which also includes Søren Malling (Torben in ‘Borgen’) and Magnus Krepper (‘Young Wallander’ himself).

Before shooting began, Sieling said she was keen to tell “the true story of the strongest, most fascinating but also most under-exposed ruler that Scandinavia has ever seen”.

“There is no one to compare to Margrete, she was such a strategist. She gains power and she effectuates it in a different way than a man does,” continued Sieling “This woman is 50 years old. In this man’s world, she’s in power. And we have to bring

her sexual life into that, and her motherhood. We need to explore this woman on many different levels. Margrete made this feminist legislation that any woman who had been assaulted during war could come and get money at her castle.”

ALWAYS OUT-MANOEUVRING In the turbulent times that reigned across late 14th century Scandinavia, Margrete I was the ruler who ultimately prevailed. Over her life she consistently out-manoeuvred her rivals, successfully uniting the regions of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, to leave a powerful legacy for her heirs.

She was the youngest of Valdemar IV of Denmark’s six children, and in 1359, at the age of six, her childhood was cruelly interrupted by the news she was engaged to be married to Håkon VI of Norway, the young-

with Henry of Holstein to marry Håkon off to Henry’s sister Elisabeth – an alliance hotly disputed by the archbishop of Lund, who said it was a violation of church law.

But their resolve weakened. Magnus and the Hanseatic League discontinued a siege of Helsingborg, and Margrete and Håkon married in April 1363 in Copenhagen, producing an heir, Olaf, in 1370.

MOVING WITH PURPOSE Valdemar died in 1375 and was, after a vote by the Danehof (the equivalent of parliament), succeeded by Olaf, who also stood to inherit the Swedish crown after Margrete saw off the claims of her elder sister’s husband, Duke Henry of Mecklenburg, and their son.

est son of the Swedish-Norwegian king, Magnus (IV or VII, depending on where you were), as part of a political alliance.

Håkon was 13 years her senior and was used to rude awakenings himself – he had been named king of Norway by his father when he was just three.

REDRAWING THE BORDERS Magnus wanted Valdemar’s help to deal with his second son, who had proclaimed himself ‘Erik XII of Sweden’ after taking control of Southern Sweden. And in return, Magnus would give Valdermar the strategically important Helsingborg Castle on the southern tip of Sweden.

Valdemar wasted no time and, shortly after the agreement, invaded Scania with a large army and gained control of the region. But then Erik unexpectedly died, and as far as Magnus was concerned, all bets were off. He dissolved the betrothal and all the other arrangements.

But Valdemar liked the view from Scania – a region that had been mortgaged to Sweden back in 1332 following the bankruptcy of the Danish state under the reign of Valdemar’s father Christopher II – and continued conquering, starting with the south-eastern Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. In 1361, Valdemar conquered Visby, a German-dominated town in Gotland. This provocation was staunchly opposed by both Magnus and the Hanseatic League – a confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns that dominated trade in northern Europe – which signed a trade restriction against Denmark and resolved to take military action. Meanwhile, Magnus was in talks

Upon Valdemar’s death, Margrete became regent and immediately sought to expand. She bought the island of Gotland from its owners Albert of Mecklenburg and the Livonian Order, and also acquired most of Schleswig, which she eventually bequeathed as a hereditary fief under the Danish crown to Count Gerhard VI of Holstein-Rendsburg, the grandson of Gerhard III, on the condition he swore allegiance to Olaf.

When Håkon died in 1380, Olaf became king of Norway and Margrete ruled both kingdoms on his behalf and then, after Olaf unexpectedly died in 1388, as queen.

SWEDEN IN HER SIGHTS And Sweden was very much in her sights. Before Olaf’s death, she knew there was discontentment among the nobles with their king, Albert I, and that they wanted her to help them dethrone him. Her army duly invaded in 1389 and soon she was in control of the whole country. At the Dalaborg Castle conference, the Swedes complied with all of Margrete’s demands and elected her ‘sovereign lady and ruler’. Among them was a condition that stipulated the Swedes must accept any king she decided to crown.

erine. And at a congress of the three Councils of the Realm in Kalmar, Eric was announced king of Denmark, Norway and Sweden on Trinity Sunday, 17 June 1397. Until he came of age, Margrete ruled as regent, and she remained de facto ruler until her death.

