November-December 2012 Issue v3

A Business, Diplomacy & Foreign Policy Publication

November - December 2012 • $7.95

BUSINESS • POLITICS • SPORTS • ENTERTAINMENT • MILITARY & DEFENSE • CONGRESS

D I P L O M A T I C C O N N E C T I O N S B U S I N E S S edition | N o v embe r - D ecembe r 2 0 1 2

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An Exclusive Oasis With A Prestigious Address (1-800) 462 7899 • peninsula.com/beverlyhills

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Introducing the All-New BMW of Rockville.

A new owner. A new name. A new way to do business.

The same great Rockville Pike location.

On March 1, 2012 VOB BMW became BMW of Rockville, a family owned and operated dealership.

Special Diplomatic Pricing Pre-Approved Leasing Plans FREE Maintenance for 4 Years or 50,000 miles on all Brand New BMWs Home of Priority 1 Service. No Appointment Necessary. Just Drive in!

Please contact our Diplomatic Program Specialist Nicholas Popovici at 1-888-445-6023 to learn more about our program.

1300 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852

1-888-445-6023 BMWRockville.com

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We Offer: • All Makes and Models • Closed-End Leases • Finance Leases • Delivery of Vehicles to Your Location • Maintenance Plans • Credit Pre-Approved • Quick and Efficient State Department Titling and Vehicle Registration (Diplomatic Tags)

Arnold Wollman

Vehicle Leasing Since 1979

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ALL-NEW 2012 CADILLAC

SRX

NEW INVENTORY ARRIVING DAILY AT

JIM COLEMAN CADILLAC Special Introductory Lease Offers Available

Jim Coleman Cadillac is pleased to announce:

The Jim Coleman Cadillac Exclusive Diplomat Vehicle Leasing/Sales Program.

New Cadillacs priced from just $34,315. Choose from our incredible selection of sedans like the elegant All-New CTS. Sport Utility Vehicles, including the Escalade, Escalade ESV, and the all new SRX are all aggressively priced for this special sales event as well. Eligible participants include Ambassadors, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Diplomats Accredited to the United Nations, OAS, and other International Organizations, Career Counselor Officials, as well as Attaches and Career Administrative Officials of the Diplomatic Consular Missions.

If you or any eligible participant is interested in learning more about the Jim Coleman Diplomat Vehicle Sales, please contact Michael Jaffe, Director Vehicle Sales, and I will be happy to discuss these special offers, terms and purchase details. It is our goal at Jim Coleman Cadillac to continue to be the leader in Diplomat Vehicle Sales for the Washington metro area. We offer the utmost in Customer Service and Satisfaction that includes: One Stop Shopping Rapid Response Time Ordering Made Easy and Convenient Models Customized to Your Personal Requirements Integrity and Fairness in all Your Transactions Knowledgeable & Experienced Cadillac Diplomatic Sales & Leasing Specialist Best Luxury Coverage in the Industry 4-years/50,000 mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty 5-years/100,000 mile Powertrain Limited Warranty 5-years/100,000 mile Roadside Assistance Please contact me at your earliest convenience, and I will make your next Cadillac purchase the pleasurable experience it should be.

Michael Jaffe Director of Diplomatic Sales MJaffe@JimColemanAuto.com Diplomatic Sales Hotline (240) 403-1257 JimColemanCadillac.com

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INTRODUCING JIM COLEMAN TOYOTA'S DIPLOMAT

LEASE SPECIAL AVAILABLE NOW FOR A LIMITED-TIME

Toyota Prius V

Toyota Prius C

Toyota Prius PKG III

Toyota Prius Plug-In

Come See Why We Are One of the Top Hybrid Dealers in the Nation.

Jim Coleman Toyota Diplomat Vehicle Leasing/Sales Program.

Jim Coleman Toyota would like to introduce our Diplomat Leasing/Sales Program. This program is available to all Ambassadors, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Diplomats Accredited to the United Nations, OAS, and other International Organizations, Career Counselor Officials, as well as Attaches and Career Administrative Officials of the Diplomatic Consular Missions.

Through this program, you will receive great deals on some of our best-selling Toyota models.

Choose from our incredible selection of sedans like the All-New Camry. Sport Utility Vehicles, including the Highlander, Venza, and the all new RAV4 are all aggressively priced for this special sales event as well.

Here at Jim Coleman Toyota, we strive to remain the leader in Diplomatic Vehicle Sales for the Washington metro area. Special VIP appointments available to all eligible participants. Please contact Patrick Coleman, New Car Sales Manager of Jim Coleman Toyota for more details.

Patrick Coleman New Car Sales Manager PColeman@JimColemanAuto.com VIP Hotline (301) 469-7100 JimColemanToyota.com

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éditionspéciale $7,595*

Illustration sectional, design Philippe Bouix.

Photo Michel Gibert. Special thanks: Neon artwork www.rogervilder.com, TASCHEN

Instead of $10,669

* Sectional as shown, upholstered in Tempo leather. Offer valid until 12.31.2012, not to be used in conjunction with any prior offer. Price does not include decoration cushions or other accessories and pieces unless stated otherwise. Manufactured in Europe.

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Publication: Diplo Connection Issue: Sept-Oct Format: 7.5" x 4.75" Stroke: 0.5 pt

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• International & domestic mobile VoIP service • Wireless Internet access • MyFi hotspots & tethering

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INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS: CONNECTING THE WORLD

Washington

international

school

The world comes together at WIS….

Finding a school where your child thrives provides a foundation for a successful future.

More than half a million families each year choose independent private schools. The schools that belong to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) share a commitment to providing safe environments in which young people can learn academic skills plus the importance of hard work, leadership, and good citizenship.

Independent schools provide challenging academics and opportunities to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities, which prepares students for success at the next level. A study from the U.S. Department of Education found that 99 percent of students at NAIS schools graduated from

WIS challenges students in Grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12 to become responsible and engaged global citizens.

Our inquiry-based, learner-centered education encourages creative and critical thinking in all disciplines and is inspired by academic innovators around the world. WIS is multicultural and multilingual, and offers our students the following: • An education which culminates in the rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, a college preparatory program recognized around the world.

• A community of teachers which represents more than 30 nations.

• French and Spanish language immersion programs in Pre-Kinder Pre-Kinder-garten and Kindergarten, instruction by native speakers in all grades and a commitment to learning in more than one language.

• Beginning language options in many grades.

Tours by Appointment: call 202.243.1815 or email admissions@wis.edu Primary School Open House (reservations required): December 6 www.wis.edu

ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL 1906

PREPARING YOUNG MEN FOR LEADERSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY

RESIDENTIAL BOARDING PROGRAM LOCATED IN THE HEART OF SAN FRANCISCO Rigorous academic program, including 14 AP Classes Comprehensive college advising and SAT Prep Programs for students with learning differences Competitive athletic and music programs

CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2012-2013 SCHOOL YEAR

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APPLY TODAY: WWW.RIORDANHS.ORG

EDUCATION • EDUCATION • EDUCATION

independent schools

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EDUCATION • EDUCATION • EDUCATION

independent schools

C

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Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

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high school and 90 percent of graduates attended four-year colleges.

