Diplomacy Magazine - 19 October 2020

Diplomacy MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2020

WITH THE SANDS POSSIBLY RUNNING OUT ON HER TENURE,THE US AMBASSADOR REFLECTS ON THREE HAPPY YEARS THUS FAR

As the official representative of all American people to Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, Carla Sands has been busy, although she still finds time for relaxing walks near her residence at Rydhave 2

Photo: US Embassy

Sands with Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State

BY STEPHEN GADD Following on the heels of one of Denmark’s most popular ever ambassadors, Carla Sands had quite a job on her hands when she took over the Rydhave residence from Rufus Gifford in 2017.

But unlike her predecessor, the former actress already had vast experience of appearing on camera, and she has used this to great effect during her three years to date – most notably during the Coronavirus Crisis, when the duties of an ambassador have become more digital than ever.

GREENLAND AND NATO She has also drawn on her experience as a CEO and political adviser to lend great business acumen to a variety of issues, and she is no stranger to speaking her mind on geo-political matters close to the USA's heart, such as the future of Greenland and Danish contributions to NATO. A victory for the Democrats in November could spell the end of her time as ambassador, prompting Diplomacy Magazine to catch up with the diplomat for some reflection on her time in charge.

Photo: US Embassy

Q

At her first Royal Reception for the Diplomatic Corps in 2018

On a visit to DTU Space in 2018

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

At Folkemødet in 2018

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

Q

Denmark and the US have been closely allied since the Second World War. How do you see that relationship developing?

I feel so lucky to be the US Ambassador to a kingdom where we’ve had unbroken diplomatic relations for over 200 years. And you are right, our co-operation has been so powerful and positive since World War II – as NATO nations working shoulder to shoulder together in some of the worst places in the world to defend democracy and human rights around the world. It’s a great alliance and friendship.

more years in the post?

That’s a great question. If we have a President Biden in November then every political ambassador, I suspect, will be welcome to leave their post in January!

By the time of the swearing in, the political or non-career ambassadors would be invited to return to the United States, so we are all prepared for this. In fact, every ambassador has to submit a resignation letter to the president so that he has the right to end our period as ambassador or to extend it. Every US ambassador in the world serves at the pleasure of the American president.

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

You’ve been in Denmark for almost three years. What’s your impression of Denmark and the Danes?

I love being in Denmark and it’s the honour and privilege of my life to represent all of the American people and our president to the people of the Kingdom of Denmark – the people here in Denmark, in the Faroe Islands and of course in Greenland.

Meeting the Queen for the first time as a new ambassador in 2017

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

With her former deputy, Laura Lochman, on a trip to Tivoli

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Q

What is the US Embassy doing to help US citizens based in Denmark engage with the upcoming election?

We do so much concerning this because the United States is proud of its history of free and fair elections and our open and transparent party system. We do backgrounders with journalists, and we talk to student and business groups about our elections. Here at the embassy in Denmark we register American citizens to vote – for both the Democrat and Republican parties.

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Supposing the Democrats win the election, is there a time limit on being an ambassador? Or will you be around for

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It’s fair to say that President Trump is unlike any American president we’ve ever seen before. A lot of Europeans find his style mystifying at times. Is there something here that we’ve misunderstood?

Well, I think it’s very positive to look at the results achieved by a unique president like President Trump. He’s a president who thinks in big ideas and he knows our relationships are important, but fairness and reciprocity in our relationships is also very important.

For instance, how he’s dealt with NATO. We now have 400 billion more dollars coming to our collective defence because of him reminding our NATO allies that when Obama was president they all committed to contributing more.

Even though he has removed us from some agreements, we’ve carried on and even exceeded some – for instance, the Paris Climate Accord. The United States is a world leader in reducing carbon emissions while

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Copenhagen International School, Levantkaj 4-14, 2150 Nordhavn

Photo: US Embassy

With former NATO general secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Denmark’s ex PM

Photo: US Embassy

Arctic concerns at the top of the agenda

increasing our economic growth. So unlike some other countries, we’ve decoupled carbon emissions from economic growth. We are leading in innovative technologies to power our factories and our homes through every kind of energy – from green energy like wind and solar to hydropower – and we are now also the world’s largest exporter of fuels. So we are finding new ways to refine fuels that are more clean and green, such as through carbon capture. There are all kinds of progress in the area of powering our economy while reducing our emissions.

The president sees the world as it is – not as he wishes it would be. And he gets the United States into a better situation than what we were previously in.

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A visit to Lego

But I will also say of this president that when he says “America First”, I hope the prime minister of Denmark wakes up every morning and thinks: “How can I help Denmark be a better Denmark and a greater Denmark?”

That’s what every world leader should be thinking on behalf of their country.

That’s certainly a fair point. I was going to ask you about what steps you’re taking to combat climate change and global warming, but I think you’ve rather answered that in a previous question ...

We are working hard at it, just like Denmark is, and making inroads. There is cleaner air in so many cities in America, except for these terrible wildfires that have set us back tem-

porarily. When I first moved to Los Angeles, if I drove for 30 minutes in my car I felt like I had the flu – I felt sick just from the emissions.

They were so powerful and dangerous. Flash forward: before I moved to Denmark the sky was no longer a yellow or brown haze, it was blue and clear and I felt great with the air quality. And that’s the progress that prosperous countries should and can make to reduce emissions and pollution while they grow.

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Denmark has a lot of experience in the field of combating climate change and green energy? Do you see Danish and American firms co-operating and taking advantage of this knowledge?

I do. I see Denmark as a very innovative country, and there are companies that do very well in the United States in working towards green energy and clean sustainable energy – for instance Vestas and Ørsted, just to name two. There are many, many companies in the US that co-operate with Denmark; there is so

With the guards at her Embassy in Østerbro

Photo: US Embassy

Photo: US Embassy

The current ‘Make America Great’ policy has also caused some concern … do you think that the US is becoming more inwardly focused?

Well, I see an actual balance of outward focus with results orientation. Einstein, I think, said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. You can see this in

the president’s triumphant successes with the new diplomatic breakthroughs with Israel and the UAE and Bahrain. This is the first time in decades, almost in my lifetime, that we have had further breakthroughs regarding peace in the Middle East.

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Photo: Hasse Ferrold

Among the other esteemed guests at Rydhave

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

At the US Embassy National Day celebrations at Rydhave

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

Greeting Lida Skifte Lennert, Greenland’s official representative in Denmark, at Rydhave

much co-operation, and I’m so proud that our two countries are making progress in this area.

We’re not reducing people’s quality of life, we’re making progress, and the United States is one of the leading countries in the world in this.

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At Remembrance Day in 2018

At Christiansborg Palace

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

Greenland is our geographic neighbour – it’s geographically part of North America while it’s part of the Kingdom of Denmark. So it is wonderful to partner with our great ally over Greenland and also to see more co-operation with the Faroe Islands as well. I’m very proud of this effort since our team at the embassy is not just the embassy to Copenhagen, they’re the US Embassy to the Kingdom of Denmark.