REFORMIST, PHILANTHROPIC, WISE But there was more to Margrete’s reign than claiming back lost Danish territory and uniting the kingdoms. She reformed the Danish currency by substituting silver coins for the old copper coins, and she was also a noted philanthropist who gave away much of her wealth to charity.

And she knew where to draw the line. A proposal in 1402 from King Henry IV of England for a double-wedding alliance (Eric to marry Henry’s daughter Philippa and Catherine to marry Prince Hal, later Henry V – Eric did eventually marry Philippa) to united the Nordic kingdoms with England, which would have drawn them into the Hundred Years’ War against France, was rejected.

Margrete died unexpectedly of plague on board her ship in Flensburg Harbour in October 1412.

She bequeathed a property to Roskilde Cathedral in her will on the condition that it held a regular mass for her soul. This was eventually discontinued during the Reformation in 1536.

However, a special bell is still rung twice a day in honour of the first lady ruler of Denmark.

And while Denmark eventually lost Sweden (finally in 1521) and Norway (1814), and the bloodline she established on the throne of Denmark ended with the death of Frederick VII in 1863, her name (albeit with an extra ‘h’) lives on in the current monarch – a fitting tribute to one of this country’s most astute and able rulers.

Still keen to hold onto his crown, Albert returned with an army of mercenaries in February 1389, but he was defeated and imprisoned at Aasle near Falköping. He was shortly set free on the condition that if he paid a fine within three years, the Hanseatic League could hold onto Stockholm, which was then an independent German-populated city. But Albert failed to pay the stipulated amount and the Hanseatic League surrendered Stockholm.

Margrete, meanwhile looking to the future, adopted the grandchildren of Henry of Mecklenburg: Eric of Pomerania and his sister Cath21

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: DENMARK CONFIRMS OFFICIAL EXPO2020 PARTICIPATION

Photos: Hasse Ferrold

BY CHRISTIAN WENANDE

Thanks to strong bonds with the UAE, organisers overcome initial challenges to help bring Danish business and sustainability to the global fore in Dubai As recently as 2017 there was ample uncertainty in regards to Denmark participating at Expo2020 in Dubai.

enterprises (SMEs) are expected to join the

Copenhagen, Danish Business Pavilion, the

Danish ranks in Dubai. The DBC is elated.

Danish Embassy and the Consulate General in Dubai, who shared the common vision that the official participation would be attained,” AlMazrouei told Diplomacy magazine.

“We are happy to welcome the Danish government and proud to represent Denmark at Expo2020 Dubai in the UAE – an essential platform to boost the global economy as it recovers from the pandemic, whilst creating

GREEN LIGHT FOR GREEN BUSINESS

unique opportunities to show the world what Danish business can do,” said Lund.

The Danish government confirmed last month that Denmark would officially participate

SUSTAINABILITY

There was no funding from the government at the time and hardly anyone believed that a Danish Business Pavilion would ever come to fruition.

in Expo2020 in co-operation with Danish

But a dedicated few, such as UAE Ambassador to Denmark, Fatema Al-Mazrouei, and Jens Lund, the founder of the Danish Business Council (DBC) in Dubai, refused to give in.

And now, less than four years later, they’ve managed to pull it off – during a global pandemic, no less.

Jysk,

The pavilion is located in the ‘Mobility’ district

Rockwool, Lego and Ecco – have already

of the Expo2020 arena and it includes an

announced

18-metre high lookout tower.

“It is my great pleasure to welcome Denmark officially to Expo2020, which is the result of the collective and

22

unwavering efforts of the UAE Embassy in

What can the Danes do? Well, for starters,

Business Council.

they have certainly shown ambition.

The massive event will kick off on October 1

The Danish Business Pavilion is striving to

and run for six months, with over 190 countries

have the most sustainable pavilion at Expo

taking part.