The Freshman Survey Trends Report, an annual study conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute, found that NAIS school graduates felt more prepared for the academic demands of college than their public school counterparts. As college freshman, NAIS graduates reported that they were more likely to ask questions in class and explore topics on their own, even though it was not required for a class. The Higher Education Research Institute also found that graduates from NAIS schools were more likely than public school graduates to have had an internship and to have accepted an offer of employment before graduating from college.

hood too. The National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS), administered by the U.S. Department of Education,

EDUCATE YOUR EDUCATE YOUR STUDENTS TO BECOME LEADERS IN AN STUDENTS INTERDEPENDENT WORLD.

TO BECOME LEADERS IN AN INTERDEPENDENT WORLD.

Challenge 20/20 connects schools in the United States with schools in other countries. Together, students work to identify local solutions to a global problem.

Through this globally based, experiential curriculum, students develop cross-cultural competency and communication skills. This program is an online program that is free of charge and open to all schools.

Since 2005, Challenge 20/20 has connected thousands of schools. Each year, we receive more than 500 applications from schools in nearly 60 countries.

Independent education benefited graduates in adult-

Trinity-Pawling School “A Commitment to Character”

A College PrePArAtory SChool for boyS

7-12 (dAy StudentS) grAdeS 9-12 & Pg (boArding StudentS) grAdeS

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EDUCATION • EDUCATION • EDUCATION

independent schools

Admissions: (310) 836-3464, ext. 315 admissions@LyceeLA.org

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EDUCATION • EDUCATION • EDUCATION

independent schools found that NAIS graduates were more likely to exercise regularly, volunteer in their communities, and read newspapers and magazines daily as adults than graduates of other types of schools.

One program overseen by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Challenge 20/20, helps nurture community engagement while building cross-cultural connections and awareness of global issues.

Challenge 20/20 is an Internet-based program that pairs classes at any grade level (elementary and secondary) from public and private schools in the U.S. with similar-age classes in schools in other countries. Together, the teams (of two, three, or four schools) tackle real global problems over the course of a semester to find solutions that can be implemented at the local level and in their own communities.

The projects relate to water deficits, global infectious diseases, the fight against poverty, biotechnology rules, education for all, and biodiversity and ecosystem losses, among other topics. Schools are paired up by NAIS, based on their interests and age range. First, they share their perspectives on the issue and define the impact of the issue globally and in their own communities. They work together to generate project ideas and to develop plans.

Finally, they share implementation strategies.

The interaction with students from other countries and

Developing cross-cultural communication skills is among the top assets listed by teachers too. A handful of schools request to be partnered with schools in specific regions to help practice language skills. Many groups continue communicating with their partners after the completion of the program, forging bonds both personal and institutional.

Some schools have found that the program builds enthusiasm among parents and can drive volunteerism among community members too. Doctors or development workers may want to help students study global infectious diseases, for instance, and lawyers may be able to share their expertise on intellectual property concerns. Many schools also partner with local community organizations, such as food banks or conservation groups as part of their local implementation strategies.

Programs like Challenge 20/20 help students connect with their communities and the world around them, hallmarks of a high-quality education.

For more information about independent schools, please visit www.nais.org/go/parents.

For information about Challenge 20/20, please see www.nais.org/go/challenge2020.

FAA

Accepted to Harvard University Dominika Sarnecka (Poland) Graduate May 2012

International Student Body From 26 Different Countries

20% off tuition for state department employees!

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Graduates with Global Perspectives

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Attending Harvard University Nick Gavin (USA) Graduate May 2011 20% off tuition for state department employees!

College Prep Boys & Girls Grades 6-12

1/3 International Boarding Students + 1/3 Domestic Boarding Students + 1/3 Local Day Students

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cultures is among the highlights of the program for many students.

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We assist diplomats, entrepreneurs and successful professionals from around the world to make sound investments in the United States for the purpose of growing their investment capital while achieving the fastest path to U.S. residency.

Contact our VIP & Diplomatic service representative today at

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Providing benefit solutions for the following business sectors and specialized situations: Global Health Insurance

Business Travel Accident Insurance

Groups in War Zones or Similar High Risk Areas

NGO’s

Defense Base Act (DBA) Insurance

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For Expert Advice Call 1-888-275-3924 info@travelinsurancecenter.com

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• On-site Protocol Operations • Customized Protocol and Business Etiquette Training • Executive Consulting • Embassy/Consular Office In-house Staff Briefings and Workshops • Cross-Cultural Communication Training

• Diplomacy and Business Relationships • Distinguished Visitor Program Coordination • Event/Visit Management and Temporary Staffing • Transportation Coordination • Customer Service Training • Media Training

Protocol Partners-Washington Center for Protocol, Inc. is the premier firm of protocol professionals in Washington, D.C.

www.TheProtocolPartners.com Discover what makes us unique • Register for a seminar • Find protocol resources •

Visit our website to: • Meet our team of protocol professionals who have directed protocol offices at the highest levels of the federal government, the military and the private sector.

1025 ConneCtiCut Avenue, n.W. • Suite 1000 • WAShington, D.C. 20036 (202) 857-9753 • (202) 857-9799 Fax D I P L O M A T I C C O N N E C T I O N S B U S I N E S S edition | N o v embe r - D ecembe r 2 0 1 2

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Located just blocks from the U.S. Capitol Building, the National Mall, Chinatown, Union Station, Verizon Center and Judiciary Square Metro!

Stunning Views of the U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument and the city’s beautiful skyline await you...

Ashton Judiciary Square features:

View floor plans, photos, videos and all of the amenities at www.ashtonjs.com Call or email us today to schedule a tour!

202-289-7990 | ashtonjudiciarysquare@udr.com

• One, two & three bedroom furnished or unfurnished luxury apartment homes

• Extra large walk-in closets, high ceilings, exquisite details and modern amenities

• Spacious living areas with scenic window walls to the city

• Elegant bathrooms with soaking tubs, marble countertops and top of the line fixtures

• Gorgeous hardwood and travertine floors throughout

• Exclusive amenities include a premier fitness club, concierge services, gourmet coffee bar, video conference room and private access garage with dedicated parking.

• European inspired kitchens with upgraded cabinetry and stainless steel appliances

Ashton Judiciary Square | 750 3rd Street NW | Washington, DC 20001

Crescent Luxury Apartments offer cleaner, sleeker, more modern living that reduces your environmental footprint and enhances your everyday life!

At the Crescent you’ll be conveniently located in Arlington, VA just a short walk to the East Falls Church Metro, a short drive to I-66, I-495, boutique shopping, bistros and fine dining restaurants in Tysons Corner.

