Diplomacy Magazine - 17 December 2019

Diplomacy MAGAZINE WINTER 2019

• HUNGARIAN AMBASSADOR KRISTÓF ALTUSZ ON HOW HIS COUNTRY IS REFUSING TO BUCKLE UNDER THE STRAIN OF THE EU’S ATTEMPTS TO IMPOSE PUNITIVE SANCTIONS COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AMBASSADORS IN DENMARK

HARD BUT FAIR: MODERN HUNGARY IS A COUNTRY ON THE CHARGE THAT BELIEVES IN A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR EVERYONE

BY SOMA BIRÓ

Kristóf Altusz, the Hungarian ambassador to Denmark, is proud to represent a country that is still standing tall despite the EU’s recent attempts to issue harmful sanctions As a Hungarian, I am constantly met with comments like “What do you think of Orbán” or “You must be glad you don’t live there right now”.

But while it’s true that Hungary has been through some turbulent political times of late – not least, the EU Parliament initiation of disciplinary procedures against the country in 2018, threatening to take its voting rights and EU subsidies – it is one of the fastest growing economies in the EU.

With former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

AN OCEAN OF QUESTIONS It is at such a time that I met with the Hungarian ambassador in Denmark. His name is Kristóf Altusz and he has been head of his country’s mission in Denmark for almost a year and a half now.

We talked in a bright, spacious room at the back of the embassy. On one of four armchairs surrounding a small square table, I sat facing the ambassador and, behind him, the ocean.

As tea was served from an exclusive looking china pot, we began.

Q

How would you describe the relationship between Hungary and Denmark?

I believe our bilaterals have a very healthy dynamic.

We cultivate a relationship appropriate to the EU and NATO member states. When it comes to the economy, there are 153 Danish companies with investments in Hungary. The Danish presence is more than 30 years old, and the firms appreciate the business environment they find in our country. In fact, looking at the Nordic countries, most of their investments come from Denmark – our 13th most important investor. Regarding politics, we have consultations on a regular basis – both on a governmental and parliamentary level.

One example was a visit by a delegation headed by

2

the Speaker of the National Assembly – definitely

mark, and I have found an attitude based on helpful-

an impactful event regarding bilateral relations. Our

ness in this country.

Q

ministries are also involved in an ongoing collabora-

tion: consultations are conducted not only between

the two ministries of foreign affairs but our nations’ ministries of migration and integration, agriculture, and health. During consultations, we try to find points where the two countries are in agreement – for example, where we can join each other on an EU level? Such as free trade agreements, where we are both interested in the well-functioning of the internal market and being able to stimulate trade outside the EU with non-existent or low tariffs.

Q

How would you compare the two countries?

I think that acumen is a characteristic of both nations as well as rationality: we tend to look for concrete solutions to problems. As for differences, I would say that obviously we have two very different starting points. Many times in its past, Hungary had to endure things that caused severe damage and forced it to start over again. This wasn’t the case with Denmark. And I believe that the welfare dream lived in Denmark can be attributed, on the one hand, to the sedulous citizens of the country

You’ve been here since September 2018. What

and, on the other, to the fact that, since World War

is your impression of the Danes and Danish

II, Denmark has been able to move forward virtu-

society so far?

ally in peace, unabated, which in Hungary has not

The Danes are very pragmatic. They are a society

been possible. We’ve recently celebrated the 30th

that operates along logical lines of thinking, and they

anniversary of the 1989 opening of the Hungari-

are especially sensitive to social issues. For us Hun-

an-Austrian border, which reminds us of everything

garians it’s not really an issue to catch up to speed

that transpired in our country after WWII – in-

with Danish norms. From a woking environment

cluding the long reign of Soviet occupation, com-

point of view, it is pronouncedly good to be in Den-

munism and the quashed revolution.

Photo:Hasse Ferrold

With an unemployment rate lower than Denmark’s, every time I visit, I hear of and witness improvements.

Q

Q

The Hungarian government’s approach to migration has become very controversial. Can you explain the Hungarian stance?

What we are saying ‘no’ to is illegal migration and economic migration. We reject the EU’s refugee quota scheme, which would make it mandatory to accept quotas of immigrants – this is the Hungarian standpoint.

Q

But, like many other countries, Hungary does accept refugees. So, is the main reason for Hungary’s rejection of the migrant quota that Hungary wouldn’t be in control of who it allows in the country but the EU would?

We reject it because we don’t want others to make this call for us. The Hungarian government says that people who came to Europe from 2014 onwards, during the Migrants Crisis, cannot be called refugees. They are largely economic migrants with some refugees among them. And most of them have been admitted to the EU without a proper evaluation of their asylum requests. But, naturally, it is possible to seek asylum in Hungary in accordance with the Geneva Convention, which we are a part of.

Photo:Hasse Ferrold

Hungary has been one of the fastest growing economies in the EU in past years. Can you highlight some developments and tell us how the country achieved these?

I can mention our GDP growth, which is between 4 and 5 percent, or the unemployment rate, which is 3.5 percent in Hungary. It’s an economy that was able to recuperate in the past 10 years without help from the IMF or the European Central Bank. The first serious step in achieving this was easing the burden on the population by reducing taxes. The recipe that we’ve been employing for quite some time is as follows: work is properly rewarded by the government with a low personal income tax (15 percent), while consumption is taxed higher in the form of the value added tax (27 percent). Consumers who can afford to buy products in a higher price range will also pay a higher VAT. Anything that takes the burden off working is obviously an incentive for the citizen. And if somebody wishes to buy luxury items, this comes back to the government in the form of VAT. This is one of the most important economic policies and the government has been employing it for eight years now.

Q

What do you think of Danish migration policy?

It has several similarities to ours. We both think it should not be left to the EU to process asylum requests. Both countries agree we should control who gets to come into the EU and that we should only accept those who are eligible to enter. In the case of the mandatory resettlement quota, the Danish situation is different as Denmark has an opt-out with respect to the Justice and Home Affairs. So, an EU decision to implement the quota scheme would not be mandatory in Denmark.

Q

Hungary made it clear that it does not wish to have parallel societies: what do you think about the parallel society debate in Denmark?

We don’t have the same history with migration that Denmark has: under communism, people wanted to migrate out of Hungary and nobody was coming in. Also, Hungarian is a serious obstacle: it’s one of the most difficult languages to master. And yes, as you say, we do not wish to see parallel societies in Hungary – partly because our main solution to the question of demographics is not migration but fami-

This means we have introduced tax policies that

help families. For example, if you have more than three children, you are exempt from personal in-

come taxes. If any other member state wishes to answer demographics and labour problems in a way that encourages migration, they can do so. But we firmly object to it being mandatory. The EU should not be allowed to force something upon us that the majority of the Hungarian people and government

Photo:Hasse Ferrold

do not support.

Q

Hungary has been met with a lot of criticism in recent years – these include accusations that media freedom and democracy are under attack. Could you comment on these?

At the Queen's reception for the Diplomatic Corps at Christiansborg Palace in January 2019

4

In September 2018, the EU Parliament voted

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ly politics. We intend to support Hungarian families

in a way that enables them to have more children.