2020 – quite a feat, considering pretty much

Scores of Danish companies – including Maersk,

Carlsberg, their

DSV,

Nilfisk,

participation,

but

the

organisers are on the lookout for more.

every country in the world is represented.

And while there is still work to be done, Lund

And it’s not just the big guns that are turning

is confident the pavilion will be ready in time

up. Upwards of 1,000 small and medium-sized

for October.

“We are putting the finishing touches to our pavilion and look forward to working closely with our country to share the best of what Denmark has to offer with people from all corners of the planet when Expo opens on October 1,” he said.

As one of the leading catalysts of Denmark’s participation, Al-Mazrouei took part in countless meetings with top executives within the Danish business sector to promote Expo 2020 and encourage official participation.

And while her hard work eventually paid off, the ambassador is well aware she won’t be able to rest on her laurels.

“Personally, Expo has been a constant element in the course of my journey since we established the UAE Embassy in Copenhagen in 2017,” revealed Al-Mazrouei.

“My role is to continue to promote this global event, the ‘World’s Greatest Show’ of human brilliance and

achievement, to the Danish public and businesses.”

Al-Mazrouei went on to explain that she believes it is an opportunity not to be missed and a great chance for Danish businesses to “showcase their innovation and promote Denmark as one of the global cleantech leaders”.

MOBILITY 2021 will undoubtedly be an extra special year for Al-Mazrouei as her country also celebrates 50 years since the UAE was founded.

The ambassador urged everyone to share in the celebrations of the two major events – the double celebration is actually only possible due to the postponement of Expo2020 from 2020 to 2021 as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Naturally, the organisers are well aware that not everyone will be able to come to Expo2020 as the pandemic continues to rumble on in many parts of the world.

Due to this, there will also be a virtual version of Expo that will reach audiences who are unable to attend due to distance or special circumstances. A critical element of the event is to share information, knowledge and competencies.

“The world is recovering, and we are ready to welcome 190 countries to the World's Greatest Show,” said Al-Mazrouei.

A critical element of the event is to share information, knowledge and competencies.

In fact, Mobility is among the three central themes being pursued during Expo2020 – along with Sustainability (mentioned above) and Opportunity.

In terms of the latter, it’s difficult not to see Al-Mazrouei as a shining example of progressiveness in the UAE.

23

WAS WORKING FROM HOME POSSIBLE FOR DIPLOMATS? NOT REALLY IS THE CONSENSUS

BY PUCK WAGEMAKER

Diplomacy changed during corona, as long Zoom meetings became the norm, but it quickly became clear that ‘high-level’ discussions will always need to take place face-to-face Who led the digital transformation of your company?

Well, over the past year, the only correct answer to this question has been COVID-19, according to Dr Katharina Höne, a research associate at DiploFoundation.

She made the claim in a recent webinar on corona and diplomacy run by the Danish non-profit student organisation International Debat, where she added: “And COVID-19 also forced diplomatic organisations to respond.”

Simulating the old face Full conference rooms transitioned into pixelated computer screens, with everyone sitting in their own office. The phrase “Can you hear me?” became the most common greeting.

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But while it’s hard to dispute that diplomacy got a new face over the past year, the picture is still a familiar one, according to Professor Rebecca Adler-Nissen, a speaker at the International Debat webinar.

But you shouldn’t be naive about it, she contends, adding: “Online this protocol is still relevant because diplomacy is defined by rules of procedure, but they have to be updated or creatively interpreted.”

Adler-Nissen is researching the ‘new normal’ seen among EU diplomats during the pandemic for a project called ‘DIPLOFACE’.

Adler-Nissen also suggests that behaving online like it’s the same as an in-person meeting could also be a coping mechanism.

In her presentation at the webinar, she included a picture of Danish PM Mette Fredriksen attending an EU meeting online.

“They converse and act like how everything always was, but on the other hand suggest that we might move into a new normal with new procedures and new performances of diplomacy,” she suggested.