Enjoy the wonderful green-based property features including a tree-lined promenade walkway connecting to a large park, reserved parking for low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicles and abundant bicycle storage.

Features and amenities include: • One & two bedroom furnished or • Elegant bathrooms with soaking tubs, unfurnished luxury apartment homes marble countertops and dual head showers • Spacious, energy-efficient living in a modern atmosphere • Premiere amenities including a state of the art fitness club, two courtyards with • European inspired kitchens, upgraded fire pits, outdoor grilling and dual sided cabinetry and granite slab countertops outdoor fireplace, plush clubhouse, • Extra large walk-in closets, high theatre room and much more! ceilings and certified green features

View floor plans, photos, videos and all of the amenities at

www.crescentva.com

Call or email us today to schedule a tour!

703-237-5858 • crescentfallschurch@udr.com

2121 North Westmoreland St. | Arlington, VA 22213 16

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Conveniently located in the Courthouse neighborhood, Courtland Towers offers a wide variety of apartment designs and apartment sizes with breathtaking views of DC. Located just one block from the Courthouse Metro station, Courtland Towers is close to great restaurants, shops and a weekly farmers market. Enjoy a workout in the newly renovated fitness center, play racquetball or basketball at either of the indoor courts, enjoy a movie in the private theater room or relax at one of the two on property pools.

1 2 0 0 N Ve i t c h S t . • A r l i n g t o n , VA 2 2 2 0 1 • 7 0 3 - 5 2 8 - 2 7 0 0 www.RentDittmar.com • One, two and three bedroom apartments • Unfurnished apartments also available • 24-hour front desk • Indoor lap pool and seasonal outdoor pool • Indoor driving range, racquetball courts, and saunas • Business center, community room, and theater room • Assigned garage parking • Weekly housekeeping • 1.5 blocks to the Courthouse Metro station • A short walk to restaurants, theaters, CourtlandTowers@RentDittmar.com gourmet grocery shopping and parks

www.RentDittmar.com Featuring easy access to the Ballston/MU Metro, I-66 and Route 50, the Ballston Common Mall, with its many popular stores, restaurants, movie theaters, food court and ice-skating rink.

Randolph Towers features fully appointed and recently redecorated furnished apartments. Each has an oversized balcony, washer and dryer, flat screen TV’s with basic cable, phone service, wireless internet, and individually controlled heating & cooling. There is a business center, game room, theater room, and community room for your enjoyment. Additionally, there is an indoor swimming pool and 24/7 state-of-the-art fitness center.

4001 9th Street, North • Arlington, VA 22203 • One, two and three bedroom apartments • Luxury penthouses • Unfurnished apartments also available • 24-hour front desk • Assigned garage parking • Weekly housekeeping • On site businesses including a convenience store, dry cleaner, shoe repair, nail and hair salon and professional services • 1.5 blocks to Ballston-MU Metro Station • 1.5 blocks to Ballston Mall • A short walk to restaurants, theaters, community centers and parks

703-525-9000 • RandolphTowers@RentDittmar.com D I P L O M A T I C C O N N E C T I O N S B U S I N E S S edition | N o v embe r - D ecembe r 2 0 1 2

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INTERCONTINENTAL CLEVELAND. WORLD-CLASS HOSPITALITY ON CLEVELAND CLINIC’S MAIN CAMPUS.

World-class hospitality meets world-class care. We are connected to Cleveland Clinic via skywalk and just minutes from museums, sports, shopping, theater, galleries and unique dining destinations. When you stay with us, you’ll experience exceptional accommodations and guest services that are unparalleled in the area. We welcome guests from across the country, and around the world, every day.

• 24 Spacious Suites • Multilingual Staff • Concierge Services • Club InterContinental® • 24 - Hour In-Room Dining • Award-Winning Table 45 Restaurant and Bar • Complimentary Fitness Center

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• Valet Parking

For more details, please call 877.707.8999, 216.707.4168 or visit hotelsclevelandclinic.com 19

March12, 2013

S AV E T H E D AT E Diplomatic Connections is Hosting Another

eception D iplomatA ppreciation R On March 12, 2013

at the Hay Adams Across the Street from the White House in Washington, D.C.

SDate-half-Hay13.indd 1

Visit DiplomaticConnections.com for photos and videos of cultural and diplomatic events, interviews with ambassadors and business leaders, business directories for major cities as well as digital editions of all of our past issues.

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11/5/12 8:08 PM

April 11, 2013

S AV E T H E D AT E Diplomatic Connections is Hosting Another

D iplomatA ppreciation Reception On April 11, 2013

at the Madison Hotel Just Blocks from the White House in Washington, D.C.

SDate-half-Mad13.indd 1

11/5/12 7:56 PM

November 5, 2013 S AV E T H E D AT E

Diplomatic Connections is Hosting Another

eception D iplomatA ppreciation R On November 5, 2013

at the The Peninsula Beverly Hills 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd.

Beverly Hills, California 90210 One of Southern California’s Best Addresses

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11/5/12 8:17 PM

DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dawn Parker AssistantS to the Editor Kyle Byram, Chanel Cherry, Ashley Gatewood, Amy Nyhuis, Julie Pomeroy BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Executives Evan Strianese, Kendra Edmonds, Mongoose Atlantic, Inc. – Stephen Channon, George Hoffman, Amber Smith DESIGN & CREATIVE KDG Advertising, Design & Marketing msocha@kdgadvertising.com

PAGE 86 Page 60

Contributing Designer Larry Smith DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENTS and CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Roland Flamini, James Winship, PhD, Monica Frim, Meghan Lawson, F. Lewis Bristol, Michael Litzelman Event Coordinator Assistants Kesha Lee; Claire McKenney; Charles Makings; Amanda Makulec; Amy Nyhuis; Katherine O’Leary; Elizabeth Posey; Thomas Saunders; Carter Wilson; Shin-Yee Yu

To contact an advertising executive CALL: 202.536.4810 FAX: 202.370.6882 EMAIL: info@diplomaticconnections.com DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS WEBSITE DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT IMS (Inquiry Management Systems) 304 Park Avenue South, 11th Floor New York, NY 10010 TOLL FREE: 877.467.8721 X701 Website: www.ims.com Marc Highbloom, Vice President marc@ims.ca Maria D’Urso, Project Manager Mariad@ims.ca CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHY Christophe Avril, Paula Morrison

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To order photos from the events go to: www.diplomaticconnections.com Send any name or address changes in writing to: Diplomatic Connections 4410 Massachusetts Avenue / #200 Washington, DC 20016 Diplomatic Connections Business Edition is published bi-monthly.

Diplomatic Connections does not endorse any of the goods or services offered herein this publication.

Copyright 2012 by Diplomatic Connections All rights reserved.