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

Because of global warming, the Arctic has become much more important strategically and commercially. How do you see the US co-operating with other partners in this area?

I am so proud of the work of the great Foreign Service officers at my embassy and of course our new consul in Greenland, Sung Choi. We have reopened our consulate in Greenland for the first time since 1953, so 67 years ago we had a consulate and today we have one again.

Q

Diplomacy has traditionally worked on a very face-to-face and personal level. How do you see this developing in a post-corona world?

That’s a really good question. 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 faceto-face to doing it virtually. In an advanced country like Denmark it is possible to continue almost as successfully as before the pandemic.

I think one thing that we do miss a lot is the person-to-person physical

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contact, meaning sitting around a table or at a reception and being able to talk to people face-to-face. I’m really looking forward to that returning to normal.

Photo: US Embassy

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Do you see this happening anytime soon?

Well, once there’s a vaccine for this pandemic that will certainly make thingsreturn to normal. I’ve also heard that perhaps a herd immunity of about 20 percent of the population having had the virus and gotten well may protect the greater group. So I’m not really sure, but I do see that we’re learning to live and function as close to normal as possible in the midst of a global pandemic.

Always on the move

Q

You had a rather varied career before becoming an ambassador: as a CEO and also as an actress. Has this been a help or a hindrance when it comes to being an ambassador?

That’s a great question! When I went through ambassador training in Washington DC they told us we would actually need all of our life experiences to be a successful ambassador, because they said you’ll experience things you don’t expect. And you’re going to need to pool all of your resources – it will take everything you have.

Photo: US Embassy

And they were right. Who knew we were going to have a global pandemic? Who knew we would have to be on virtual platforms? – all these things, these surprises. And the nimbleness of the team at the US Embassy here in Copenhagen has also been very impressive. But you’re right, I have had to use all of the experiences I’ve had in my life to be a successful ambassador – the good ones and especially the bad ones.

Fond of the Faroes

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Do you harbour any political ambitions yourself or have you other career plans should you be forced to give up being ambassador?

I love my job so much it’s hard for me to give any bandwidth to the follow-on work that I might do. So it’s really to be determined. It’s an interesting time. And certainly at some point I’m going to have to devote a little bit of time to think about this.

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

Q

You’re too busy at the moment I guess with all the things going on. But when you actually do have some free time, what do you do for relaxation?

Well, I love to read. I love to exercise. And I love to take walks with the beautiful views near the residence just north of Copenhagen.

At the UAE Embassy National Day reception

I also love to look at art and listen to beautiful music. And then do the other things that many women like to do. You know, if I really have time to cook or shop or even paint.

Well, that sounds pretty ideal, really. It has been very kind of you to give me your time.

Photo: US Embassy

It’s a pleasure to talk to you, Stephen. I really do look at the Copenhagen Post every time it comes out. I enjoy it, and many at my embassy also enjoy reading it.

It’s very kind of you to say so.

In relaxed mode … on the rare occasions duty doesn’t call

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NO STRANGER TO GREEN DIPLOMACY, DENMARK’S CLIMATE AMBASSADOR HAS HIT THE GROUND RUNNING

BY CHRISTIAN WENANDE

With climate change increasingly becoming a critical element of world diplomacy, Tomas Anker Christensen is helping his country to maintain its position as a trailblazer of sustainability Denmark turned heads around the world late last year when the government appointed Tomas Anker Christensen as the the country's first climate ambassador.

Along with his recent tenure as the Danish ambassador to Egypt, Christensen has held key climate-related positions in the UN and Denmark’s Foreign Ministry.

A CLIMATE CHAMPION Among other things, Christensen was a driving force in the establishment of the Global Green Growth Forum (3GF), an international partnership that aims for better collaboration in sustainable development.

From the green transition on the global stage to the ramifications of the Coronavirus Crisis, Christensen recently sat down with Diplomacy Magazine to discuss some of the important issues related to his work.

Clearly an optimist at heart, he even sees some silver linings in the cloud that won’t leave our skies: the Coronavirus Crisis.

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What can you tell us about climate diplomacy?

I think climate diplomacy is an added new dimension of diplomatic engagement that more countries are becoming more conscious of having part and parcel in the way they act on the world stage.

What's particular about it is that it is classic diplomacy, but with the added element of economic transformation. For Denmark it has a strong focus on energy, where we have a particular competence, but also on bringing the skill set of the wider Danish society into play – whether it's business, municipalities or civil society.

There are lots of different elements to climate action in Denmark that are also relevant on a global stage. Both the Foreign Ministry and the Climate and Energy Ministry are used as a filter and an amplifier of everything happening in Denmark, so we can make good use of that in our diplomatic efforts.

In the end diplomacy is not only about talking, but getting other people to do something they wouldn't otherwise have done. And when it comes to the climate, it's really about taking steps to reduce emissions, increase resilience, change ways of financing and to engage in new business ventures.

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Photo: um.dk

With a career in diplomacy spanning decades and featuring ample work within the realm of climate change, Christensen was hailed as the ideal candidate for the job.

The climate ambassador, Tomas Anker Christensen

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How does the topic of climate change manifest itself in your daily work?

In my daily work in Danish climate diplomacy, we work in three different dimensions, of which the first is the classic government-to-government.

In the second, Denmark is bilaterally engaged with 16 countries around the world in the areas of energy transformation,capacity building, knowledge sharing and education.

While the third is the wider partnership dimension of engaging all these different Danish players: businesses, municipalities, civil society or NGOs. Our bilateral work involves engaging various countries, but also within the scope of the UN and the EU, so it's pretty complex.

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The private sector seems to be getting more engaged. How essential is that?

Absolutely – it is important domestically in terms of our push to reach the 70 percent reduction mark by 2030, and also to have credibility as a diplomat when you talk to the rest of the world. You have to be able to show them that you are actually already doing this at home and that you’ve found ways and means to efficiently and cost-effectively operate these new systems, whilst giving yourself a business edge.

The efforts are not only good for the climate and society, but also for creating jobs and growth – in a way, they are multipliers of economic action and

also increase public health. If you go and talk to decision-makers in many countries – including large markets like China, India, Japan or even the US – and bring a Danish company or two that can themselves tell the story about their growth and business, then it's often much more convincing.

We try to integrate business in our webinars, delegations and our exchanges with governments as much as we can. And I would say that the 13 business partnerships that the Danish government has entered into with the private sector is also attracting a lot of interest around the world, because people look at us and say: “Wow! How have you managed to be so ambitious while bringing on board the private sector? We could learn from that.”

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Many Danish companies now have climate goals as part of their doctrines. Does it help your work?

Definitely. The more Danish companies can see business opportunity, the more bold they become in terms of venturing outside Scandinavia.They can see it is a great business opportunity for them, but it also helps the countries where they invest in becoming part of the green transformation and in new solutions.

I would say that many of the Danish companies have also started to set their own 2050 climate neutrality targets. For instance, Maersk wants zero-net emissions from shipping by 2050. And Velux, the window manufacturer, recently announced its own target,

which is to be climate-emission negative by 2035. They've made a pledge to actually plant trees to the extent that they will make up for all their historic emissions since they were founded as a company.