“They simulate the atmosphere of an inperson meeting,” she pointed out.

“Think about how she is still dressed formally, and how everything is strategically placed, like the flag of Denmark, but also a name tag on the desk – even though online your name is visible on the computer screen. All the details online are almost exactly the same.”

PROTOCOL STILL IMPORTANT This demonstrates how protocol is extremely important in the interactions of diplomats, according to Höne.

“Some elements of protocol translate easily online, others not so much,” she said.

Knowing how to raise your hand to ask a question, for example, could have consequences, adds Höne. Who is allowed to talk when? What happens when technical problems occur and the security is not optimal?

ENDLESS ZOOM MEETINGS! A diplomat’s life has started to consist of endless Zoom marathons – lots of them.

“We have had many more Zoom meetings – it has been crazy!” Santiago Wins, the Stockholm-based Uruguayan ambassador to Sweden, Denmark and Norway, told Diplomacy magazine in late 2020.

photo: Pixabay

Publisher:

“The biggest impact I’ve seen is the shift from traditional, formal roles to less structured ones because all these new ways of communicating make everything faster and spontaneous.”

But these Zoom meetings were only possible to work, because of an important factor.

“The reason we have been able to work during this period in a more or less normal way, is because there were already some established personal contacts,” ventured Wins.

“I believe nothing can replace this – especially in small countries like Uruguay and Denmark. It is far more difficult to establish a new contact via phone or the internet. So all these Zoom marathons we’ve been having is thanks to the previous contacts we made.”

BEARABLE IN DENMARK! Former US ambassador Carla Sands also missed the person-to-person physical contact normally seen in diplomatic circles.

“Sitting around a table or at a reception and being able to talk to people face-toface: I’m really looking forward to that returning to normal,” she told Diplomacy magazine late last year.

“We’re learning to live and function as close to normal as possible in the midst of a global pandemic.”

Still, Sands was grateful for being based in a country as digitally advanced as Denmark “In an advanced country like Denmark, it is possible to continue almost as successfully

as before the pandemic,” Sands told Diplomacy magazine at the end of 2020.

“I think in many ways we are lucky to be working in a country like Denmark that is very digital. We can do our banking virtually, because that’s how we do it in Denmark. And we’ve been able to transition to doing a lot of what we were doing face-to-face to doing it virtually.”

Editor: Hans Hermansen Journalists

NO BEATING FACE-TO-FACE Face-to-face meetings are “the very glue that holds international relations together”, contended Marcus Holmes from the Government Department of College of William & Mary in an often-cited paper on the subject in 2013. “It’s the essence of diplomacy, otherwise, there is no trust in alliances.”

This might explain why many deliberations weren’t moved online. “Informal was online, but formal was still offline,” said Höne. “After all, you can question whether an online meeting is an official meeting.”

Certainly, Ambassador Wins did note work from home all the time. “We only worked remotely in March and April from the embassy (although we took turns as we needed to access documentation),” he revealed.

“You see that especially the ambassadors still meet – but follow the corona rules,” said Adler-Nissen, who believes face-toface meetings will always have an essential role to play in diplomacy.

“It could also give them a heroic feeling of the importance of their job: ‘We are special – that’s why we meet’.”

Christian Wenande

Ben Hamilton

Stephen Gadd

Photographer

Hasse Ferrold

Layout: CPH POST Info: hans@cphpost.dk • Tel: +452420 2411 www. cphpost.dk

25

THE BORGEN IDENTITY

BY BEN HAMILTON Every new diplomatic posting in Denmark starts with the following homework: learn about hygge, fællesskab and janteloven, brush up on your rudimentary Danish, and watch the first season of ‘Borgen’.

In truth, though, there isn’t much to learn about Danish diplomatic circles from the series. Bar a brief appearance by Wei Xu as the Chinese ambassador in episode 8 of Season 2, the worlds of diplomacy and Christiansborg politics don’t collide very much – which quite frankly is a poor reflection of reality.

But that doesn’t mean we won’t all be anxiously awaiting Season 4, perhaps with the small hope that more diplomats might appear.