Cover photo credits: Cover photo credits: Belgian Ambassador Matthysen, Paula Morrison, Diplomatic Connections; President Obama with Dutch Ambassador Bekink, Dutch Embassy; former Ambassador of Libya, Paula Morrison, Diplomatic Connections; Princess Astrid with Children, Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images; EU, Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images; Chris and Kathleen Matthews, Paula Morrison, Diplomatic Connections; Counsellor Rick Williams, Canadian Embassy; Military, Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images; Duchess Kate, Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images; Prince William, Chris Jackson/Pool/Getty Images; HRH Princess Astrid, UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe.

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APARTMENTS and HOUSING Ashton Judiciary Square UDR 16 Crescent Falls Church UDR 16 Dittmar Realty – Courtland Towers 17 Dittmar Realty – Randolph Towers 17 AUTOMOTIVE - CARS and LIMOUSINE SERVICES Admiral Leasing 4 BMW of Rockville 2 Car Services – VIP Gold Car 84 Jim Coleman Cadillac 6 Jim Coleman Toyota 7 Beverages Stella Artois 59

PAGE 24 FURNITURE Furniture – RocheBobois 8

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Catering Maison Culinaire 79

COMMercial Real Estate ULM Holding Corporation 71

HOTELS, DINING and ACCOMMODATIONS [The] Fairfax at Embassy Row 73 Fairmont Washington, D.C. – Georgetown 94 Four Seasons 5 [The] Hay-Adams 18 & 20 InterContinental – Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C. 72 InterContinental – Cleveland Clinic 19 [The] Ritz-Carlton – Pentagon City BACK COVER [The] Madison 21 & 33 [The] Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. 81 [The] Peninsula Beverly Hills INSIDE Front COVER, 1 & 21 Trump International Hotel & Tower – Chicago 3

mat Appreciation Reception COMMUNICATIONS InTouch USA Wireless Communications 8

Diplomatic Connections Reception, November 1, 2012 at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C...........74 Diplomatic Connections Reception, March 12, 2013 at The Hay-Adams Washington, D.C.........................20 Diplomatic Connections Reception, April 11, 2013 at The Madison Washington, D.C...............................21 Diplomatic Connections Reception, November 5, 2013 at The Peninsula Beverly Hills, California. .............21

™

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the Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. EDUCATION – INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS Archbishop Riordan High School 9 British School of Washington 13 Florida Air Academy 12 Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles 11 Sandy Spring Friends School 10 The Kew-Forest School 10 Trinity – Pawling School 11 Washington International School 9

Investment U.S. Immigration Investment Center 13

g Event for Royalty, Diplomats, International Organizations, PROTOCOL Protocol Partners 15

U.S. Department of State, PentagonSPAand Capitol Hill Red Door Spa INSIDE BACK COVER

by Monica Frim

ENTERTAINMENT [The] Embassy Series 39 Fashion and Accessories Fur Vault at Macy’s 96

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TRAVEL, INSURANCE, PASSPORTS AND VISAS Insurance - Travel Insurance Center 14 VFS Global 15 Articles Belgium – Ambassador Jan Matthysen 50 Belgium – HRH Princess Astrid 60 British – HRH Prince William and HRH Duchess Kate visit the Far East 86 Canada – Defense, Research and Development – Counsellor Richard Williams 24 Diplomatic Immunity 30 Libya – Ambassador Ali Suleiman Aujali 34 Libya – Benghazi – Ambassador Chris Stevens 28 Netherlands – Ambassador Rudolf Bekink 40 Nyumbani – 47

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W

hostin

By Monica Frim

T

he inscription on the Peace Arch between the state of Washington and the province of British Columbia aptly describes the relationship between the United States and Canada: it reads “Children of a common mother” on the American side, and “Brethren dwelling together in unity” on the Canadian. The family metaphor naturally extends to the occasional squabble or misunderstanding, but also infers that, underneath any disagreements, the two countries share a bond of mutual respect and admiration. It’s been that way ever since the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in 1814, which brought an end to the War of 1812, a war that both sides claim to have won. The Peace Arch, erected in 1921, is a commemoration of that treaty, which established the two countries as friends, allies and partners in a peace that has lasted more than 200 years. The United States and Canada are, in fact, the world’s biggest trading partners — their bilateral exports total more than $700 billion dollars a year and pass over the longest secure international border in the world.

For the most part, it’s been a border of easy passage for cargo and people alike, but when global terrorist activities shocked North America more than 10 years ago, the border

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between Canada and the United States became a focus of defense and security.

Heightened scrutiny of goods and passengers meant slower border crossings with longer lines and shorter tempers.

Biometric identification processes in terms of fingerprints and retinal or iris scans became commonplace, and for the first time, ordinary citizens of both Canada and the United States required passports to visit each other’s countries.

The irony is that the United States and Canada are not at war with each other but with international terrorism.

Toward that end, the two countries are working together to now streamline transborder procedures and focus their joint efforts on perimeter security. When the entire continent, indeed the world, is vulnerable to terrorist attacks, it is more important than ever for the United States and Canada to work together as a family and to share information to strengthen their bilateral defense and security relationships.

Richard (Rick) Williams, the new Counsellor for Defence Research and Development at the Embassy of Canada, has a key role to play in nurturing Canada-U.S. collaboration in defense and security science and technology. Success in his new position hinges on his forging and maintaining relations

with his American counterparts. As former Director General of Science and Technology Operations at Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), Mr. Williams is now up for the Washington challenge.

Diplomatic Connections spoke with Mr. Williams at the Embassy of Canada. Here are some highlights from that interview: Diplomatic Connections: Mr. Williams, you have had a distinguished military career as an aerospace engineering officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force, followed by a civilian position as a defense scientist within Canada’s Department of National Defence. What aspects of your military training were most valuable in making that transition from a military environment to a civilian agency?

Mr. Williams: Well, the key thing I learned over a 37year military career filled with postings to many parts of the world — my first was a posting to the NATO Forces in what was then West Germany as a young lieutenant — demanding formal courses, and responsibilities in a wide range of disciplines, was flexibility. That really helped me when I moved into the civilian world. However, the skills that the Canadian military seeks to develop in all its officers — good commu-

nications skills, leadership and strategic thinking — have also been exceptionally useful. So it was not too difficult to transfer from the military to the civilian component. It’s been interesting working in the science and technology domain and I have enjoyed it as much as my military career.

Diplomatic Connections: You are now a member of the Canadian Defence Liaison Staff (CDLS) at the Canadian Embassy. What exactly is CDLS and what is its prime focus?

Mr. Williams: I would like to say that the friendly and dedicated folks that comprise the CDLS team in Washington represent the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces in the broad defense portfolio. That includes intelligence, operations, policy and force development, acquisition, and science and technology. I see my challenge over the next few years to be ensuring that the value of [Canadian] defense research and development is fully appreciated by our partners in the U.S., as well as within the embassy, not only by the CDLS folks but also by the rest of the embassy as a whole.

Diplomatic Connections: As the Counsellor for Defence, Research and Development, what distinguishes your job from the military attachés at the embassy?