You can see more and more companies starting to do things like that – once they start doing that through their value and supply chains around the world, then that will also bring change in the countries where they operate.

And it is actually part of the Danish climate law that we the government have to report to Parliament the entire CO2 footprint of Denmark – not only in Denmark, but also of our imports and exports.

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Denmark’s 70 percent target by 2030 is very ambitious. But how realistic is it?

Some people say that the target is overly ambitious and even the climate minister, Dan Jørgensen, has been very straight-forward in mentioning that we know how to get most of the way, but not all of the way.

On the other hand, the last 20 years of technological development in the climate arena has performed way beyond expectations year after year and decade after decade – it has developed much faster and on a much larger scale than anybody had predicted.

Twenty years ago, Denmark sourced more than 90 percent of its energy from coal, and today we generate between 70 and 80 percent from wind. So I think, given our historic experiences, I don't see why the 70 percent target should not be realistic.

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Has it become easier to convince developing countries to get on board with the green transition?

Absolutely, because renewable energy in most countries is already cost-competitive with fossil fuel-based energy and it will be cheaper in all countries within the next 10 years or so.

I saw a study recently that said that in 39 percent of existing power plants you can borrow money against the power purchasing agreement, decommission the coal and install renewables, and still make money due to the power purchasing agreement.

Because the price that is in place in the power purchase agreement for coal is so high that you can install renewables much cheaper and make money on the difference.

Furthermore, technological advancement has been so formidable in recent years that sustainable solutions are far more affordable now – even in remote areas of the world.

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How much has the ongoing Coronavirus Crisis affected the global climate change movement?

If I look at the global push for more global climate ambition that we are meant to have for the COP26 Conference in Glasgow, which has been postponed for a year, then clearly the push for more climate action has not taken place. The politics of coronavirus handling has overtaken that around the world. But as the crisis is being dealt with – or at least becoming part of the new norm in the short term – more governments are looking at their climate ambition.

I think what has also happened during the crisis is that people have realised what an enormous effort it actually takes to reduce emissions. The estimation is that because of the crisis, CO2 emissions will be 6-8 percent lower than they would have otherwise been this year. But in order to achieve the Paris Agreement goals, that's a kind of reduction we would need to have every year for the next 10 years.

But maybe that's the irony of the situation. That despite the discussion of EU targets slowing down, the discussion of the financing of it has probably picked up more speed than it would've if it hadn't been for the crisis.

Last month, the Danish governmentw entered into a strategic partnership with India, signalling a very strong intent to co-operate on everything related from diplomacy to business to government. We've done that despite the coronavirus. Frankly I think the Coronavirus Crisis has given countries more time and more air to come up with more serious thinking, so in that sense it's not that bad. And you can see a lot happening in business and amongst investors – and the speed of that will have picked up more by next year.

Tomas Anker Christensen (centre left) works in close co-operation with three ministers (left to right): Dan Jørgensen (climate), Jeppe Kofod (foreign) and Rasmus Prehn (development)

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Presumably, you yourself have had to change the way your work as well?

As for me personally, of course part of my job is to travel around the world as part of the climate outreach and diplomacy, and clearly I haven't been able to do that since February. My last big trip was to Japan and South Korea in that month, and since then I've been conducting diplomacy from my PC like everyone else.

But I would say we have a very strong co-ordination in the EU – one that has become tighter and stronger than it would've been if it hadn't been for the virus. I think the overall verdict is still out, but we've invented new ways of efficient co-operation and we save a lot of CO2 from cutting air travel.

It is what it is, and we are making the best of it.

WITH THE EU-MERCOSUR DEAL ALL BUT ENSURED,THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT FOR URUGUAY, A SMALL COUNTRY WITH QUALITY EXPORTS Stockholm-based ambassador Santiago Wins, on one of his many trips to Denmark, found time to talk to Diplomacy Magazine in between talks with Dansk Industri and hosting a film at the Latin American Film Festival

BY ELLA NAVARRO It was an evening of unexpected treats for the guests of Santiago Wins, the Uruguayan ambassador to Sweden, Denmark and Norway since early 2016, at Cinemateket on September 14.

Not only were the audience thrilled by ‘En el pozo’ (‘In the quarry’), a film made by Bernardo and Rafael Antonaccio – the country’s answer to the Cohen Brothers – but they got to enjoy it whilst quaffing the wines of Bodega Garzon, one of the country’s premier producers.

It was a reminder that while it may be South America’s second smallest nation, it punches considerably above its weight – both in terms of ingenuity and production.

NOT THE FINAL YEAR HE HAD IN MIND For Wins, a career diplomat with 24 years experience, it was a rare opportunity to connect with Uruguayans in Denmark in what has been a challenging 2020 – his final full year of office before returning home in the first half of 2021.

While the embassy is based in Sweden, mainly due to the far heavier volume of Uruguayans living there, Wins is no less committed to those in Denmark – and getting them the same work-holiday visa terms, as those enjoyed in Sweden, is at the top of his agenda.

For Diplomacy Magazine, it was a rare opportunity to meet an ambassador to Denmark based outside its borders – that proved to be a most enlightening one.

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Why has Uruguay chosen Stockholm and not Copenhagen for its embassy?

Firstly, because Sweden is the largest economy in Scandinavia. Secondly, be-

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cause it is where you will find the biggest colony of Uruguayans. Around 5,000 Uruguayans live in Sweden – mainly political exiles in the 1970s. In Denmark, there are only 450, and in Norway around 600.

So the Uruguayan government decided to install the embassy there about 45 years ago. Also, Uruguay has a very small diplomatic structure, so we can’t have embassies all over the world. We only have about 42, but some of them, like ours, handle more than one country. Besides, here in Scandinavia, it’s easy to travel around.

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How do you balance your ambassadorial duties for all three countries?

Before I assumed the role, the embassy had more responsibilities, including Finland and the Baltic countries. But seven years ago, we opened one in Helsinki to cover Finland and the Baltics. So now we have more resources to cover Denmark, Sweden and Norway.The embassy in Sweden is a medium-sized embassy composed of two diplomatic officials and me. Generally, an embassy has only one official.

But in our case, each official has a country under his leadership and for Sweden we distribute it by theme, so communications, environment, human rights, economy, politics, tourism etc. I supervise everything.

We organise ourselves very well this way and we have a good substantive agenda with the three countries, which is the most difficult part. On top of these, each country has an honorary consul, generally a national of the country with good contacts, who helps us to prepare the visits when we come. They organise the interviews with companies, Parliament etc. They co-ordinate our work agenda so we can be as productive as possible.

Uruguayan ambassador Santiago Wins

Q

How many times a year do you visit Copenhagen?

It depends on the agenda, but a minimum of four times a year, although this year was a bit exceptional due to COVID-19. The Argentine and Brazilian embassies are very supportive here – we have a very good collaboration with both countries. On top of that, within Sweden, we do a lot of internal travelling. We go a lot to Gothenburg and when I come to Copenhagen I usually pay a visit to Malmö too.