In the meantime, further confirmation of who is lining up for return begs the all-important question: who will be PM when the series returns to DR and then Netflix in 2022?

THE NON-RUNNERS First off, let’s confirm who it won’t be, starting with the lead character Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen), who the producers have already confirmed will be the foreign minister when the show begins – the same position she assumed at the end of season 3 in 2013 after reigning as PM as the leader of the Moderates (Radikale) in seasons 1 and 2.

Her spindoctor Kasper Juul, sorry Kenneth Juul, is also ruled out on account of the actor Pilou Asbæk having bigger fish to fry after his spell in ‘Game of Thrones’.

Lars Hesselboe, the right-wing PM (and leader of the Liberals – Venstre in the real world) when we last left off, is also out on account of the actor Søren Spanning having passed away last year.

Ole Thestrup, who played long-term Freedom Party (Dansk Fokeparti) leader Svend Åge Saltum, also died – in 2018 (although he’ll be fondly remember forever; see video below) – so it won’t be him either.

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(Left-right): Özlem Saglanmak, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Lars Knutzon and Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen

ONE OF THE JOURNOS?

While Bent Sejrø (Lars Knutzon) is too knackered –

Over in Britain, the likes of Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and George Osborne have shown how easy it is to move from journalism into a top job in politics, so why not the characters in ‘Borgen’?

particularly after his stroke just moments after being

After all, the last time we encountered news anchor Katrine Fønsmark (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen), she was working as the spindoctor of the New Democrats – and then presumably as an aide of Nyborg’s.

Barazani (Laura Allen Müller Smith). We never really

Less likely is Torben Friis (Søren Malling), who had just got his job back at TV1 News (TV2 News), but had to sack his long-term lover Pia Munk (Lisbeth Wulff).

PM a decade after crowing its first female one.

Søren Ravn (Lars Mikkelsen), an advisor to the New Democrats in season three, might also seem unlikely, but Mikkelsen’s career has come on leaps and bounds since 2013, so maybe the writers have come up with a way to make ‘Søren the Socialist’ the PM?

Riemann) or son Magnus (new actor Lucas Lynggaard

CLIMBING THE RANKS?

appointed EU commissioner in season 2.

More likely are two of the team who made up the New Democrats: Jon Berthelsen (Jens Albinus) and Nadia trusted Berthelsen, so maybe he wheeled and dealed it to the top seat, but with Barazani, the producers have a chance to deliver Denmark’s first non-ethnically Danish Finally, could the producers spring a surprise with Nyborg’s daughter Laura Nyborg Christensen (Freja Tønnesen from The Rain) or even former husband Phillip (Mikael Birkkjær). The short answer is no.

COMPLETE NEWCOMER All of this leads us to the conclusion that the PM will be a new addition to the cast, with Mikkel Boe Følsgaard

More likely, it will be one of the actors who played a politician in the first three seasons.

and Özlem Saglanmak the most likely candidates.

There’s former Labour (Socialdemokratiet) leader Michael Laugesen (Peter Mygind), who ended up becoming the editor-of-chief of Ekspres (Ekstra Bladet), but would he retain Nyborg as his foreign minister just eight years after she took a post in a centre-right party, or even return to politics.

claimed turn as Christian VII in ‘A Royal Affair’, may

Anne Sophie Lindenkrone (Signe Egholm Olsen), the loose cannon leader of the Solidarity Party (Enhedslisten), also seems unlikely. This was the politician at the centre of the series’ most far-fetched moment when audio emerged of her threatening to have the PM’s kid kidnapped (more like Bogota than Borgen).

Følsgaard, a mainstay in Danish cinema since his aconly be 36, but then again, the Finnish PM Sanna Marin is just 35, so why not. However, the baseball cap he’s sporting in the promo photo suggests he will be playing a bum … a journo probably.

That leaves Özlem Saglanmak as our preferred candidate. Currently nominated for a Robert for her role in ‘Shorta’, her star is clearly rising. At 40, she’s the right age and, as mentioned before, the right ethnicity given the show’s previous track record.