Mr. Williams: I guess the first thing, somewhat tongue-

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in-cheek, that distinguishes me from the military attachés is the lack of uniform and that I have somewhat more gray hair than most. But seriously, I think that the real difference between my job and that of the attachés is one of timeframe: the R&D Counsellor must take a view of the defense and public security domain that stretches from today’s challenges to the opportunities of the future as far as our imagination will allow. We have to be ready to solve both the difficult problems of today, and the wicked problems of the future that our potential adversaries may throw in our way. “The Economist” magazine has a great t-shirt slogan: “great minds like a think.”

My challenge will be to gather those great minds together to facilitate that long-term thinking.

Diplomatic Connections: I understand that Defence Research and Development Canada actually has five international liaison positions. Three are in Washington, but only one in each of London and Paris. Why is there such a large presence in Washington?

Mr. Williams: There are two practical reasons for that.

First of all, the U.S. is Canada’s biggest science and technology partner. Equally important, Washington is home to The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP), which is an S&T collaboration agreement among Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. One of my responsibilities is to act as the Canadian Deputy to TTCP. I am also the Canadian lead contact for the American, Australian and New Zealand defense and security portfolios and I am responsible for the counsellor in London who performs this role for the United Kingdom. So that’s really why we have Washington as the nexus or focal point for our international engagement.

Diplomatic Connections: It’s said that Canada and the United States have the largest trading relationship in the world.

In terms of defense, what is the research relationship between the two countries? Is it skewed, or fairly well balanced?

Mr. Williams: That’s a good question. I would use the term “complementary” in our relationship, which is constantly evolving. There have been big benefits for Canada, and I believe also for the U.S., when we do not duplicate our efforts and our expertise but build on what each other is doing. Canada is justifiably proud of its contributions in many areas including health, medical countermeasures, soldier systems, advanced sensing, space, land vehicles and acoustics to name just a few. My hope is to further develop the value of the relationship for both parties.

Diplomatic Connections: Where does Canada stand on the world stage of defense research? Is it a player?

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Mr. Williams: Well, if I paraphrase Marlon Brando, I’d say, “we’re a contender.” In spite of relatively modest investment in terms of total dollars spent, Canada often punches well above its weight in terms of results. I think, for example, our allies have been very impressed by our recent work in countering the IED [improvised explosive device] threat, which we accomplished quickly and economically with a fairly small number of people, and yet we fielded effective solutions that have been shared amongst our allied partners.

In the words of our last two Chiefs of Defence Staff, General Hillier and General Natynczyk, we’ve saved many soldiers’ lives as a result.

Diplomatic Connections: Washington is the home of embassies from many other countries around the world. How much interaction do you have with defense research liaison staff from those other countries?

Mr. Williams: Apart from our TTCP colleagues, I’d say the relationship we have with the broader science and technology community that is represented in Washington is limited — too limited really. I would like to expand our interaction in areas where we can achieve real and lasting opportunities for collaboration. My hope is that such collaboration will result in the development of trusted relationships that endure far longer than individual interactions or projects. I think that building trust and experience and success in these activities will actually help us grow the relationships better.

Diplomatic Connections: The world economy has been in trouble for a few years now, and most nations are facing budget problems. Canada and the U.S. are also both pulling out of Afghanistan, which will undoubtedly change the posture of the military in both countries. How will these factors affect defense research, and particularly Canada-U.S. cooperation in defense research?

Mr. Williams: I think diminishing resources and changes to our operational posture will take us into challenging territory that will encourage both sides to analyze and examine their investment in defense science and technology. I can’t speak for the United States, but I can speak for the Canadian dimension. I think there will be some that look for this as an opportunity to reduce the effort in defense science and technology so that we can tackle other pressures with those resources. And there will be others who want to take this opportunity to increase the effort to tackle emerging challenges that have been presented to us through the war on terror. I have a couple of things that I’ve put on the table to say that that’s an interesting debate and all of the answers aren’t known at this point. The first is that I don’t think we

have completely captured the lessons we should have learned from over a decade of involvement in widespread asymmetric warfare. I think we need to understand how the investment we’ve made in science and technology has reaped benefits in operational capability, and that we have to be very careful in selecting areas for potential reduction in S&T investment.

The second aspect is that, although we are moving away from some of the current battlefield challenges we faced in Afghanistan, some of those threats will not go away, such as the improvised explosive device threat. So as we’ve observed the speed with which our enemies have learned and adapted the IED threat, we must avoid becoming complacent with our current solutions to these problems and continue to focus our efforts on understanding and countering the next-generation IED threat efficiently and effectively. Fundamentally the challenge for Canada and the United States is that relevance and utility ultimately drive the allocation of S&T resources and not recent history. As to the impact on how Canada and the United States will cooperate in defense research, I think that both countries will continue to get better return on their investment in R&D, whatever that may be in the future, by continuing to collaborate together closely.

Diplomatic Connections: Your posting to Washington is nominally three years. What do you envision as your greatest challenges during your time here and how do you foresee meeting those challenges?

Mr. Williams: First, I have no doubt that three years will go by very quickly. Given that we have a small team of defense scientists here within the embassy, I think that the biggest challenge will be to select the best opportunities to make progress in building enduring collaboration with our partners and friends.

Diplomatic Connections: Is there a specific or favorite goal that you hope to accomplish during your time here?

Mr. Williams: As I said earlier, from a job perspective my specific goal is to build enduring collaboration in R and D, both with our United States TTCP friend and other allied partners. In my personal life, my wife Peg and I want to take

full advantage of living in this wonderful city by enjoying the sights, the sounds and the cuisine that Washington offers and by making new friends. We also want to take the opportunity to explore this very historic part of the U.S. My particular interests would be some of the battlefields of Virginia, Maryland and the Washington areas.

Diplomatic Connections: On a more personal note, you have probably been posted a few times in your military career, and now you have just recently arrived in Washington. What are your first impressions of Washington and of the United States in general?

Mr. Williams: Perhaps the first thing that struck me, now that I’ve had a chance to live here for a bit and actually walk around, is how verdant Washington and the surrounding region is. This is not something that I noticed when I visited Washington on business trips. But now that I am here, it is delightful to have some time to see the beautiful green spaces with curious statues or historical markers. So now every time I take a walk it seems I encounter something new and interesting every day.

Diplomatic Connections: Is there anything else that you would like to say that we have not covered?

Mr. Williams: Well to summarize, Canada has a very highly developed economy with a world-class innovation system. We have world-class universities, our industries compete on the global market, we have a solid government infrastructure, a space agency, a defense world, a security world. So what I hope to see is that we within the embassy are bringing an opportunity to collaborate with that Canadian innovation system into the world and that we will follow on the strategic intent we have to selectively collaborate on some key projects that will lead to some big successes.