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Are your trade relations directly with Denmark or under EU laws?

We have bilateral relations with Denmark directly. But we also do with the EU. Last year we finally reached a historical agreement between the EU and MERCOSUR, which mainly covers three areas: politics, co-operation, and free trade. This strategic alliance is currently in the process of being ratified by the EU and it will create a lot of opportunities for both sides. However, some NGOs and environmental organisations question its trade protectionism elements.

It is a difficult subject, and that’s why we today held a meeting with Dansk Industri to discuss this, together with the Brazilian and Argentine ambassadors. In these kinds of matters, we do our meetings in conjunction with Argentina and Brazil.

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How has diplomacy been affected by corona?

We have had many more Zoom meetings – it has been crazy! But while we only worked remotely in March and April from the embassy (although we took turns as we needed to access documentation), we’ve realised we can be more efficient with how we use our time.

We had a time limit of 40 minutes on Zoom, so we had to try to cover the issues at hand in that time. We also had to cancel a few events, but we were still able to go through with the screening of the movie.

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How do you see the future of diplomacy given the effect corona has had on networking?

First off, 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. 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.

Secondly, with all the information we have access to today, the challenge is to address which information is useful and what this information can give us to improve our work. This requires a deeper analysis of what is useful in our role as diplomats.

This is the new reality of diplomacy. The biggest impact I’ve seen in recent years is the shift from traditional, formal roles to less structured ones because all these new ways of communicating make everything faster and spontaneous. At the same time, we couldn’t have worked as efficiently as we did if we hadn’t built strong relationships before the pandemic started. That definitely made the difference.

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What are the similarities between Uruguay and Denmark?

There are many similarities, starting with their size and small populations, which prevent the countries from having an internal market, so therefore they need to export more. Therefore, we are both countries that support free trade. We also share very important values, despite the geographical distance, which unify us in our vision of the world. Firstly, we are both countries with a full democracy. According to the Democracy Index, only 22 countries could make this

Promoting Uruguayan wine

claim in 2019. We also have big human rights commitments and are both part of the UN Humans Rights Council in Geneva, working together in various areas, such as rights for women, minorities and LGBT. In fact, next year we'll be in Copenhagen celebrating Pride 2021 and we have been present at every parade for many years.

We are also aligned in the area of environmental protection, as our main source of energy comes from renewable sources. Uruguay has bought turbines from Vestas and today more than 95 percent of Uruguay’s electricity comes from renewable sources.

We went from being an energy importer to being an energy exporter to countries like Argentina and Brazil.

Sunshine seminars

Pride Week in Stockholm

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On what projects have you been working with Denmark?

We are currently working with DTU and the Uruguayan University of Engineering on improving the way we use and dispose of chemicals in the dairy industry. Another important project has been the urban design of the city of Montevideo.

The Danish architect Jan Ghel was in Uruguay and made a proposal to redesign one of the capital’s most important streets, Avenida 18 de Julio, to integrate more bicycle lanes. This is an area in which Uruguay can learn a lot from Denmark.

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Yes, I knew the restaurant MASH served Uruguayan ribeye, but on this stay I discovered a new one called KOD. I had to try it. It always makes me happy to eat meat from my home country here. But the export of Uruguayan meat to Denmark is small compared to our biggest client, China. Uruguayan meat has a lot of added value due to its traceability. Each animal has an ID that contains all the information of how it was fed, whether it was open-air or not, and so on.

This makes the quality of the meat very high, as our animals tend to graze outdoors and our animals rarely get sick, so it is antibiotic-free meat.

This makes our meat a bit more expensive, and that’s why it is usually a choice at hotels and restaurants that present it as a premium product. In Denmark, we participate in a food fair in Herning and that is where we have promoted Uruguayan meat as part of an initiative between the embassy and the INAC, our institute of meat.

What places in Uruguay would you recommend to visitors?

Tourism is very important to Uruguay. Every year, the number of our tourists (4 million) exceeds our population (3.5), and they principally visit between December and March. Tourism contributes 7 percent of our GDP and generates lots of jobs. So at the embassy we do a lot of activities to promote tourism. We promote the beaches of the glamorous city of Punta del Este as a plan to beat the Scandinavian winter. I love Punta del Este in both the summer and winter; the sunsets are marvelous. We must also mention the wilder open-ocean beaches in Rocha for people who want to connect with nature. And there’s also rural tourism where people go to see the Uruguayan ranches and how people live there.

Design Week in Stockholm

Q

What about Uruguayan wine: can we find it in Denmark?

This year two Uruguayan wineries, Bodega Garzón and Bouza, were named among the 50 best in the world. This was important recognition

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With Robert Rydberg, the Swedish state secretary for foreign affairs

Q

Uruguay's biggest export is meat, and they sell it here in some restaurants in Copenhagen. How big an export is it to Denmark?

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for Uruguayan wine. Our trademark wine is Tannat and we are the main producers in the world of this type. We have small wine tastings of Uruguayan wine now and then, and we are having one in late October in Copenhagen to showcase seven different Uruguayan small wineries. Also, one of the biggest wine importers here in Denmark, Philipson, sells 10 varieties of Uruguayan wine: from white to red to sparkling rosé. You can buy them online via their website. Besides, Uruguayan wine is very special and different to others due to its proximity to the ocean that has an effect on how it tastes.

What does the future hold for Denmark and Uruguay?

There’s a big opportunity with the EU agreement coming up, as we are both countries that need to export. The negotiations have taken 20 years, but it will be very fruitful and create opportunities.

This will diversify exchanges between Uruguayan and Danish companies. And I believe that as partners in the future we will keep promoting the values we both share.

With the Danish consuls

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 Carlos da Rocha

Bulgaria Svetlan Stoev

Austria

Bangladesh

Maria Rotheiser-Scotti

M Allama Siddiki

Canada

Burkina Faso Maria-Goretti Agaleoue

Denis Robert

Emir Poljo

Chile Isauro Torres

Estonia

Colombia Ana Maria Palacio Calle

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Tina Krce

Roger López García

Penelope Erotokritou

Radek Pech

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Muhammad Said

Afsaneh Nadipour

Habib Al-Sadr

Ireland Adrian McDaid

Israel Benjamin Dagan

Italy Luigi Ferrari

All photos: Hasse Ferrold unless stated

AMBASSADORS BASED IN DENMARK

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Pakistan Ahmad Farooq

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AMBASSADORS – BASED OVERSEAS

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

Tunisia In Transit (Stockholm)

Turkmenistan Toyly Atayev (Berlin)

Uruguay Santiago Wins (Stockholm)

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

Publisher:

Editor: Hans Hermansen

UAE – A KEY REGIONAL PLAYER FOR PEACE As a first of its kind in the history of the UAE and Israel, I had the pleasure of receiving last Thursday H.E. Benjamin Dagan, Israel’s Ambassador to Denmark. This meeting was possible thanks to the Abraham Peace Accord that was recently signed between our two countries. This Accord came as a significant step in a series of diplomatic and security initiatives led by the UAE to promote peace, stability and security in the Middle East region.