Stick your money on Özlem for the top job!

Photo: Mike Kollöffel, DR

With a fourth season for the classic Danish series announced, speculation is mounting regarding who will be PM. After all, the new premier will need to have the balls to retain Birgitte Nyborg as foreign minister, so who are the favourites among the returning cast?

BY HASSE FERROLD

ABOUT TOWN

The Indian Embassy was again at the forefront of another stunning International Day of Yoga celebration across Denmark from June 19-20. Indian ambassador Pooja Kapur (left) was joined by hundreds for a weekend of fitness, presentations and speeches. Like with the previous six events, the action was not restricted to Copenhagen and also involved gatherings in Odense, Aalborg, Aarhus, Fanø and Sønderborg – and there was even a flash mob event in Nyhavn

The Hungarian Embassy hosted an exclusive gala dinner on June 11 at Kurhotel Skodsborg to showcase high quality wines from the country’s top wine regions. Among those present were (left-right) the incoming ambassador Gabrielle Jacob, Hungarian ambassador Kristof Altusz and his wife, a representative from Nilfisk, and Slovenian ambassador Edvin Skrt and his wife; Hans Hermansen, the CEO of CPH POST; and Colombian ambassador Ana Maria Palacio Calle

Queen Margrethe was delighted to climb aboard the royal yacht, Kongeskibet Dannebrog, in Nyholm on May 4 for the traditional Royal Summer Cruise

UAE ambassador Fatema Khamis Almazrouei has made it a tradition during her time in Copenhagen to invite multi-faith guests to her Iftar celebrations during Ramadan

27

NEW IN TOWN

Sweden: This is Charlotte Wrangberg’s third ambassadorial posting, following stints in Argentina (2010-13), where she was also responsible for Uruguay and Paraguay, and Greece (2013-17). As well as other postings in Mexico, South Africa and Spain, she has worked for the Swedish Foreign Ministry’s units for the EU, Africa, and consular and civil law matters. Most recently (2017-20) she was the head of protocol at the Swedish Foreign Ministry. Wrangberg grew up in Scania and was educated in Lund – at the time the decision to build the Öresund Bridge was made, she was a journalist at Kvällsposten in Malmö.

India: Since joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1996, Pooja Kapur has served in France, the UK, Malaysia, Belgium, and most notably Bulgaria, where she held her first ambassadorial posting (2017-21) and was also responsible for North Macedonian affairs. For the foreign service, her work chiefly concerned India’s relationships with Western Europe, Southeast Asia and the United Nations. A published author and frequent speaker at international conferences and events, she was a Chevening scholar at the University of Oxford, and has a master’s from the now defunct Ecole Nationale d’Administration in Paris.

Bangladesh: This is Allama Siddiki’s second ambassadorial posting. He was previously the Bangladeshi ambassador to Turkey from 2015-20, he has also served his country in London, Pakistan, India and Japan, where he pretty much mastered the language.

Since beginning his career at the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry in 1991, he has had held a wide number of senior positions in Dhaka, including being the director general responsible for administration (2015-15) and Africa (2011-13). He also took part in the 2002 Disarmament Fellowship Programme at the United Nations in Geneva and New York.

Niger: Since beginning his service at the Nigerien Foreign Ministry in 1990, Moussa Dourfaye has held a wide number of posts, but this is his first ambassadorship. Most recently, he served as chargé d'affaires in Qatar (2019-21), following a long stint in Turkey as first counsellor (from 2012-19). Other postings have included Togo and France, where he was made an Officer of the National Order of Merit.

Just recently he acted as the co-ordinator of National Protocol Experts at the 33rd Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (July 2019) in the Nigerien capital of Niamey.

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Portugal: with previous postings in Mozambique, Germany, China and Nigeria, Joao Maria Cabral is an experienced diplomat with a degree in law who served as ambassador of his country to Nigeria from 2009-11. He joined the Portuguese Diplomatic Service in 1984 and was promoted to the status of ‘full-rank’ ambassador in 2014. He also served as the deputy permanent representative of Portugal to the UN during the Portuguese mandate as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, and most recently (2016-20) as the permanent representative of Portugal to the Council of Europe.