Diplomatic Connections: Mr. Williams, you have expressed some very well thought-out ideas and sentiments on how important it is for Canada and the United States to work together in areas of science and technology as they pertain to defense research and development. Thank you for your time and your thought-provoking comments. n

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U.S. Marines stand next to a television monitor that displayed a photo of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Ambassador Christopher Stevens during a memorial service for Stevens at San Francisco City Hall on October 16, 2012, in San Francisco, California. Christopher Stevens served as the U.S. Ambassador to Libya from June 2012 to September 11, 2012, when he was killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

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hristopher Stevens was the farthest thing imaginable from the stereotype of a pin-striped pants diplomat. His diplomatic life was full of official gatherings, pointed démarches from the United States government to the governments of other countries and endless reporting requirements. But his official life also included visits to towns and villages, to schools and clinics, to local people and their homes, to artists and dissidents. Chris Stevens was ever the Peace Corps volunteer of his early international experience in Morocco — the hands on, down-in-the-dirt guy who loved meeting and working with people and learning first-hand about their lives.

Robert Commanday, Ambassador Stevens’ step-father, underscored that point in an interview with a San Francisco-area television station. “He wasn’t the kind of diplomat to sit in the office and attend receptions and be a formal person. He was a man of the people.”

The Ambassador’s mother remembered him as, “a great big brother” who, “watched over his brothers and his sister. He was a responsible person.”

Christopher Stevens’ death at the hands of a terrorist attack on the American consulate and related facilities, Central Intelligence Agency officers were based in the same American compound in Benghazi, was a tragedy for his family and for the work of American diplomacy. But, it is a tragedy born of courage and commitment to principle and caring about the people who were most affected by the consequences of 28

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American diplomatic actions.

It has been said that Ambassador Stevens’ death was an unfortunate congruence of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ironically, it appears that Ambassador Stevens was exactly where he wanted and needed to be — in Benghazi, center of the Libyan revolution, for discussions with a variety of local leaders and foreign representatives as well as the opening of a new American Cultural Center.

John Christopher Stevens began his international service as an American Field Service exchange student to Spain (1977) from Piedmont High School. He went on to graduate from the University of California — Berkeley and from that university’s Hastings School of Law. He subsequently earned an M.S. degree from the National War College. Before entering the Foreign Service, Stevens served as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco from 1983 - 1985 and, after completing law school, he worked as an international trade lawyer. Early in his Foreign Service career he served as a Consular/Political Officer in Cairo, Egypt, and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was later Political Officer in Damascus, Syria and Deputy Principal Officer and Political Section Chief in Jerusalem.

From 2007 - 2009 Stevens served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Tripoli, Libya. His Washington assignments included service as Staff Assistant in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the Department of State, Iran Desk Officer, and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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for Political Affairs. From 2006 - 2007, Stevens was a Pearson Fellow with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Returning to Washington after his assignment as DCM in Tripoli, he served as Director of the Office of Multilateral Nuclear Affairs and Security at the State Department.

Stevens served as Special Representative to the Libyan Transitional National Council from March 2011 to November 2011. He was named as U.S. Ambassador to Libya in January 2012 and arrived in Libya in May 2012.

Ambassador Stevens is remembered for his sense of humor, his endless curiosity and being a bit of a prankster at times. However, these powers of mischief could sometimes be turned to serious political purpose. Former U.S. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, speaking at a San Francisco memorial service, told of an occasion when Chris Stevens turned on the Libyan security team dispatched by Col. Gadhafi to track his movements, grabbed their video camera and quickly turned it to record the Libyan team assigned to follow him. Pickering recalls that the Libyan security team was so nonplussed by Stevens’ action that they doubled over in laughter and then high-tailed it away from the scene.

The best way to understand who Chris Stevens was is to spend time on the memorial website (www.rememberingchrisstevens.com).

It starts with a picture of a gangly Chris Stevens, whose legs are almost longer than those of the donkey he is riding, exploring the countryside somewhere in the Middle East or North Africa. The site is filled with revealing personal remembrances and heartfelt sorrow.

What is clearest is Chris Stevens touched people wherever he went, in official and unofficial capacities.

That piece of his personality comes through clearly in a video he made in Washington, D.C., to be shown to the Libyan people on taking up his ambassadorial appointment there. The newly-appointed ambassador is walking around Washington visiting the monuments to democracy located along The Mall. These images are juxtaposed with images of the Libyan revolution featuring joyous faces of liberationsharing hopeful expressions.

Chris Stevens’ voiceover shares their excitement and recalls the traumas of rebuilding the American nation after the Civil War. “As I walk around the monuments and memorials commemorating the courageous men and women who made America what it is, I’m reminded that we, too, went through challenging periods. When America was divided by a bitter Civil War 150 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln had the vision and the courage to pull the Union together to help us moved toward a shared goal of peace and prosperity.” His expressed goal was to help the people of Libya go through that same challenging process of rebuilding their country and reclaiming their own vision of peace and prosperity.

In the immediate aftermath of Ambassador Stevens’ death, President Obama noted that, “It’s especially tragic that Chris Stevens died in Benghazi because it is a city that he helped to save. At the height of the Libyan revolution, Chris led our diplomatic post in Benghazi.

With characteristic skill, courage and resolve, he built partnerships with Libyan revolutionaries, and helped them as they planned to build

a new Libya. When the Qaddafi regime came to an end, Chris was there to serve as our ambassador to the new Libya, and he worked tirelessly to support this young democracy, and I think both Secretary Clinton and I relied deeply on his knowledge of the situation on the ground there. He was a role model to all who worked with him and to the young diplomats who aspire to walk in his footsteps.”

Libyan Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Ali Aujali, speaking at the San Francisco memorial service, expressed the formal regrets of the Libyan government. “On behalf of the Libyan government, we are very sorry. You sent us one of your best diplomats,” Aujali continued, “but, unfortunately, we were unable to protect him. He is part of Libyan history, part of the revolution [against Gadhafi). We lost a friend and a hero.”

Both President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton attended the transfer of remains ceremony as the bodies of Ambassador Stevens and his comrades were returned to Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington, and each sought to put the loss of life in service to diplomacy in context. “We owe it to these four men to continue the long, hard work of diplomacy,” Secretary Clinton averred. “If the last few days teach us anything, let it be this: That this work and the men and women who risk their lives to do it are at the heart of what makes America great and good.”

President Obama spoke of the message that, “these four patriots sent: America is a friend, and we care not just about our own country, not just about our own interests, but about theirs; even as voices of suspicion and mistrust seek to divide countries and cultures from one another, the United States of America will never retreat from the world.

We will never stop working for the dignity and freedom that every person deserves, whatever their creed, whatever their faith.”

No matter what controversies swirl around the exact sequence of events that unfolded that fateful day in Benghazi, no matter how much finger-pointing goes on, no matter where accountability is or is not assigned, Ambassador Stevens’ legacy — of diplomacy in the face of danger; of being a true representative of his country and the best of its heritage; of reaching into the lives, the language, the culture, and the world views of the countries and people his embassy was intended to touch and to understand; of personal warmth spiced with a sense of humor and leavened by dedication to duty — is a deathless standard for all diplomats, wherever they serve and whatever country they represent.