Q

the media landscape and concentration of media ownership, what we see in Hungary is not different at all. I am astonished to see that some people are concerned about Hungarian media freedom while they are not worried about the media freedom of countries that carry the trademarks we are accused of exhibiting. If you look at a Hungarian newspaper and read the original version of what has been written – like in HVG or Figyelő – you’ll immediately see that there is a serious societal discourse going on and that, indeed, the government is subject to constant attacks and criticism by the media. RTL Klub, the most watched Hungarian TV channel, is pronouncedly critical of the government in its news program. Furthermore, we have papers that have German or Norwegian ownership. So, in Hungary, people who wish to tell their opinion – be they journalists or private persons – have plenty of outlets to do so. As for the question of democracy, to attack any EU member state with the claim that it is not a democracy is slander.

If we examine other EU member states, regarding

to trigger Article 7 sanction procedures against Hungary for allegedly failing to uphold fundamental EU values. Article 7 has only been set in motion once before: against Poland. You wrote a column published in the Danish paper Altinget addressing this issue. Could you summarise your points on the matter?

What I would like to stress about Article 7 is that it was not the EU Commission that initiated it against Hungary. This is an important point. If we look at the EU’s legislative background and the agreements signed by all member states, we notice that the commission must have a sufficient explanation if Article 7 is to be used. The commission was unable to provide this in our case, and what really happened was that the EU Parliament – a political organ where representatives are concentrated into factions according to alliances – initiated proceedings. And the

Photo:Hasse Ferrold

Earlier this year, Ambassador Altusz oversaw the unveiling of a statue of Hungarian poet Júlia Szendrey in the gardens of his embassy

Photo:Hasse Ferrold

commission had to react. But this approach pushes the EU in a bad direction, we believe. Why? Let’s say we act according to the existing frame of rules and go down the path of infringement procedures with the commission and the commission arrives at a conclusion. However, if someone doesn’t like this conclusion – for one political reason or another – they can take the issue back to the EU Parliament and start the entire process from the beginning. This does not correspond to what is fixed in the treatise we signed.

And this is what happened to Hungary. We do not find this fair as Hungary has already completed infringement procedures for some of the issues that were raised against us, again with Article 7. It’s obviously a politically motivated attack. The Sargentini report, which was the EU Parliament’s justification for initiating Article 7, was factually wrong on more than 30 different points. They were simply not true. And there are also points in it that Hungary has already dealt with and closed with the commission. So the Hungarian government sent a 120-page answer to the Sargentini report, in which we thoroughly went through each point, either disproving them or explaining what measures have already been taken in response to them. We never received an answer. I felt we were at a point where I needed to address this issue when I wrote that column for Altinget.

It is part of my job as an ambassador to react to falsehoods in order to somewhat repair the image that is painted of Hungary – an image that does not correspond to reality.

Meeting HM Queen Margethe II ambassador in my opinion is that they should be capable of mediating what happens in the host state. In order to do this, we also need to possess good writing skills as information is passed on through reports that include concise summaries.

An additional part of this combination, which is hard to learn, is a certain upright appearance: an air of a person with backbone that clearly signals you represent a state. Finally, you need a serious reverence for the host country.

Q

Is there anything you can highlight in the Hungarian political system that is very different from the Danish one?

It’s quite remarkable that there is a consensual democracy in Denmark. This means that the different parties are good at co-operating with each other. In Hungary, being in an opposing party produces a more combative attitude than what can be experienced here. It’s a different political cul-

Q

ture and approach. But it’s admirable that Danish politicians and political leaders are forced, often as a result of a minority government, to always look for compromises, to seek a majority, and are capable of governing the country in this way. In Central Europe and Hungary in particular, only governments with a majority – currently a twothirds majority – have ever been able to govern efficiently.

Can you suggest any places in Denmark that provide a taste of Hungary for those who might be curious?

If anyone in Denmark is looking to drink beer that does not belong to the Carlsberg group, there’s a great opportunity to do so at Kompasset Ølbar [Østerbrogade 103]. The entrepreneur who owns it made it his goal to introduce Hungarian craft beer to Copenhagen.

Can you explain anything else that you believe has been a reasonable move by the Hungarian government, but that has been interpreted negatively outside the country?

Regarding Hungarian laws that gave rise to criticism or concern, the EU Commission, the Venice Commission and the European Council have inspected Hungary from head to toe in the form of the mentioned infringement procedures. There aren’t many other countries that have been subject to a similar examination. So I do not think I need to further justify or explain anything that has been misunderstood or misrepresented.

What does being an ambassador entail?

I believe that a good ambassador is equipped with good communication skills: on a level where they can make themselves understood by foreigners, as well as having a feel for the reasons and arguments that best convey their message. And, naturally, adequate language skills are also necessary as Hungarian can only be utilised meaningfully in Hungary. Another thing that is essential for a good

Q 6

Photo:Hasse Ferrold

Q

Earlier this year, Ambassador Altusz met Lech Wałęsa along with the Polish ambassador Henryka Mościcka-Dendys

Publisher:

Q

I also understand you’re proud of your country’s wine?

Yes – recently we organised an event where two wine-producing regions, Szekszárd and Tokaj, were introduced with 12 different types of wine. IIn fact, we're always searching for those points where the two countries can meet – like, for example, our recent inauguration of a statue of the Hungarian poet Júlia Szendrey, who was responsible for translating the works of Hans Christian Andersen into Hungarian for the very first time. Szendrey was married to Sándor Petőfi [one of Hungary’s most important literary figures]. It’s these common grounds that I’m trying to give new life to in order to build bridges between the two nations.

Photo:Hasse Ferrold

In November, Ambassador Altusz was the proud host of an event at MASH restaurant showcasing Hungarian wine

Editor: Hans Hermansen Journalists

Christian Wenande

Ben Hamilton

Roselyne Min

Soma Biró Photographer

Hasse Ferrold Front page photo: The Hungarian Embassy Layout: CPH POST Info: hans@cphpost.dk • Tel: +452420 2411 www. cphpost.dk

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FORGED ON THE JUTLANDIA AND SOWED IN THE FIELDS, THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOUTH KOREA AND DENMARK CONTINUES TO GROW

BY ROSELYNE MIN

South Korean ambassador Sang-jin Park reflects on the strong bonds between the countries that have now been flourishing for 60 years

Q

This year, your first in Denmark as ambassador, marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Denmark and South Korea. Has the occasion helped you to better understand Denmark?

I’ve already been here six months and I am very satisfied with how our relations are constantly developing. I would say the anniversary has helped me to learn a lot about Danish culture and society in a short time. I’m privileged to be the South Korean ambassador to Denmark at a time when our bilateral relations are so vibrant.

Q

What do you see as the key areas of trade between South Korea and Denmark?

The trade volume between the two countries as of 2018 amounted to 1.9 billion US dollars: 1.1 billion in exports from Korea and 0.8 billion from Denmark. Our main export items are container ships, automobiles and electronic products, while we mostly import medical and pharmaceutical items, as well as some machinery products.