PHOTO: HASSE FERROLD WORD: BEN HAMILTON

Chile: This is a first ambassadorial posting for Ximena Adriana Verdugo Fuentes, whose previous area of responsibility couldn’t be further away from Denmark. From 2019-20, the qualified lawyer was the VP of the Antarctica Division at the Chilean Foreign Ministry. Before then, Fuentes was posted in Austria for five years (2014-2019) as counsellor at her country’s embassy in Vienna and its mission to the United Nations. She fulfilled the same role in Geneva from 2007-12. Her legal expertise is often called upon in the areas of human rights and multilateral policy. Other postings include Canada, Romania, Finland and Brazil.

North Macedonia: The expertise accrued from a master’s in International Law has made Faton Bejta a highly sought-after diplomat. He served as the secretary of the Commission for Marking and Demarcating the State Border of the Republic of North Macedonia with Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Bulgaria from 2007-08, and then more recently (2019-21) as the head of the Department for Bilateral Relations with the Countries of the Bordering Neighbourhood. His foreign postings have included Greece (as vice-consul at the Office for his country’s Consular, Economic and Trade Affairs) and Romania (as chargé d’affaires).

Indonesia: Denmark (and Lithuania) is Dewi Savitri Wahab’s first ambassadorial posting, although she has headed a mission before: in Melbourne as consul general for Victoria and Tasmania from 20142018. Previously, she advised the foreign minister on socio, cultural and diaspora affairs and, as the director for East Asia and the Pacific, she looked after the bilateral relations of 30 countries in the region. She has extensive experience working for Indonesian permanent missions to the UN: twice in the US and once in Switzerland. Prior to joining the Foreign Ministry in the early 1990s, she worked as a journalist for The Jakarta Post.

Brazil: Rodrigo de Azeredo Santosn has arrived straight from an ambassadorial posting in Iran (201720). The experienced diplomat, who also oversees Lithuanian affairs, has served Brazil in Mexico, Hong Kong, Russia, the US, Argentina and the UK. His knowledge in the areas of trade and economics, which he honed at Chase Manhattan Bank in the 1980s, is highly sought-after. Between 2013 and 15, he cochaired no less than four country-specific economic trade commissions relating to fellow BRIC nations Russia and China, as well as Portugal and Spain. He has also been a regular attendee at meetings of the IMF and World Bank.

Canada: This is Denis Robert’s second ambassadorial posting. He previously served as the ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg (2012-16) – a return to Brussels as he was the political counsellor at the Canadian Mission to the EU from 2004-07. He has also held posts in France, Mexico and Haiti. When the 2010 earthquake killed 230,000 people in the island nation, he was the director of his ministry’s Haiti Task Force (2008-12), having served as the chief of political and public affairs at the Canadian Embassy in Haiti. His most recent post (2016-20) was head of Foreign Policy Research and Foresight at the Canadian Foreign Ministry.

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COMING UP SOON

This year’s Copenhagen Jazz Festival is more spread out than in previous editions.

Continuing from July 1-24, it will again encompass hundreds of venues, from Jazzhus Montmartre to DR Koncerthuset, as thousands of performers take part. Find out more at jazz.dk

Copenhagen 2021 is the biggest LGBTI+ event to hit these shores. A combination of World Pride and EuroGames, the event starts with a vengeance in Malmo on August 12, including all manner of concerts, performance and human rights concerns, before climaxing on August 22 in the Danish capital

This year’s Golden Days Festival (Sep 3-19) takes us back to chapter 1 of modern European history, covering the 1,500 years we commonly refer to as ‘Classical Antiquity’, which ends in around 600 AD. As the birthplace of philosophy, astrology, athleticism and democracy, it is a period we have much to learn from

That Theatre Company returns to its triumph of early 2020: ‘The Visit’ (Oct 29-Nov 27), Barry McKenna and Peter Holst-Beck’s vivid reimagining of the historic visit paid

by HC Andersen to Charles Dicken at his home in England in 1858. Holst-Beck and Ian Burns take on the two leads

London Toast Theatre presents yet another Crazy Christmas Cabaret, which this year is lampooning gangster films with ‘Tell me about it!’ (Nov 16-Jan 15). The show’s creator Vivienne McKee is joined by old favourites Andrew Jeffers and David Bateson.