We honor as well the memories of the other diplomatic personnel who lost their lives in Benghazi:

• Sean Smith, Information Management Officer, Department of State

• Tyrone S. Woods, Diplomatic Security Contractor and former Navy SEAL

• Glenn A. Doherty, Diplomatic Security Contractor and former Navy SEAL For those who might wish to express their condolences and to read remembrances of Ambassador Stevens’ life, please see:

www.rememberingchrisstevens.com n

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othing can assure the safety and security of an ambassador or a member of a diplomatic staff during service abroad. That is precisely why the question of diplomatic security presents such difficult challenges. Ironically, it is virtually impossible to provide adequate security for diplomats. If they are going to be effective in their job of representing the interests of their home country, then they must be active, visible and approachable in the host country. That makes them vulnerable. The death of Ambassador Christopher Stevens in Libya is the latest case in point.

Envoys must be safe from arrest and imprisonment.

Equally, they must have a reasonable expectation of personal safety as they move about a country in the course of their duties. They must be secure in their communications and premises if they are to accomplish their mission, including the transmission of “difficult” messages between sovereign states.

History and tradition have long, though inconsistently, held that diplomats must be accorded safe passage and must not be susceptible to prosecution under the host country’s laws. These provisions were based on the most fundamental principle of international conduct — reciprocity. “Threaten not the envoys sent to you as representatives of a sovereign state, lest your envoys be threatened.” Diplomatic representation, it was believed, must be guaranteed even in situations

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Oliver Dowell Lloyd of enmity and armed conflict.

Ancient classics of government and history from both Western and Eastern traditions record this principle of diplomatic immunity.

Attempts have been made at various times to codify these customs of diplomatic safe-conduct and to strengthen the code of honor that would regard the death of an envoy as an international disgrace. Today, these principles have been formalized in international law in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, negotiated in Vienna in 1961 and entered into force in 1964. Article 39 of that Convention explicitly states that, “The person of a diplomatic agent shall be inviolable. The receiving state shall treat him with due respect and shall take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on his person, freedom or dignity.” Additionally, Article 22 of the Vienna Convention states that, “The premises of the mission shall be inviolable.” Article 30 expands this principle: “The private residence of a diplomatic agent shall enjoy the same inviolability and protection as the premises of the mission.”

Most sovereign governments, even revolutionary ones, have been scrupulously observant of these principles, though intelligence agencies and security operations have been known to bend the rules of custom and law on more than one occasion. The most serious problems of diplomatic security have arisen from terrorist organizations dedicated to undermining the legitimacy and authority of their own national governments even as they attack the presence of the United States in their country.

This seems to have been the case in Libya, where the new government is struggling to extend its authority and establish internal security beyond Tripoli.

Though much has been made of the presence of U.S. Marine guards at American embassies around the world, two reality factors must be taken into account.

First, the Marine guard detachments are limited in size, and protection of diplomatic personnel is not their primary responsibility. The Marine Corps Embassy Security Group mission statement makes it clear that, “The primary mission of the Marine Security Guard (MSG) is to provide internal security at designated U.S, diplomatic and consular facilities in order to prevent the compromise of classified material vital to the national security of the United States. The secondary mission of the MSG is to provide protection for U.S. citizens and U.S. government property located within designated U.S. diplomatic and consular premises during exigent circumstances.”

Second, the security buffer between the embassy premises and the territory of the host country is the responsibility of the host country, not of the United States.

The responsibility of the host government to protect the safety and security of diplomats was strongly reiterated by the International Court of Justice in the 1979 case of United States Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Tehran. When 50 American diplomatic personnel were taken hostage by revolutionary students, the Government of the United States alleged that the Government of Iran was giving “direct support and encouragement to the group holding the Embassy” and brought its case to the Court. Despite the fact that Iran refused to appear before the Court, arguing that the matter was exclusively within the sovereign authority of the Iranian government, the Court ruled against the government of Iran and insisted that, “there is no more fundamental prerequisite

for the conduct of relations between States than the inviolability of diplomatic envoys and embassies.”

These principles held sway in American courts even before the Constitution was drafted. In Respublica v. De Longchamps (1784), the Chief Justice of Pennsylvania ruled that an assault on the French Consul General in Philadelphia was “an infraction of the law of nations.” “The person of a public minister is sacred and inviolable. Whoever offers any violence against him, not only affronts the Sovereign he represents, but also hurts the common safety and well-being of nations; he is guilty of a crime against the whole world.”

Despite the international legal obligations intended to guarantee the physical security of diplomats, the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 1998 make abundantly clear that embassy facilities are vulnerable. The aftermath of those bombings resulted in a new program within the State Department to assess embassy security, examine architectural features that could add to embassy security and consider more secure sites for new embassies — often away from the center of capital cities and congested traffic areas.

There are critical trade-offs between living inside a walled-fortress largely cut-off from the people of the host country and effectively reaching out to the local population to show interest in the people and their concerns. It is possible to be safe and secure . . . and isolated. American diplomats in Baghdad lived a more secure life inside the “Green Zone,” an American bubble of Ozymandian dimensions that led commentators to refer to it as the “Emerald City.” American embassy personnel in Kabul live and work in a secured complex but often see far less of Afghanistan and have substantially less contact with Afghan civil society than do short-term American visitors because of the overwhelming concern for the security of “official” Americans.

It is also possible to travel the country with a substantial and obtrusive security detail traveling at high speed behind flashing lights and wailing sirens. That policy almost always earns the resentment and enmity of the local population.

Physical security can also be enhanced by contracting out diplomatic security functions and hiring officers with substantial military experience. This avoids the jarring barrier of military uniforms underscoring “foreign” presence in the host country, but it risks separating the security function from the overall diplomatic mission in the host country. Giving security a life and a mission of its own can produce incidents where

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misplaced priorities result in security tactics that backfire, creating substantial ill will.

In a speech before the United Nations just two-weeks after Ambassador Stevens’ death, President Obama made a simple but telling declaration. “Understand,” he insisted, “that the United States will never retreat from the world. We will stand with our allies and are willing to partner with countries to deepen ties. But such efforts depend upon a spirit of mutual interest and mutual respect. No government or company; no school or NGO will be confident working in a country where its people are endangered. For partnership to be effective, our citizens must be secure and our efforts must be welcomed.”

Obama went on to insist that the nations of the world “face a choice between the promise of the future, or the prisons of the past.” Diplomatic security is one such choice.

Extremists and terrorists use the tactics of violence directed against embassies and diplomats as a way to provoke a reaction that pushes diplomacy back into the prisons of the past.

Their hope is that they can either create a security situation so threatening that diplomats will abandon their mission and suspend operations in the host country, or that they can push diplomats and their efforts behind high walls, security mazes and paramilitary guardians that separate them from the very people their mission is designed to assist.