Q

Annual Danish investment in South Korea stands at around 0.9 billion US dollars, compared to just 0.1 billion the other way round. Would it be fair to say that Denmark sees South Korea as an important market?

Geo-politically South Korea is located between Eurasia

8

Cleaning up the harbour with the Norwegian ambassador

and Japan, and it has a skilled labour force who are

ing denuclearisation between North Korea and the US.

well educated. There are a lot of advantages investing

The current stand-and-still situation is due to the lack of

in the South Korean market – if Korea were to become

mutual trust. So we need more time and patience, since

reunified, we would see even more value. We are

there is no other way to solve this problem other than

currently experiencing continued robust economic

having dialogue.

growth. So the timing is good for Danish investors.

Q

Q

Several other Nordic countries also celebrated

How has the relationship with North Korea been

the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations

since last year’s historic summit?

commencing with South Korea. Is there any special

Since the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang,

relation between South Korea and Denmark

where the two Korean nations reconciled and began

compared to the likes of Sweden and Norway?

talking to one another again, tensions have eased. How-

It’s true that we also celebrated a 60th anniversary

ever, I’d say our biggest concern looking into the future

with Sweden and Norway, but the relationship be-

is what do we prioritise? North Korea’s denuclearisation

tween South Korea and Denmark has a unique history.

is important, of course, but a bigger priority, perhaps,

In 1902, the Joseon Dynasty concluded the Trade and

is improving inter-Korean relations and establishing

Friendship Treaty with Denmark. During the Korean

peace on the Korean peninsula. There should be no

War, the Danish government sent the medical-aid ship

more war. However, for some countries, denuclearisa-

Jutlandia to save 10,000 soldiers and civilians. Dur-

tion is a bigger priority. The different interests of the

ing the 1970s, the Danish model of agriculture had a

countries involved make the situation hard. Given that

great influence on ‘New Village Movement, a political

a possible reunification would affect South Korea the

initiative that built rural infrastructure and increased

most out of all the countries, we have to be more active

community income. Currently, we are exploring new

and show more initiative. Improved inter-relations will

co-operations in the fields of renewable energy, medical

contribute to the virtuous circle of negotiations regard-

equipment and healthcare.

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

Sang-jin Park didn’t become the South Korea ambassador to Denmark in just a normal year.

2019 has marked the 60th anniversary of the commencement of diplomatic relations between the countries, and the milestone has been marked by a myriad of events.

More so than in neighbours Sweden and Norway, exports, culture and adoptees have brought a distinct Korean flavour to Denmark.

A whirlwind start For Ambassador Park, it has been a whirlwind start to his time in Copenhagen, with his presence in constant demand to oversee cultural events, deliver lectures and support his fellow South Koreans living here.

As a South Korean myself, I welcomed the opportunity to speak to the ambassador and ask him about some of the curious differences and similarities the countries share.

From K-Pop and the Korean version of Janteloven, to how our nation tends to regard Denmark as a ‘Nation of Cows’, we found plenty to talk about.

The Jutlandia

Q

Denmark and South Korea signed their ‘Green Growth Alliance’ in 2011. What can Korea learn from Denmark and vice versa regarding greener growth?

Korea has two alliances. One is a military alliance with the US and another one is the Green Growth Alliance with Denmark. Denmark is the frontrunner when it comes to the circular economy. Since 2011 we have had annual meetings and, as part of the co-operation, Denmark hosted the first P4G (Partnering for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030) summit last year in Copenhagen. Consequently, the Danish government proposed that South Korea should host the second summit, which will be held next year in Korea.

That will be one of the big milestones of close co-operation in terms of the green economy. South Koreans and South Korean industry – particularly the manufacturing sector – are not so aware of climate change yet. I believe next year’s summit will be a great opportunity to raise awareness. That being said, it’s more challenging for South Korea since we are more dependent on the manufacturing industry.

Q

Photo: Hasse Ferrold

Why do you think the South Korean people recognise Denmark as a ‘Country of Cows’?

There’s a long history! Even during colonial times when Korea was ruled

by Japan, Denmark was already well-known for its advanced agriculture and dairy products. So much so that ‘Sangnoksu’, a work by the acclaimed Korean novelist Sim-hun, mentioned Denmark in 1935. After deeper relationships were formed in 1959, the Danish government invited 20 South Korean trainees annually to Denmark over the next decade to learn about and acquire Danish agriculture technologies – and it has paid dividends.

Right now, there’s a lot of Danish interest in the South Korean beef market, while a deal has been struck to import Danish beef. There’s plenty of shared history in the cattle-related industry – for instance, in 1985, South Korea and Denmark collaborated to launch a dairy brand which is today called ‘Denmark Milk’, which Danish tourists are often surprised by. So yes, overall, there’s definitely an image of Denmark being an agricultural country.

Meeting Indian ambassador Ajit Gupte 9

Photo:Hasse Ferrold

Q

Many young people in South Korea are killing themselves – possibly due to the high suicide rate within the influential K-pop industry. How can society respond to this problem?

I noted that Denmark recently participated in an international forum on suicide prevention at the Korean National Assembly to share Denmark’s approach and policy, and it’s certainly a big tragedy that there have been some suicide cases in the entertainment industry recently. I personally take the phenomenon very seriously. Korea has seen the most suicide cases among the OECD member countries of late. We need to make our society less competitive and to respect each other’s dignity. I believe education can help reform our current mindset. We have accomplished rapid economic growth by working hard, but it’s not suitable for the upcoming fourth industrial society. We should initiate campaigns and education programs to prevent more cases.

At the Korean Culture Festival at Kulturhuset in June

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10

At the Thai National Day celebrations in early December with the ambassadors of Serbia, Uganda and Thailand

Within days of his arrival, Ambassador Park was in attendance at the opening of two exhibitions of Korean art at the Nikolaj Kunsthal gallery

Photo:Hasse Ferrold

Janteloven is a core Danish value that has helped to form the modern Danish mindset.

How do you think the Korean Confucian culture compares?

When I read books about Denmark I found it very interesting that Denmark has such a similar culture to South Korea. Humility is the most important virtue in South Korea and, as far as I understood, it is also reflected in Janteloven. When I gave a lecture to Korean studies students at the University of Copenhagen in September, I prepared quite an interactive lecture since I supposed western students would be more outgoing. However, I was surprised when they hardly asked any questions or even reacted much. It was pretty much like how South Korean students would react if I gave them a lecture. I can only assume that it might have been because they

Young South Koreans are ever more aspiring for have a good work-life balance. What can the South Korean people learn from Denmark and its culture of ‘hygge’?

Our current government’s ‘Working-Life-Balance’ initiatives are significant and timely, considering that we have been working so hard to accomplish rapid development. What we need to learn from Denmark is firstly about productivity. The Danes concentrate during their working hours and then take a good rest.

The balance is what South Koreans should learn as the people work hard but not as efficiently. Our government should run its campaign not only with a focus on fewer working hours but also with an emphasis on productivity. I believe basic human desire is similar, regardless of the location, to ensure that leading a quality life is achievable for everyone.