Since 1971, the UAE has pursued a foreign policy based on well-established principles, including mutual respect, non-interference, peaceful settlement of disputes, as well as promotion of peace, security, and stability. Despite the challenges and conflicts in the region, the UAE collaborates with international partners to contribute to peace and security efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen. It supported the 2018 peace initiative between Ethiopia and Eritrea that ended one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts. The UAE has also recently supported the Transitional Government of Sudan to achieve security, stability, and prosperity through the Juba Peace Agreement.

Journalists

Christian Wenande

Ella Navarro

Ben Hamilton

Stephen Gadd

It, therefore, came as no coincidence that the UAE was the first Arab Gulf State to sign a peace agreement and fully normalize relations with Israel. The Abraham Peace Accord preserves the rights of the Palestinian people while opening new broader horizons for peace and cooperation in the region. This Accord maintains the viability of the two-state solution through halting further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories in the West Bank. It also presents an opportunity to re-engage Israelis and Palestinians in meaningful negotiations to end their long-standing conflict and open up prospects for a comprehensive peace. The UAE will remain a strong supporter of the Palestinian people in their dignified pursuit of an independent and sovereign state.

Photographer

During the last couple of weeks, we have witnessed the positive reactions of this historic diplomatic breakthrough in the UAE, Israel, and countries worldwide. This shows that people everywhere are longing for peace, tolerance, and co-existence. It is time to reinforce our shared will and commitment to achieve a better future. It is time to join hands to unleash our economic potential and create opportunities for regional cooperation for the benefit of all.

Hasse Ferrold

UAE Ambassador to Denmark H E Fatema Almazrouei

Front page photo: Kasper Frederik Larsen, US Embassy Layout: CPH POST Info: hans@cphpost.dk • Tel: +452420 2411 www. cphpost.dk 19

A NEW KIND OF VIKING CONQUEST

The Vikings (left to right): chair Svend Erik Kristensen, oldermann Finn Berggreen and vice-chair Jens Grønkjær

BY LUKE ROBERTS

More than just a network, Harald Blåtands Laug aims to bring people together and promote Zealand’s rich history In 2020, we are more inextricably connected to people around the world than ever before. The meteoric rise of Zoom has seemingly negated the need for any non-digital business relationships.

But for one organisation, valuable connections require more than simple introductions and mutual business interests: Harald Blåtands Laug is looking to regional roots and mutual historical fascination in order to build richer, more valuable relationships between people from a host of different backgrounds.

Harald Blåtand, the first King of Denmark, is famed for having united the country and bringing Christianity to its shores but, more than that, he was a leader with an outlook global in its scope: committed to looking beyond Denmark’s borders to new trading partners and allies.

It is this legacy that Harald Blåtands Laug, founded in 2014, wishes to carry forward into the 21st century.

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LOVE NOT WAR Talking to Diplomacy Magazine, Finn Berggren, Oldermand for the laug, was quick to assuage fears that the organisation had any relation to the blood-thirstier elements for which the Vikings are typically known.

“The Vikings were not only warriors, but also adventurers, traders and cultural communicators – seeking out unknown shores in the hope of peace and prosperity,” he said.

It is these latter factors that the laug hopes to promote. Bringing people together around a historical West Zealand site, they aim to be more than a simple business network. Whilst members can apply to the board for access to relevant business contacts, they are also part of an organisation involved in spreading historical knowledge and cultural experiences.

It is not the first time the King’s connectivity has been noted. The now common Bluetooth technology, launched by Swedish group telecommunications giant Ericsson, also drew upon his legacy. For Berggren, the message

is clear: “We are inspired by two words: connecting people.”

When new members are inaugurated, the ceremony takes place on the site of a Viking ring-fortress near Slagelse in west Zealand.

The castle, which is believed to have been commissioned by King Harald in 980 AD, was a central site in his mission to improve trade and international relations throughout Europe. The site is home to a reconstructed longhouse, and the laug is part of a number of local initiatives supporting the future expansion of the site.

CULTURAL CONNECTIVITY On the historical front, Harald Blåtands Laug is committed to increasing awareness and understanding of the Viking monuments in West Zealand. In part, this is achieved through a cultural exchange program through the Irish Embassy, as well as supporting school trips in exploring the area.

Perhaps more unexpected, however, was the laug’s sponsorship of a group of ‘Viking fight-

ers’ to participate in a global event in Russia. The World Martial Arts Festival drew 20,000 participants, allowing the Vikings to showcase their skills as well as building connections with Viking groups to the east. The team rightfully won the ‘Preservation of Tradition’ award.

Members are invited to engage in the area’s rich history by meeting people with a similar outlook and mindset. But Berggren was keen to emphasise that it was not only historians that made up their membership.

“The members are everything from ambassadors and politicians to artists and business leaders, from home and abroad,” he stated. For Berggren, what matters most is a global mindset and an “inspiring and positive outlook on life”.

Inside the hall and robed up for business

Invitation only, the guild is not open to everyone, however. To gain entry, one must be nominated by current members and pass the scrutiny of the board. Members are promised more than a simple business network, with attempts made instead to build a friendly community of people from a wide range of backgrounds at annual events – not to mention a rather fetching outfit!

AMBASSADOR FRIENDLY In particular, the Laug currently boasts seven ambassadors amongst its membership. Austria, the Czech Republic, Albania, Greece, India, Slovenia and Serbia all find diplomatic representation in the organisation.

With its mixture of cultural and business interests, it is perhaps unsurprising that ambassadors are drawn to the organisation upon their arrival in Denmark.

For his part, Berggren describes it as part of the guild’s strategy. “We are incredibly happy with our many close relationships with foreign ambassadors in Denmark. We have deliberately tried to create relationships with them and encourage them to become part of our guild.”

It is as much about what the ambassadors bring to the organisation as it is what the organisation can offer the ambassadors.

“We experience ambassadors as inspiring members with their natural international outlook and a simultaneous interest in Danish culture and history,” Berggren said. In particular he took pride in having gained a regal ear, recounting a tale of an ambassador telling Queen Margrethe of their membership of the guild.

For ambassadors looking to gain an insight into the history of Zealand, as well as meet business leaders from home and abroad, Harald Blåtands Laug is certainly an appealing prospect – all they need is to find a current member to let them in…

PEACEFUL EXPANSION Unfortunately, like with seemingly everything, much of Harald Blåtands Laug’s plans for the year were put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic.

For organisations that depend so heavily on connectivity, social distancing was never likely to prove beneficial!

But, despite having to cancel dinners and inauguration ceremonies, spirits remain high at the top. They are confident of bouncing back quickly from this brief social drought and continuing to expand their network as they edge closer to their tenth anniversary.