Watch out for Vivienne in next spring’s ‘Shirley Valentine’

Why Not Theatre Company is taking on ‘Happy Days’ by Samuel Becket, a 1961 absurdist play in which the Irish playwright could already sense our increasingly disconnected way of living. Sixty years on, Sue Hansen-Styles and Nathan Meister, breathe new life into the maestro’s prescience

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Q QIT SURE IS DIFFICULT TO BE HOME AGAIN AFTER FOUR A DIPLOMATIC UPBRINGING

YEARS LIVING IN AN INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT!

Diplomacy magazine interviewed Hanna Nijdam, the daughter of a Dutch diplomat stationed in India

BY PUCK WAGEMAKER

Still today, she finds herself drawn to international environments, but that’s not always possible: “I’m living in the countryside now for my bachelor studies, while surrounded by all these Dutch sober farmers, I couldn’t be any further away from colourful and vibrant Delhi!”

Q

How did people react when you and your family moved to India?

We lived in a small village in the Netherlands before we moved to India. In the summer everyone would normally go on holiday somewhere in the Netherlands – further afield in Europe was considered to be quite special! So when we told everyone the news that we were moving to India, they were kind of in shock, haha.

Q

What did you learn from living in India?

I was 14 when we moved to New Delhi. At that time I was still really discovering who I was. In India, I found that I look for freedom in life and want to make my own decisions. That’s one of the biggest realisations I had while we were living abroad. I don’t like rules – especially not the strict rules we have in The Netherlands.

Q

How do you interpret diplomacy?

Diplomacy is about building bridges, not for yourself, but for the country that you represent. You exchange knowledge and viewpoints to become a better nation. Diplomacy is key to making this exchange work.

Q

What are the skills of a good diplomat?

Hanna Nijdam is the daughter of Jelle Nijdam, and together in 2012 they were stationed at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in New Delhi, India, where he was the counsellor of science, technology and innovation.

When Hanna moved to India, she was a young teenager and she ended up spending many of her formative years there.

DIFFICULT TO RETURN Upon her return to the Netherlands four years ago, she found it hard to assimilate again: from getting used to the strict rules and coping with the sheer predictability of life in her homeland.

At home, we were always really open about my father’s work. It was not a mystery what he was doing. It became clear to me that being a diplomat is almost equal to being a networker. My father explained how he connects people, which is much more than just talking with people.

It’s about building a network and making sure it functions. I think that’s a really good skill to learn. You think critically about what you can offer people and with whom you can connect them.

Q

Does diplomacy attract you?

I’m not the best networker. It wouldn’t suit me to be the middleman all the time. I want to be the one that does stuff, thinks about solutions and actually works on these myself.

Q

What skill did you bring home after living in India?

I very much enjoyed being surrounded by an international environment for four years. I definitely learned a lot from it. It has made me much more open to living and working with people from different countries and backgrounds. I’m also very glad that I know so many nice people all over the world. It’s the best souvenir after living in India for four years.

Q

What aspirations do you have?

I want to move and see more of the world - I’ve already spent way too long in the Netherlands!

When I came back from India, I travelled to Mexico, Italy and the Czech Republic. Travelling is really something that runs in my family. My father has spent a lot of time abroad, but also my grandparents have travelled a lot. I think due to India I realised already quite early in my life that I really like exploring new countries and cultures. However, I can’t leave the Netherlands right now. I’m still busy with my bachelor’s degree in equine business management. I live in the countryside now surrounded by Dutch farmers and horses. In the third year, I can switch to an international version of the degree, which I will obviously do. I love being in an international environment.

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