Photo:Hasse Ferrold

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don’t want to stand out and they want to show respect to me. I now know Danish people are good at teamwork, so I’d love to do another lecture with better preparation!

Photo:Hasse Ferrold

Q

There are quite a few Korean adoptees in Denmark – so many that you gave a history lecture to them at ASIA House in June. How important do you think it is for the adoptees to learn about their origin?

There are currently approximately 9,000 Korean adoptees living in Denmark. It all started during the Korean War. However, the majority came to Denmark during the 1970s and 1980s when South Korea was still relevantly poor, whereas Denmark was adopting babies from abroad a lot. Since Denmark has a good welfare system and is a very civilised society, their parents are often willing to financially support them in searching for their biological parents, as well as educating them about Korean history from a young age. Although they are Danish citizens, we respect them as being connected to us. If they want to know about Korean history and culture, or to find their biological parents, we assist them. I believe providing what they want is the best way to help them. So we are always open to hearing from them and to arranging what we can for them.

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

Australia

Albania

Algeria

Argentina

Armenia

Elida Petoshati

In transit

Conrado Solari

Alexander Arzoumanian

Belgium

Benin

Leo Peeters

Eusebe Agbangla

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mary Ellen Miller

Brazil

Bangladesh Muhammad Muhith

Burkina Faso

Bulgaria

Carlos da Rocha

Austria Maria Rotheiser-Scotti

Svetlan Stoev

Maria-Goretti Agaleoue

Canada Emi Furuya

Emir Poljo

Chile Isauro Torres

Estonia

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Tina Krce

Yiliam Sardiñas

Penelope Erotokritou

Radek Pech

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Vesa Vasara

Caroline Farrari

Gigi Gigiadze

Detlev Rünger

www .m

Märt Volmer

China Feng Tie

Iceland Helga Hauksdóttir

of

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Ghana Amerley Awua-Asamoa

Greece Nikolaos Kotrokois

Egypt Ayman Alkaffas

Hungary Kristof Altusz

ov.iq

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Ajit Gupte

Muhammad Said

Morteza Moradian

Habib Al-Sadr

Ireland Adrian McDaid

Israel Benjamin Dagan

Italy Luigi Ferrari

All photos: Hasse Ferrold unless stated

AMBASSADORS BASED IN DENMARK

Ivory Coast

Japan

Latvia

Libya

Lithuania

Mina Balde-Laurent

Manabu Miyagawa

Alda Vanaga

Mohamed Selim

Ginte Damusis

Morocco

Nepal

Netherlands

Niger

Khadija Rouissi

Yuba Nath Lamsal

Rob Zaagman

Amadou Tcheko

Luxembourg

Carlos Pujalte

Pakistan

Norway Aud Kolberg

Mexico

Janine Finck

Syed Zulfiqar Gardezi

Palestine Mufeed M Shami

(Diplomatic Corps Dean)

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Henryka MoscickaDendys

Rita Laranjinha

Romania

Russia

Mihai-Alexandru Gradinar

Vladimir Barbin

Saudi Arabia Fahad Alruwaily

Serbia Jasmina Mitrovic-Maric

UN

P ho

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Leo Herrera-Lim

Slovakia Miroslav Wlachovsky

Thailand Vichit Chitvimarn

Slovenia

South Africa

South Korea

Edvin Skrt

Zindziswa Mandela

Sang-jin Park

Turkey

Uganda

Ugur Kenan Ipek

Nimisha Madhvani

Ukraine Mykhailo Vydoinyk

Spain Romรกn Oyarzun

United Arab Emirates Fatema Almazrouei

Sweden Fredrik Jรถrgensen

Switzerland Florence Mattli

United Kingdom

United States

Vietnam

Dominic Schroeder

Carla Sands

Pham Thanh Dung

All photos: Hasse Ferrold unless stated

AMBASSADORS – BASED OVERSEAS

Equatorial Guinea

Ethiopia Merga Bekana (Stockholm)

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Gabon

Aichatou Aoudou (London)

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Jitoko Tikolevu (London) s

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Costa Rica

Mari-Cruz Andeme (London)

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JosĂŠ Barrantes (London)

Anita Escher (Stockholm)

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Comoros

El Salvador

Pho

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Ahmed Bourhane (Paris)

Ecuador

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Colombia

Lautaro Malo (Stockholm) c

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Dominican Republic Laura Faxas (Stockholm)

mocratiecom

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Djibouti Omar Said (Brussels)

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Lameck Nthekela (Stockholm)

Sonia Duran (Stockholm)

fi

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Botswana

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Pema Choden (Brussels)

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Central African Rep. Chad Daniel Emery Dede Abdoulaye Senoussi (Brussels) (Berlin) Ph

ent.se

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Bhutan

Belarus Aleksei Samosuev (Helsinki)

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Anna Mbur Tasha (London)

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P h ot o

Barbados Samuel Chandler (Brussels) r

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Cameroon

Soeung Rathchavy (London)

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Bahrain Bahia Al Jishi (Brussels)

Tahir Taghizadeh (London)

Cambodia

Brunei Dato Ali Apong (Home based)

op

P h ot

t. c o m

t

Azerbaijan

Angola Isaias Vilinga (Stockholm)

t o:

Gambia

Grenada

Guatemala

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Honduras

Jamaica

Francis Blain (London)

Karl Hood (London)

Francisco Hernandez-Kramer (Oslo)

Siradio Diallo (Berlin)

Alfredo Lopes (Brussels)

David Hales (Brussels)

Roberto Ochoa (Brussels)

Seth G Ramocan (London)

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c co unt

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Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kosovo

Kuwait

Basheer Zoubi (Berlin)

Bolat Nussupov (Berlin)

Joseph Sang (Stockholm)

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AMBASSADORS – BASED OVERSEAS

DENMARK APPOINTS CLIMATE AMBASSADOR

BY BEN HAMILTON

As a key orchestrator of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, great things are expected of Tomas Anker Christensen

A CAREER IN CLIMATE At first glance, Tomas Anker Christensen may look like a career diplomat, but the CV of the current Danish ambassador to Egypt is rich in pedigree, making him more than equipped to make an impression in the area and help Denmark fulfil its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent by 2030, whilst helping our countries to develop.

Not only has he worked for the United Nations in several different capacities – his last as special advisor to the UN’s special envoy on climate and now US presidential candidate, Michael Bloomberg – but he is also a former department head at the Danish Foreign Ministry’s Center for Global Challenges.

Ahead of officially taking over his new position from February 1, Christensen has been busy preparing, and he was a key member of the Danish delegation at the COP25 climate summit in Madrid this month.

This, of course, was not his first UN climate summit, as he helped to organise the 2014 edition and then attended the game-changing 2015 edition in Paris in a prodigious role as the chef de cabinet of the president of the UN General Assembly, Denmark’s very own Mogens Lykketoft.

Just three months earlier, he had been part of the UN team that presented the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – just days after the commencement of Lykketoft’s presidency.