Ever more global and ever more connected: that is the takeaway message from Berggren’s plans for the future. He is hopeful that ambassadors from all corners of the world will play a crucial role in driving forwards this new growth, building the organisation, and spreading knowledge of West Zealand and its history ever further.

Berggreen with Birgitte Dinesen, the owner of Kragerup Gods where the meetings are held

DENMARK’S BEST KNOWN DIPLOMAT IMMORTALISED ON SCREEN

Kauffmann is played by Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen

BY CHRISTIAN WENANDE

The story of Henrik Kauffmann, Denmark’s representative to the US during World War II, will now be known by many more thanks to the new film ‘Vores mand i Amerika’ There are few diplomats in the annals of Danish history who can claim to have created quite the stir that Henrik Kauffmann did.

Branded everything from hero to traitor, Denmark’s representative to the US during WWII has elicited much controversy over the years.

But one thing certainly can’t be contested. He won’t be forgotten any time soon thanks to a new film, ‘Vores mand i Amerika’, which hit Danish cinema screens on August 13.

With a stateside debut for ‘The Good Traitor’ considered likely next year, along with the strong possibility it might represent Denmark at the Oscars, Kauffmann might end up becoming as internationally renowned as Johann Struensee or Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe.

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GERMAN ROOTS Born in Frankfurt in 1888, Kauffmann was named after his German grandfather Heinrich Kauffmann, who had served with distinction in the Danish army during the wars in 1848 and 1864.

In 1902, when Henrik was 14, the family moved to Denmark, where the family still enjoyed strong connections to the Danish Royal Family and where the Kauffmann name held significant sway.

Henrik became a naturalised Dane at the age of 21 in 1909.

Henrik studied law at the University of Copenhagen – and also made longer study jaunts to Oxford and Geneva – before becoming a volunteer at the Foreign Ministry in 1911. After that, his career

really took off, and over the next decade he enjoyed a number of promotions, including his first significant position as consulate secretary in New York in 1913.

HENRIK KAUFFMANN After that he found himself in a number of positions as an envoy in Rome, Peking and Oslo, where he played a considerable role in resolving Denmark’s conflict with Norway regarding the sovereignty of an uninhabited part of east Greenland between 1931 and 33. He was also a strong promoter of Nordic co-operation.

HERO OR TRAITOR? But really, Kauffman may have ended up as just a footnote in history had he not been posted to Washington DC in the

Toasting Denmark's likely nominee for the Oscars?

In ambassadorial mode

summer of 1939 as WWII loomed on the horizon.

The very day after Denmark was occupied by Germany on 9 April 1940, Kauffmann became the first Danish envoy to declare that we couldn’t receive and act on orders from an occupied Danish government. Despite this, the US government still recognised him as Denmark’s official representative.

Following France’s capitulation in June 1940, the Danish Foreign Ministry once again established connections with Kauffman, and the new foreign minister, Erik Scavenius, let him remain in Washington DC to maintain Denmark’s interests, which encompassed Greenland.

GREENLAND DRAMA After this things proceeded smoothly until 11 April 1941, when Kauffmann informed the government that he had entered into an agreement with the US concerning the establishment of US military bases on strategically-important Greenland.

The government in Denmark was shocked by Kauffmann’s move as it was not only considered it a major overstepping of authority, but also put the Danish government at odds with its German occupiers, which also found Greenland to be of strategic importance.

Scavenius considered the agreement to be void and the government wrote to Kauffmann on April 16 recalling him from the US. Kauffmann once again refused to return home, despite the government initialising an investigation against him and seizing his property.

In a message to Cordell Hull, the US Secretary of State at the time, Kauffmann wrote: “Under the circumstances, there was, to me, no doubt but that I must, in the interests of Denmark and Greenland, take this unusual step. The government in Denmark will not, as long as Denmark is occupied, be able to obtain full information as to the background and necessity for this action.”

ROLE IN UN FOUNDING Kauffmann continued to work for Denmark’s interests in the US, and in 1942 he joined the Allied governments’ declaration regarding the establishment of the UN. Returning to Denmark in 1945 after the Nazi occupation with Henrik Kauffmann second from left Upon Denmark’s liberation on 5 May 1945, Kauffmann was appointed minister without portfolio and officially recognised as the envoy to the US again. He was a Danish delegate at the conference in San Francisco that year regarding the founding of the UN. Eventually he was named full ambassador to the US in 1947.

Mikkel Boe Følsgaard plays Povl Bang-Jensen

Before retiring in 1958, Kauffmann managed to negotiate compensation for Danish shipping companies from the US for using Danish ships during the war.

‘TILL DEATH US DO PART As was the case with many of his deeds over the course of his life, even Kauffmann’s death could not avoid drama and notoriety.

In June 1963, a 74-year-old Kauffmann was suffering from terminal prostate cancer and was staying at Skodsborg Sanatorium – known today as Skodsborg Spa Hotel – when his American wife Charlotte slit his throat with a bread knife in what the police described as a ‘mercy killing’, before taking her own life with the same knife.

The legendary diplomat is buried at Vedbæk Cemetery, located just north of Copenhagen. times can make or break governments, there is little evidence to suggest that the PM and her allies will falter further down the road.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshizawa Kenkichi with Kauffmann in 1932

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INTERNATIONAL TRENDSETTER: TECH, CLIMATE AND NOW MIGRATION AMBASSADOR

BY CHRISTIAN WENANDE

With the September announcement set yet another precedent for the worldwide diplomatic community It started with the appointment of a dedicated tech ambassador in 2017, followed by the creation of a climate ambassador last year (see pages 10-11).

And now Denmark has underlined its status as a diplomatic trendsetter by announcing a third such appointment – again in an area that has seen untold developments over the last decade.

Photo: www.iese.edu

MIGRATION IN FOCUS In early September, the Foreign Ministry announced that veteran diplomat Anders Tang Friborg has been appointed as the newly-established Danish migration ambassador.

Among other tasks, Friborg will work towards the establishment of receiving centres outside the EU in a bid to reduce the incentive to seek asylum in Denmark.

To this end, Friborg will act as a special envoy who will open doors in the EU and beyond in regards to promoting the government’s ideas on asylum and migration issues.

“The current international asylum system is inhumane, unfair and untenable,” said the foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod.

GRIZZLED VETERAN

Photo: Facebook/Danish Representation in Ramallah

Kofod said that helping migrants in their own regions would be a big step towards curbing the number of people embarking upon the dangerous journey to Europe.

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The new tech ambassador, Anne Marie Engtoft

“We want a system that tackles the problem of cynical human traffickers earning immense sums while children, women and men are abused along migration routes or drown in the Mediterranean,” he said.

Friborg has held key positions during his career in diplomacy, including in the Foreign Ministry and the UN, as well as head of Denmark’s representation in Palestine.

INNOVATIVE SINCE 2017 Denmark hit the global headlines in 2017 when Casper Klynge became the first tech ambassador in the world.

Now the position is garnering attention once again following the news that Anne Marie Engtoft will succeed Klynge to become the youngest Dane to hold an ambassadorial post in Danish history.