Tomas Anker Christensen (right) with Ashraf Naguib, the CEO and co-founder of Global Trade Matters

A REALISTIC OPERATOR Speaking to hubculture.com at COP21, he outlined his optimism that “many countries can now see both the affordability and economic and industrial interest in making this [what became known as the Paris Agreement] happen”.

His words underline his commitment to encouraging developed countries like Denmark in assisting undeveloped countries to phase out fossil fuels and convert to alternatives such as wind power – namely the execution of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) on sustainable energy.

“SDG 7 is about making the world’s countries much more efficient and ensuring that all citizens – including the very poorest for instance in Africa – will have access to renewable energy,” noted the government as it unveiled Christensen.

“As part of the SDG 7 leadership, Denmark will focus on securing more funding for the global green transition.”

Rasmus Prehn, the minister for development co-operation, noted that the “government regards climate as a key priority in development assistance” and “wants to incorporate climate initiatives within this assistance where possible”.

THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE Denmark’s climate minister, Dan Jørgensen, who is also responsible for energy and utilities,

Tomas Anker Christensen Twitter page

Following its decision in early 2017 to name Casper Klynge as the world’s first ever digital ambassador, Denmark continues to be a trailblazer in diplomatic circles, this time with its recent appointment of a climate ambassador.

whole-heartedly backed Christensen’s appointment, citing his great insight in the climate and sustainability arenas.

“The government has chosen Tomas Anker Christensen because he has a strong network, extensive knowledge of the climate arena, and the necessary access to international partners,” he enthused.

“It is that kind of weight and experience that is needed if we are to lift the global climate ambition level and get Denmark back at the centre of international negotiations.”

The appointment was also backed by the foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod, who said it would further help Denmark “exert green diplomacy through our bilateral co-operation around the world”.

“We are now appointing a Danish climate ambassador and thereby making another green and sustainable imprint on the international climate agenda. Denmark can and wants to make a huge difference, and the ambassador will play a key role,” he said.

“We want to make the EU a climate union, and in the UN we have taken the lead on the energy track and Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) on sustainable energy.”

Significantly, Christensen will take office at both the Foreign Ministry and Climate, Energy and Utilities Ministry.

15

Photo: News Øresund - Johan Wessman

NATO AT THE AGE OF 70: SAFEGUARDING OUR SOVEREIGNTY FOR SEVEN DECADES

BY SOMA BIRÓ

A milestone like this was never going to be celebrated quietly in NATO circles The old-timer hit 70 as allied heads of state met in the UK on December 3 and 4 for a summit and a celebration of the anniversary. Before we talk about the drama, let’s talk about the history.

The meeting took place in the UK because it was one of NATO’s 12 founding members alongside Denmark, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United States.

The military alliance was formed in 1949 and, since then, it has expanded to include 29 countries.

MORE DIVIDED THAN EVER Leading up to the anniversary event, there had been worries, not least from ex Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO secretary general. “NATO has never been as divided as it is now,” he observed.

One reason behind the division is French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement that NATO is braindead. Macron told the Economist there is a lack of co-ordination between the US and Europe, expressing concerns about Turkey’s recent actions in Syria, which he sees as aggressive and a threat to NATO interests in the region. And he believes the US has turned its back on Europe.

Danish PM Mette Frederiksen appears to agree. “I do believe that NATO collaboration is challenged,” she said.

“This is very obvious, not least because of the situation in Syria.”

PAY UP, DENMARK! Another source of conflict among member states has been the level of contribution to NATO. In 2014, Denmark, like all other nations, agreed to contribute 2 percent of its GDP – and Frederiksen has recently called this a realistic goal.

However, as of now, Denmark only pays 1.32 percent – a number that has fallen prey to criticism by the US president. In August, Trump tweeted: “For the record, Denmark 16

is only at 1.35 percent of GDP for NATO spending. They are a wealthy country and should be at 2 percent. We protect Europe and yet, only 8 of the 28 NATO countries are at the 2 percent mark”.

and the Kingdom of Denmark (the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Denmark). Indeed, the Arctic recently topped the Danish Defence Service’s annual risk assessment report as the number one priority.

WHO’S WATCHING GREENLAND?

During the meeting, Denmark also agreed to buy an additional four military aircraft on top of the four they already promised to contribute to NATO.

US ambassador Carla Sands has also voiced disapproval of Danish military spending.

She recently encouraged Denmark to buy additional F-35 combat aircraft on top of the 27 planes the country purchased. She also said that Denmark should live up to three-yearold promises to strengthen surveillance and defence in the Arctic. She pointed to a report by the Ministry of Defence that detected a significant lack of Danish surveillance in the region: there could be undetected Russian soldiers in the Arctic, and there aren’t enough satellites to properly keep an eye on Greenland’s airspace and the sea.

Frederiksen told reporters she understands the US point of view and added that Denmark is working towards a 2 percent defence budget.

The government plans to send 200 Danish troops to Iraq next year and to take responsibility for training top level Iraqi soldiers.

Denmark calculates reaching a 1.5 percent contribution by 2023.

FRUMP FRIENDS ONCE MORE Though Denmark wasn’t invited to Trump’s ‘two percenters’ lunch for the eight countries that meet the minimum contribution requirements, the recent NATO summit was accompanied by a seemingly joyous meeting between him and Frederiksen.

This comes after a much reported late summer quarrel between the two countries about the future of Greenland. The White House confirmed that Trump would like the US to purchase the island, as it is a strategically important spot regarding both Russia and China.

However, when Frederiksen called Trump’s idea “absurd”, Trump labelled the statement “nasty” and cancelled his visit to Denmark.

NO WORRIES, WE’RE GOOD The sale of Greenland did not come up during their NATO side-meeting, according to Frederiksen. “We are very important partners, and there is no doubt that the US is our most important ally,” she said, asserting that the conflict is definitely over.

However, the Arctic question was discussed and Frederiksen said she wishes to strengthen the strategic collaboration between the US

A HAPPY ENDING The anniversary summit wasn’t free of tension though. A clash between Trump and Macron was followed by leaked video footage showing Canadian PM Justin Trudeau criticising the US president – in front of Macron and British PM Boris Johnson among others. But, by the end of day two, the dust seemed to have settled.

In his closing speech, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that a new action plan to elevate efforts in the fight against terrorism was agreed upon, bolstered by 30 battalions, 30 air squadrons and 30 combat ships.

“All the leaders were very clear – we stand together all for one and one for all,” he said.

“European allies and Canada have added 130 billion US dollars – and by the end of 2024 that figure will rise to 400 billion US dollars.”

Even Donald Trump, who has previously questioned the future of the US in NATO, tweeted: “Great progress has been made by NATO over the last three years. NATO will be richer and stronger than ever before.”

… BUT NOT QUITE Ambassador Sands made sure there was a little spice in the risalamande as the celebrations came to an abrupt halt.

She demanded the cancellation of a speech scheduled for the Danish 70th anniversary NATO conference that should’ve taken place on December 10 in Frederiksberg.

The reason? A speaker, Stanley Sloan, is known to be quite the Trump critic. The embassy just wouldn’t have it, forcing their co-organisers, the Danish Atlantic Council, to cancel the entire event.

Dr Lars Bangert Struwe, the secretary general of the council, told TV2 that it was feared questions would overwhelmingly revolve around the Sloan situation instead of NATO.

IN FIELDS OF POPPIES: LEST WE FORGET

BY BEN HAMILTON PHOTOS: PHOTOHAPS.WORDPRESS.COM

Remembrance Sunday was again a solemn affair at Bispebjerg Cemetery Last year was the centenary of the Armistice that marked the end of World War I at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.

And given the significance of all the ones – resembling the many coffins needed to bury the 8.54 million soldiers who perished during World War I – the anniversary last month was also poignant, as the ‘101’ presented us with two more graves to add to the occasion.

Granted, Remembrance Day wasn’t observed on November 11 this year, but that has been

Rev Smitha Prasadam from St Albans Church (right)

South African ambassador Zindziswa Mandel

Indian ambassador Ajit Gupte

French ambassador Caroline Ferrari

the norm since 1956, when the day was switched to Remembrance Sunday – and it has been held on the second Sunday of November ever since.

POPPIES, MEDALS, RESPECT

British ambassador Dominic Schroeder

Following the traditional Remembrance Sunday service at St Alban’s Church, the congregation and others reconvened at the Commonwealth War Graves plot at Bispebjerg Cemetery where diplomats, current and former servicemen and civilians, bedecked with poppies and medals, stood to pay their respects.

The standards were marched smartly in and the short service began – again led by St Albans vicar, Reverend Smitha Prasadam.

Schroeder was greeted by BCCD president Gareth Garvey

On an overcast day, fortunately without wind and rain, the trumpeter sounded the poignant ‘Last Post’. The uniformed element of the parade came to attention, saluting for the regulation two minutes’ silence before ‘Reveille’ sounded for all to stand easy for ‘The Blessing’.

LAYING DOWN THE WREATHS As is tradition, the British ambassador to Denmark lays the first wreath of British Legion poppies at the base of the Cross of Sacrifice, and Dominic Schroeder, performing duties in his final Remembrance Sunday on Danish soil, was at hand to solemnly oblige with due respect.

He was duly followed by many of his peers and other representatives, as wreaths from firstly the other Commonwealth countries present, and then the USA, France, Poland and Germany, and then from several British and Danish organisations, were individually laid down The standard bearers were then ordered to march off and with “Ceremony completed, Sir”, the British defence attaché saluted the British ambassador.

Bispebjerg Cemetery contains the graves of 32 named and eight unknown casualties buried in its quiet surroundings – read our feature on pages 18-19 to discover more about the efforts to identify their occupants.

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Photo: photohaps.wordpress.com

IDENTIFYING THE UNKNOWN SOLDIERS

BY BEN HAMILTON

How British Embassy trade attaché Bob Cobley ended up becoming the Robert Langdon of war graves

gate – whether it is seamen who drowned in the Battle of Jutland or airmen who crash-landed in a Danish corn field.

There are no quiet seasons in the world of Bob Cobley MBE, a former British Embassy trade attaché, who in his retirement is the Honorary Representative in Denmark for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

What brought you to Denmark?

I started my job as trade attaché at the British Embassy in 1971, where I was tasked specifically with arranging the ‘British Trade Year in Denmark’, which involved finding and inspiring many British manufacturers as potential exporters. This was a tried format in other markets, for example Sweden, so to fast-track our efforts we adopted, adapted and improved their best practices. Our ‘Buy British’ slogan was ‘Vær Kritisk, køb Britisk’ (which we irreverently translated as ‘Be critical, buy Britical’) using what we called ‘the three Bs’ (bands, bobbies and buses).

Guaranteed to attract crowds wherever they performed, the Scottish pipe band was in great demand at shopping centres and town squares all over Denmark. The two Liverpool policemen performed for the crowd and “kept an eye on them Scots”, while three London double-decker buses transported everyone in style and comfort.

Metaphorically, he works in an office bedecked by the skeletons of unknown servicemen who left families in the dark about how they met their fate.

Cobley works tirelessly to bring their loved ones closure by identifying the remains of graves that have been sitting unidentified since the first half of the 20th century.

ONE BIG GRAVEYARD Cobley’s work is not just restricted to the cemeteries, as Danish waters and skies and latterly its territory saw plenty of action during the great wars of the 20th century, and the country is constantly delivering new remains to be studied.

Should humankind not discover new remains to identify, nature often plays a hand, as sand dunes shift and water levels fall to reveal fresh intrigue for Cobley to investi18

Nobody could accuse him of being bone idle.

Q

Getting the buses around Denmark was fun and required careful route planning to avoid obstacles such as low bridges and not least the overhead catenary wires supplying Copenhagen trams with a trifling 25,000 volts.

What did you do after the bright lights and champagne of Trade Year?

Haha, yes, the often floated but sadly erroneous connection with champagne at stereotypical embassy reception drinks, Trade Year was a lot of late nights – not least with a royal visit to challenge us. Also sounds challenging but to sceptical Danish buyers we successfully promoted English sparkling wine from Lamberhurst Vineyard, which at the time the British ambassador to France served at dinner. Due to the excellence of their products, Lamberhurst Vineyard still thrives and offers a 23-year-old brandy as its flagship bottle. Thereafter my commercial focus was to concentrate on helping British exporters sell successfully to the UN, major construction and railway projects, the Danish Police, PET and the Danish Armed Services.

And then your attention switched from guilds to

few photos and send him a short report. In

to ‘Last Post’ at ceremonies without getting

turn he would ensure this reached “some

a lump in my throat! The most satisfying

people” he knew “who would fix things”.

identification was definitely that of the

Thereafter, unofficially but with the official

British seaman who lost his life at the

blessing of successive British ambassadors,

Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. When I

and with the great help of knowledgeable

visited his grave in Esbjerg in 1972, it was

Danish volunteers, I visited and reported on

simply engraved: “A British Seaman of the

the condition of CWGC graves in Denmark

Great War”. Flash-forward 99 years after

until I retired in 2011 – the year CWGC

his death and by happy chance a volunteer

appointed me as “their man in Denmark”.

friend found the handwritten record. Due to

It must be quite an emotional experience

a misspelling he was never identified before

giving closure to the families?

Absolutely so, although the essential work of the ‘Denmark Team for CWGC’ really is Photo: photohaps.wordpress.com

routine visiting and reporting. We regularly visit the 131 sites in Denmark and note the

Navy honours on 31 May 2016, exactly 100

It sounds like you’re very busy.

closure and, I know, genuine comfort to the families of ten previously unidentified airmen, but most recently three Polish officers

How did you get involved with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission?

Starting work at the British Embassy on 1 November 1971, I attended the Remembrance Day ceremony at Bispebjerg Cemetery. I recall that a CWGC headstone was slightly out of line, and the defence attaché at that time suggested I might take a

very emotional ceremony with full Royal

nance for CWGC HQ in Maidenhead. But

researching. Over the years we have given

What about your father?