The 33-year-old assumes the position in Silicon Valley following a three-year stint at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

NEW STRATEGY PLANNED

The new climate ambassador, Anders Tang Friborg (left)

“We must ensure that Denmark develops and changes the global digital future based on our values and principles, and not the other way

around,” said the foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod.

“So we require a new strategy and a relaunch of the tech initiative. We simply need to produce a tech version 2.0 and attain a more goal-orientated Danish effort to encourage the tech giants to become good, ‘global community’ citizens.”

UPHILL STRUGGLE The former foreign minister, Anders Samuelsen, created the novel tech ambassador position in 2017.

Klynge stepped away from the position at the end of February after accepting a job with Microsoft.

Klynge indicated to Politiken newspaper that he had found it difficult to enter into meaningful discussions with the tech companies during his tenure.

GERMAN SWITCH In related news, Susanne Hyldelund, the former head of the Trade Council and Global Sustainability, has been appointed the Danish ambassador to Germany instead of Thomas Ahrenkiel, the former head of Forsvarsministeriet.

Concerns have been aired about his leadership of the Defence Intelligence Service up until 2015.

PARADIGM SHIFT IN FOREIGN POLICY AS MINISTRY CELEBRATES 250TH ANNIVERSARY

BY CHRISTIAN WENANDE

“We see EU member states in which the principles of rule of law are under fire, and we must take that seriously.”

STEP UP OR STEP OUT Kofod underlined that it was important for Denmark to push the agenda again, or face others defining how the world will look like

Denmark’s strong stance against the Lukashenko regime in Belarus looks to be an example of a new paradigm shift in the country’s foreign policy.

in the future.

According to the foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod, there should be no doubt that Denmark’s actions on the international stage should reflect social democratic values.

step back and Russia stepping on us all,”

In short, there should be more of a focus on democracy, human rights, the climate and equality, rather than, for instance, economic interests.

affairs and security policy strategy.

EU UNDER PRESSURE Kofod said that social democratic values are under fire around the world, adding that a new Danish foreign affairs strategy in early 2021 would reflect that.

“We don’t only face challenges outside Europe, but also inside,” Kofod told DR Nyheder.

“We see, for instance, China stepping forward on the global scene, the US taking a Kofod said.

It will be just the third time in history that Denmark will have adopted a new foreign

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

come considerably smaller thanks to the respective losses of Norway and Schleswig-Holstein in 1814 and 1864.

From the Napoleonic Wars and Nazi Occupation to co-founding NATO and facing off the Mohammed Cartoon Crisis, Denmark’s presence in international relations has been far from undistinguished.

250TH BIRTHDAY

JEPPE, UFFE AND MOGENS

The shift in policy announcement came as

The Foreign Ministry marked the occasion by hosting a debate about the new book ‘Skilleveje – Dansk udenrigspolitik i 250 år’ (Crossroads – 250 years of Danish foreign policy) written by Denmark’s OECD ambassador, Carsten Staur.

the Foreign Ministry celebrated its 250th anniversary on September 2.

Founded during the reign of King Christian VII as an independent organ purely dedicated to foreign affairs, it has been eventful two and a half centuries for a kingdom that has be-

Photo: Pbn-dk

It’s a very different Denmark to the one that laid the foundation for an organ for international affairs during the reign of King Christian VII

Photo: Twitter/Foreign Ministry

The four foreign ministers (left-right): current incumbent Jeppe Kofod with two of his predecessors: Mogens Lykketoft and Uffe Ellemann-Jensen

Taking part in the debate were the foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod, along with several of his predecessors, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen and Mogens Lykketoft.

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BY HASSE FERROLD

ABOUT TOWN

Photo: Facebook/Ivan Karadzic

The row of facemasks at the Saudi Arabian National Day celebrations at the country’s embassy in Østerbro on September 25 said it all. Held in strict adherence with the coronavirus restrictions, which will remain enforced in Denmark until the end of October, it was a reminder how the Copenhagen Diplomatic Corp’s events calendar has been decimated by the pandemic

Danish divers Claus Rasmussen and Ivan Karadzic (pictured) have been knighted in Thailand for helping to save the lives of 12 boys and their coach in the Tham Luang caves in 2018.

The pair, who both work at diving schools in the country, were among a team of 90 divers

The Ivory Coast, Benin and Armenian embassies have all closed down in Copenhagen, lowering the capital's total number to 71. While Sweden has 80 embassies, Denmark still has two more than Norway. Finland has 64 and Iceland 16 26

The Indian Embassy has unveiled a new portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the mayor’s office in Aalborg.

Marking the 150th birthday of the ‘father of the nation’, the portrait is the work of visual artist Nils Sloth (left). Ambassador Ajit Gupte (centre) and mayor Thomas Kastrup-Larsen (right) took the opportunity to discuss Indian-Danish relations in the Jutland city

The foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod (right), was among the guests of Indian ambassador Ajit Gupte (centre) at India House in Copenhagen on August 17, where the Indian Embassy marked the country’s 74th Independence Day along with the 400th anniversary of the commencement of trade relations with Denmark along with the 70th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations

Romanian ambassador Mihai-Alexandru Gradinar and his wife (centre and right) were among the guests of Bulgarian ambassador Svetlan Stoev (centre right) at a celebration of his country’s national day at Amager Bio. The Bulgarian Embassy marked the day with a performance of ‘With Bulgaria in the heart’, a folklore concert by Bulgarians based locally

Ambassador Gupte was also joined by his counterpart in New Delhi, the Danish ambassador to India, Freddy Svane (right)

Chinese ambassador FengTie (right) was among the guests of Serbian ambassador Jasmina Mitrović Marić (centre) at a reception to celebrate her country’s national day at the Serbian Embassy.

The Indian Embassy's celebration of the International Day of Yoga on June 21 brought together groups in five of the country’s six largest cities for an afternoon of fitness and speeches – all held in strict adherence with the COVID-19 restrictions.

Among those present in Copenhagen were (left-right) Indian ambassador Ajit Gupte and his wife Priti, along with Trine Zafina Søndergaard from Bikram Yoga

Hans Hermansen (left), the CEO of CPH POST, took the opportunity of the reception to mark the Saudi Arabian National Day on September 25 to present Saudi ambassador Fahad Alruwaily (right) with a copy of the recently-published 2020 Saudi Arabia special edition made in collaboration with the embassy 27

COMING UP SOON

Due to the coronavirus, a great many events have been cancelled this autumn: most notably Culture Night (Kulturnatten), which had been scheduled to take place on October 9. Also biting the bullet are the Crazy Christmas Cabaret, Bogforum and the Hubertus Hunt. All three will return in 2021

Visiting the historic Cirkusbygningen by Palads cinema in the centre of town is an experience in itself, but when you combine it with a four-course meal laid on by waiting staff who are as equally adept at singing as serving, you have Wallmans (Wed-Sat throughout the autumn ), the hottest show in town

That Theatre presents ‘Extremophiles’ (Oct 21-Nov 21), a new play written by Irish dramatist Fergal O’Byrne, at Krudttønden. While Why Not Theatre is also staging a new play: 'The Cheyenne are Leaving' (Nov 13-Dec 5; Teatret ved Sorte Hest)

by Serbian dramatist Tanja Mastilo. Or why not try the Danish language version of ‘Oliver!’ at Det Ny Teater (ends Dec 6). Most of the tunes will be familiar!