My father volunteered for the Leicestershire Regiment when war looked inevitable in July 1939. He was sent to Belgium, but then the regiment withdrew to France and managed to reach Dunkirk, where he used his rifle to shoot at dive bombers, moments before a bomb landed in the sand and exploded harmlessly. He burnt his hand picking up a piece of bronze bomb casing, which I still have. Thereafter the Tigers convoyed for Egypt in Montgomery’s 8th Army North Africa campaign. This took him to Mersa Matruh, El Alamein and Sidi Barrani, and then Tobruk in Libya. Tunis was liberated before the Leicesters embarked for Sorrento and the liberation of Rome, before crossing the River Po, the Gothic Line and more action at the lesser known Monte Camino monastery (not to be confused with Monte Cassino!). Deutschlandsberg, Austria was the last destination in early 1946 before demobilisation and home to Leicester that summer. My mother (who was a volunteer fire warden) had seen him just twice on leave in more than six years, which might explain why I was born in September 1947.

from the UK and Canada participated in a

years after his death.

anomaly in the records we consider worth

graves?

Hmm, the big inspiration was undoubtedly a desire to volunteer for something worthwhile developed by listening to my parents talk about “their war”. My grandfather’s service in the British Army began when he volunteered for the ‘Tigers’, the Leicestershire Regiment, in August 1915. After training he was sent to France where his first day of action was in the terrible Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. He was wounded in that action, but luckily survived the day when so many didn’t. I have his medals and his cap badge always with me when I attend ceremonies.

and 15 months of research, descendants

conditions of headstones and site mainteoccasionally we come across an intriguing

In solidarity with his fallen Antipodean brothers, Bob Cobley lays a wreath on Anzac Day

burial. Thanks to the power of the internet

recruited by SOE and a Royal Navy seaman from the 1916 Battle of Jutland.

We have lots to do in Denmark and all year round. There are about 1,160 graves and monuments to inspect, with casualties primarily from the UK but also substantial numbers from Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Then there are casualties from South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, India, the Republic of Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland,

What has been your most satisfying identi-

Russia, Germany, USA and a lone British

ty and closure?

Guyana airman – all in CWGC plots, and all

They have all been emotional! I can’t listen

brave men from the two World Wars.

If I should die, think only this of me: That there’s some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England. There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam; A body of England’s, breathing English air, Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

Excerpt from ‘The Soldier’ by Rupert Brooke

Bob Cobley at the Somme, sitting on a wall with dozens of unexploded shells at his feet 19

BY HASSE FERROLD

ABOUT TOWN

Among Cypriot ambassador Penelope Erotokritou’s guests at the celebration of her country’s national day at her residence were (left-right) former Greek ambassador Efthalia Kakiopoulou, [Erotokritou], US ambassador Carla Sands and Ugandan ambassador Nimisha Jayant Madhvani

Austrian ambassador Maria Rotheiser-Scotti welcomed a great many dignitaries (see below) to her reception to mark her country’s national day on October 17, including a visiting Vienna delegation that wanted to find out more about Copenhagen healthcare

Nepalese ambassador Yuba Nath Lamsal welcomed his Indian counterpart Ajit Gupte to his country’s national day celebrations at Asia House on September 20 – an ideal opportunity to remind the world that Mount Everest was named after a surveyor general of India

Polish ambassador Henryka Moscicka-Dendys invited pianist Marcin Dominik Głuch (left) to perform at Christians Kirke to celebrate Poland’s national on November 13.

The event also marked the 100th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between the countries

Hans Hermansen, the CEO of CPH POST, joined Romanian ambassador MihaiAlexandru Gradinar and his wife at their country’s national day celebrations at Nimb on December 2. The timing of the event held particular poignancy as they enabled Gradinar to hand his guests a copy of a special CPH POST supplement recalling his country’s hosting of the EU presidency

Hans Hermansen, the CEO of CPH POST, was among UAE ambassador Fatema Khamis Almazrouei’s guests at her country’s national day celebrations at Moltkes Palace on November 26. It was a chance to reflect on the UAE’s Year of Tolerance and look forward to its hosting of the 2020 Expo – as chronicled in a special CPH POST supplement published earlier in the month

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COMING UP SOON PHOTO: HASSE FERROLD

That Theatre Company’s next production is ‘The Visit’ (Feb 19-March 21), an original play penned by Barry McKenna about HC Andersen’s visit to the home of Charles Dickens (Ian Burns) in 1857. Also on Copenhagen stages this winter are HIT production ‘Old Times’ (Jan 29-Feb 2), Crazy Christmas Cabaret instalment ’The Three Brexiteers’ (almost daily until Jan 11),Why Not Theatre Company’s ‘Dance with me’ (Feb 27-March 21),Tivoli ballet ‘The Snow Queen’ (ends Dec 29), KGL operas ‘La Traviata’ (from Jan 18), ‘Carmen’ (ongoing), ‘Cosi fan tutte’ (ongoing) and ‘Corpo Surreal’ (Feb 12-16), and KGL ballets ‘The Nutcracker' (ends Dec 22), 'Ballet de Luxe' (from Jan 12), 'Blixen' (ongoing) and ‘The Nightingale’ (Jan 21-Feb 1)

There’s more to Xmas than Tivoli (open until Jan 5) with a wide range of Christian denominations catered to: from Lutheran (CPH Cathedral: Dec 24, 08:25, 14:30, 16:30 & 23:30; Dec 25, 10:00 & 17:00), to Anglican/ Episcopal (St Albans: Dec 24, 12:00 & 23:30; Dec 25, 10:30), to Catholic (Sankt Ansgars Kirke: Dec 24, 16:00; Dec 25, 00:00, 10:00 & 15:00). And then the festivities continue with Fastelavn, Denmark’s Halloween, which next year is on February 23. Celebrated two days before Shrove Tuesday, it incorporates similar pre-Lent excesses, including the striking of a cat (today candy will suffice) out of the barrel – a similar tradition to the beating of the piñata in Mexico

As it should be over the winter, there are plenty of film festivals to enjoy in Copenhagen, be it animated works aimed at adults (Void Film Festival, Jan 30-Feb 8), documentaries (CPH:DOX, March 18-29), indies (Annual CPH Film Festival, March 6-7) or programs dedicated to entire regions (Copenhagen Asian Film Festival, Feb 10-16)

It’s out with the ‘Pig’ and in with the ‘Rat’ on January 25 as a week’s worth of Chinese New Year festivities clicks into gear. In recent years, the Spring Festival has been increasingly making its presence felt in central Copenhagen – both indoors at locations such as City Hall and outdoors on Strøget, the main walking street

Not long ago, a winter edition of Copenhagen Cooking was held in February as part of the month-long Wondercool festival, and a gleaming remnant remains in the form of Copenhagen Dining Week (Feb 7-16), which is expanding to ten days to mark its tenth anniversary. It’s no exaggeration to say that hundreds of restaurants are taking part

Filling a void left by Forum’s annual holiday fair in late January, the Danish Travel Show at MCH Exhibitioncenter Herning (Feb 21-23) is a hit with participating embassies.

The Cuban Embassy recommended a Billund-Havana route after attending, while the Turkish Embassy reported “very good sales” by its travel agencies 21

Q Q A BILINGUAL ‘THIRD CULTURE KID’ WHO A DIPLOMATIC UPBRINGING

WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY

Long stints in the UK and US followed by passing visits to Tallin, Sarajevo, Nicosia, Kathmandu and Budapest have instilled this Danish ambassador’s son with a strong sense of global identity

Q

BY BEN HAMILTON A diplomatic upbringing has given Torsten Geelan, 34, the ability to adapt to new cultures and social dynamics and to embrace change as an inevitability.

Q

I understand your mother is the current Danish ambassador to Hungary.

Yes, she's been in the position since 2016.

Has she served in any other countries, and in which of these countries was she the ambassador?

Yes, she’s served in the UK and the USA, and as ambassador in Bosnia, Cyprus, Nepal and Estonia – her first ambassadorial posting.

Q

Nepal! I understand she was the ambassador there at the time of the April 2015 earthquake that killed over 9,000 people. That must have been pretty traumatic and ultimately a busy period for her.

My mother was indeed incredibly busy in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake in Nepal. On the day itself, she was fortunate to be with my father and sister in an open grassy field when they saw dense flocks of birds in the sky and began to feel the earth shaking and rolling. The following weeks she spent day and night providing shelter for Danish nationals on the embassy compound and co-ordinating an emergency response with Danish aid organisations.

Q

How old were you when she became an ambassador for the first time, and did you live with her during any of her postings?

When my mother was appointed the Danish Ambassador to Estonia in 2006, I was a 20-year-old undergrad student at the University of Manchester living on my own. The only times I still lived with my family while she was posted abroad were in New York and London where I was born.

That said, most of my holidays over the years were spent together with my family in Tallin, Sarajevo, Nicosia, Kathmandu and Budapest, so I’ve had the chance to learn a great deal about these countries and regions of the world.

Q

What life lessons could be learned from being the child of an ambassador?

Too many invaluable lessons to list here! Perhaps the most valuable and enduring life skill, though, is the ability to adapt. Like most kids of diplomats, I learned this the hard way. For example, when I moved to New York from Copenhagen as a 10-year-old in 1996, I

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told my mother I would never be happy again.

But after an incredibly difficult and lonely year pleading with my parents to send me ‘home’, I finally settled in and became part of a diverse and close-knit group of friends comprising all social classes and representing several nationalities and ethnicities. By the time we had to move back to Copenhagen again, I had begun to master the ability to adapt to new cultures and social dynamics and to embrace change as an inevitability.

as a lecturer at the University of Leicester in the UK, but next year I will be spending two years as a Carlsberg Foundation fellow at the University of Copenhagen researching the role of trade unions in the transition to a low carbon economy.

Q

Q

How big an influence has your diplomatic upbringing had on your adult life?

I think it’s hard to overstate the influence my diplomatic upbringing has had on my adult life.

As a bilingual ‘third culture kid’, I’ve become an amalgam of predominantly English, Danish and American influences – having lived, worked and studied in all three of these countries – and developed a strong sense of social justice and appreciation for the immense richness of our global cultural heritage.

Q

Could you tell us a bit about what you've been up to since leaving the family fold: education, careers, country of residence?

Since leaving the family fold I’ve spent the better part of a decade studying and researching the (ever changing) relationship between trade unions, the media and power at the Universities of Manchester and Cambridge, where I completed my MPhil and PhD in Sociology. At the moment of writing, I’m currently working

What is the best story you remember from your time abroad?

I was 11 years old with my family visiting the Great Wall of China during torrential rainfall.

We missed the last train back to Beijing and decided to walk along the train tracks to the next station to see if there were more trains – my father with my little sister on his shoulders.

Arriving at a tunnel, we decided, for some inexplicable reason, to walk through it. Midway through, in the pitch-black, shuffling along with our hands on the wall to guide us, we heard the shocking roar of a train arriving. Legend has it I panicked and jumped into the middle of the tracks. Luckily, the train never materialised, and we emerged unscathed.

Diplomacy MAGAZINE

THREE SUCCESSFUL YEARS WITH DIPLOMACY Diplomacy Diplomacy Diplomacy Diplomacy Diplomacy MAGAZINE

MAGAZINE

MAGAZINE SPRING 2017 – ISSUE 1

SPRING 2018 - ISSUE 3

AUTUMN 2017 – ISSUE 2

MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2018 - ISSUE 4

MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2018 - ISSUE 5

SHARED VALUES AND HUMAN RIGHTS INTERVIEW WITH THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR FRANÇOIS ZIMERAY

FIGHTING FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS

SPECIAL ROMANIAN-DANISH

BERTEL HAARDER: THE MP WHO HAS SEEN IT ALL

SPECIAL

REDISCOVERING A JOINT HERITAGE

FOSTERING

INTERVIEW WITH THE UAE AMBASSADOR HE FATEMA KHAMIS ALMAZROUEI

PARTNERSHIPS

INTERVIEW WITH DANISH FOREIGN MINISTER ANDERS SAMUELSEN

INTERVIEW WITH THE POLISH AMBASSADOR DR HENRYKA MOŚCICKA-DENDYS

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AMBASSADORS IN DENMARK

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AMBASSADORS IN DENMARK

SPECIAL

MOGENS LYKKETOFT:

FROM FOREIGN MINISTER TO PRESIDENT OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AMBASSADORS IN DENMARK

• DANISH PM'S GLOBAL OUTLOOK • THAILAND'S NEW AMBASSADOR • CROWN PRINCE TURNS 50 COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AMBASSADORS IN DENMARK

• COMPETITION COMMISSIONER VESTAGER ON FAIRNESS FOR ALL • INTERVIEW WITH THE SLOVENIAN AMBASSADOR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AMBASSADORS IN DENMARK

Diplomacy Diplomacy Diplomacy Diplomacy MAGAZINE

MAGAZINE

WINTER 2018 - ISSUE 6

SPRING 2019 - ISSUE 7

• THE AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR ON INTEGRATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS

• THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR ON BEING AT THE HEART OF EUROPE

• MEET DENMARK'S NEW NATO AMBASSADOR

• CONNIE HEDEGAARD: STILL CARRYING THE CLIMATE TORCH

• DENMARK'S FIRST ASTRONAUT COMES DOWN TO EARTH

• THE DANISH DIVER WHO BECAME AN UNLIKELY HERO

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AMBASSADORS IN DENMARK

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AMBASSADORS IN DENMARK

MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2019 - ISSUE 8

• THE ROMANIAN AMBASSADOR TALKS ABOUT THE EU AND PROMOTING HIS COUNTRY • OSCE: HELPING TO KEEP EUROPE SAFE • PRINCE JOACHIM AT 50

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AMBASSADORS IN DENMARK

MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2019

• NIGERIEN AMBASSADOR AMADOU TCHEKO ON HIS NEW ROLE AS DEAN OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO AMBASSADORS IN DENMARK

Next issue March 2020.

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