Tivoli is rarely shut for long. Just five days after closing down its summer season, it is opening up for Halloween from October 9 to November 1. And then two weeks later, it will be opening its doors for its Christmas season: from November 13 until January 3.

Its Halloween season coincides with the autumn school holiday (Oct 12-16), during the country tends to shut down a little

Lots of embassies will be represented at the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at Bispebjerg Kirkegaard on November 8. For those who grew up in the shadows of the war, it’s hard to believe barely anyone alive today can remember it

Thomas Cook might have gone bust, but the general public still needs the occasional holiday, so step forward Vagabond magazine with its Travel Fair at Øksnehallen (Jan 15-17). Get inspiration, tips and guidance. More than 20,000 guests attended in 2019

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NEW IN TOWN

Belgium: This may be Michiel K Maertens’ first ambassadorial posting, but he has experienced life in Denmark as a diplomat before and is fluent in the language. From 2011 until 2015, the new Belgian ambassador was the deputy head of mission in Copenhagen, serving under Jean-Francois Brandes and then Pol de Witte. Over his 22 years serving the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the career diplomat has accumulated vast multilateral experience in UN and EU affairs – as his country’s representative to the UN in New York and twice at the Belgian representation to the EU.

UK: From 2015 until August, former barrister Emma Kate Hopkins was the UK ambassador to Bulgaria. 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. She was named 2008 Civil Servant of the Year for her work on establishing a UK strategy on human trafficking, 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.

Bangladesh: This is M Allama Siddiki’s second ambassadorial posting. The Dhaka-born diplomat, who started working for the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry in 1991, was appointed his country’s ambassador to Turkey in 2016. Over a distinguished career spanning nearly three decades, he has served in London, Islamabad, Calcutta and Tokyo, during which time he picked up some rudimentary Japanese. He has a master’s in business administration, and in his leisure time he enjoys reading books, listening to music and playing table tennis.

Photo: Personal Facebook page

Palestine: As his country’s representative to the UK from 2005 unto 2018, the new Palestinian ambassador, Manuel Sarkis Hassassian, unexpectedly found himself at the centre of a row concerning anti-Semiticism in 2013. It wasn’t so much to do with what the Palestinian-Armenian university professor said in his speech at the British Parliament, but the praise of Jeremy Corben that grabbed the headlines, which the media used to accuse the then Labour leader of being anti-Semitic. As an academic, Hassassian worked in the field of political science at Bethlehem University, which he served for 25 years.

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GOODBYE SOUTH AFRICA’S ROSE:

Photo: Kannan P. Samy

ZINDZI MANDELA MUCH MISSED AND MOURNED

Garba Diallo, the head of Crossing Borders, gave a speech for the late ambassador at a ceremony at Christians Church on August 4

BY AYEE MACARAIG

Madiba’s youngest child did him proud as an ambassador, activist, campaigner and, for two years during his presidency, his stand-in first lady Zindzi Mandela, the daughter of South African anti-apartheid leaders Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and a diplomat who served as ambassador to Denmark until the beginning of this year, has died at the age of 59.

The South African government made the announcement on July 13, and the South African Embassy in Copenhagen confirmed that she passed away in the early hours of that morning at a hospital in Johannesburg .

Although it is believed that she tested positive for COVID-19 in the hours leading up to her death, it remains uncertain whether it was the cause of her death.

Four days later she was laid to rest next to her mother at the Fourways Memorial Park, just one day before what would have been the 102nd birthday of her father.

RESPECTS IN AUGUST Mandela took her position as ambassador to Denmark in 2015, and upon her death the embassy commented: “The Danish community will remember her as a people’s diplomat, grounded and never too busy to listen, collaborate and network with the man on the street as much as she did with the diplomatic community at large.”

Many members of the Copenhagen diplomatDaddy’s girl

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Photo: Kannan P. Samy

A second ceremony took place on September 15 in the garden of the South African Embassy, where Mandela’s elder sister, Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, the South African ambassador to South Korea, gave a speech

Musicians also paid tribute at Christians Church

ic corps gathered to pay their respects at two memorial services.

Organised by Crossing Borders and the South African Embassy on August 4, a service was held at Christian’s Church on Strandgade, after which many signed the book of condolences.

AND AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER And on September 15, a tree was planted in the garden of the South African Embassy.

Among the speakers was her elder sister, Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, the South African ambassador to South Korea, who is also a princess through her marriage to Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini, a sibling of the current king of Swaziland, Mswati III. Zenani and Zindzi were the only children of Nelson and Winnie, but had four half siblings through their father’s first marriage. Zindzi herself had four children and even more grand-children.

One of them, Zenani, 13, who Zindzi named after her sister, was tragically killed in a road accident shortly before the opener of the 2010 World Cup, causing her great-grandfather to miss the game.

POLITICAL ACTIVIST Zindzi, who was aged just 18 months when her father was imprisoned for what would be a 27-year stretch in prison, was a political and social activist who spent many years in South Africa’s freedom struggle.

She is known for delivering an iconic speech on behalf of her then imprisoned father in 1985 rejecting a government offer to have him released if he denounced violence perpetrated by his anti-apartheid movement, the

African National Congress.

She also had the honour of fulfilling the duties of ‘First Lady’ of her nation - in between her parents’ divorce in 1996 and her father’s remarriage two years later.

‘HEROINE IN HER OWN RIGHT’ Zindzi Mandela founded the Mandela Legacy Foundation - which aims to improve education, employment, women’s rights and equality in her country - and she led the Zenani Campaign, a hugely successful road safety campaign in honour of her dead grandchild.

She was also the author of the book ‘Black As I Am’, a collection of her poems published in 1978.

Zindzi Mandela’s long-serving charge d’affaires Lefifi Tsholofelo (right) helped Mandela-Dlamini to plant a tree in honour of the ambassador

“Zindzi will not only be remembered as a daughter of our struggle heroes, Tata Nelson and Mama Winnie Mandela but as a heroine in her own right. She served South Africa well,” said South Africa’s foreign minister, Naledi Pandor.

‘STRONG FRIENDSHIP’ As ambassador to Denmark, Mandela supported events promoting women’s rights as well as Copenhagen Pride, saying she backed ending discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Many queued to sign a Book of Remembrance for the ambassador

Denmark’s ambassador to South Africa, Tobias Elling Rehfeld, mourned her passing.

“Zindzi was a dear colleague working tirelessly and with a smile to nurture and grow the strong friendship between #SouthAfrica and #Denmark. My deep condolence to the Mandela family,” he tweeted.

At the time of her death she was the ambassador-designate of Liberia.

CPH POST were among those to pay their respects

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