Senator John McCain (R-Arizona), appearing on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” (September 16, 2012), recalled to moderator Bob Schieffer how he met Chris Stevens in Benghazi during the fighting. “He was putting his life on the line every day. I was with him on July 7th when the Libyan people voted. He and I were down where thousands of people were saying to him, ‘Thank you, thank you, America, thank you.’ So the last thing that Chris Stevens would want the United States to do is to stop assisting Libya as they go through this very difficult process of trying to establish a government and democracy.”

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Career diplomat and former U.S. Ambassador Wendy Chamberlain, now president of the Middle East Institute, told Adam Serwer of Mother Jones that, “High-profile targets like ambassadors have always been in danger because they’re the symbol of the United States. What you don’t want to represent is that you distrust the people, that you don’t want to engage with the people, that you hate being there. It’s an important part of your mission to get out and mix with the population.”

Diplomacy is a high risk game played for high stakes.

At the moment, the risks are higher than they should be.

But perhaps the risks are no higher than they must be, if diplomacy is to have any chance at being effective in a rapidly changing world where dictatorships are faltering, democracies are fledgling, resentments express themselves in extremist violence and weapons abound.

Somewhere between absolute security and foolhardy risk-taking there is a line, call it prudent diplomacy. The problem is that finding the line is like tightrope walking with people jumping up and down on each end of the wire, a constant balancing act not a scientific determination. Sadly, diplomatic personnel are lost to the forces of disruption in the cause of peace making, in the process of helping to build civil society and stabilize governments and in the work of humanitarian service.

Would that the world in which diplomats work were otherwise, but it is not. The long-held and widely observed principle of diplomatic immunity offers diplomats a degree of personal safety, but only a degree. Given the unpredictable and sometimes violent circumstances in which diplomats work, the principle of diplomatic immunity needs constant reinforcement by states, by international organizations and by non-governmental organizations. n

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James A. Winship, Ph.D.

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mbassador Ali Suleiman Aujali has represented Libya in the United States since 2004. In the process, he has presided over the normalizing of relations between the revolutionary regime of Col. Moammar Gadhafi and the United States, resigned his position as ambassador in 2011 and been renamed Ambassador to the United States by the Transitional National Council, now the General National Council, that forced Gadhafi out of power and assumed the mantle of government in Libya.

Through it all, Ambassador Aujali insists, he has really served only one master — the Libyan people. My colleagues and I, he explains, were “trying to help make the life of the Libyan people better, easier. This is why we serve in the government. We don’t want to leave the government in the hands of the people who only have loyalty to Gadhafi. They have no loyalty to Libya. They have no loyalty for the Libyan people. But loyalty to the people and the nation are the main reasons many of us stayed in the government.”

Ambassador Aujali knew U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens well. They met when Chris Stevens was a Pearson Fellow working for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and their relationship grew during the time when Stevens served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Libya. When Stevens returned to Washington after his time in Tripoli, he was a frequent guest for informal breakfasts at Ambassador Aujali’s residence, and the two were friendly tennis opponents.

Aujali recalls a tennis date when Stevens returned to Washington in March 2011 after his assignment as the first American envoy in eastern Libya and Benghazi as the Libyan Revolution began. “I told him then, ‘Chris, you will be the next Ambassador to Libya.’ He demurred, but I told him, ‘Yes. I am sure that you will be the next ambassador.’”

Born in Benghazi, the city which served as a center of revolution and the provisional capital of the Transitional National Council, before Gadhafi was driven from Tripoli,

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Ambassador Aujali received a BA in business administration from Benghazi University. His initial government appointment was to the Ministry of Finance located in Tripoli, where he knew few people and had no family. On the advice of a neighbor who worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, based in nearby Bayda, Aujali learned that there was a program to recruit new diplomats. Intrigued enough to apply to this program, Aujali “went to the ministry and picked up the forms. I applied and then sat for the formal examination.

Then I was interviewed, and I was appointed along with five other university graduates in 1968.” The result has been a career of more than 40 years in Libya’s diplomatic service.

Ambassador Aujali’s first overseas assignment was as Third Secretary at the Libyan Embassy in London in 1971.

From there he went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as First Secretary, a position he held for four years before being named Libya’s Ambassador to Malaysia. After a total of eight years (1976 - 1984) in Malaysia, Aujali was named Libya’s Ambassador to Argentina — his first appointment in the Americas (1984 - 1988). Later he was named Ambassador to Brazil (1988 - 1994). Returning to Libya, Ambassador Aujali held a series of positions — Deputy Director General of the Americas Department (1994 - 1998), Director General of the North and South Americas Department (1998 - 2000) and Director General of European Affairs (2000 - 2001) — in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Aujali was appointed Chargé d’Affaires at the Libyan Embassy in Canada in 2001, a position he held for three years before being named to help shape the reopening of diplomatic relations with the United States, which had been broken off in 1981 after a series of confrontations between the two countries. Seeking to end the 25-year old diplomatic rupture, Ambassador Aujali came to Washington in 2004 as Head of a Libyan Interests Section. Later that year, the United States agreed that Ambassador Aujali would head a Libyan Liaison Office. Full diplomatic relations were not restored between Libya and the U.S. until 2006, when the State Department removed Libya from its list of “state sponsors of terrorism.” Aujali was formally accepted as Libya’s “ambassador” to the United States on January 6, 2009.

Ambassador Aujali served the Gadhafi regime through a series of dramatic policy changes. Libya’s international political reputation had been stained by the 1986 bombing of the LaBelle discotheque in West Berlin for which President Reagan retaliated with airstrikes against both Tripoli and Benghazi.

This was followed by the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, for which Libya denied any responsibility. After Libyan agents were implicated in the attack and tried by a Scottish court convened in the Netherlands (1999 36

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2001), Libya agreed to pay compensation (2003) to the victims’ families. This action broke an impasse between Libya and the United States and led to the lifting of United Nations and United States economic sanctions against Libya.

In virtually the same time frame, Gadhafi’s Libya agreed to provide full support to the U.S.-led war on terror following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Then, in late 2003, Libya agreed to abandon all of its programs to build weapons of mass destruction. These were the key “about faces” that made possible a thaw between the United States and Libya and that made it possible for Ambassador Aujali to initiate a new era of relations between the two countries.

In the aftermath of the September 11, 2012, attack on the American consulate in Benghazi and the death of his friend, Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Ambassador Aujali was kind enough to sit down for an interview with us.

Diplomatic Connections: Ambassador Aujali, thank you for joining us today. It’s a privilege to sit down with you here at your residence for an extended conversation. Thank you for opening your home to us.

Ambassador Aujali: It’s a pleasure.

Diplomatic Connections: What were the early days in Washington like? You were charged with breaking the ice between the United States and Libya. How did you go about that?

Ambassador Aujali: I must tell you that I was treated excellently from the moment I arrived in this country . . . even in the time when relations were very difficult. I am a very sincere person, and I move straight to my goals in whatever capacity I am serving. I tell you what I feel, what I want. And, maybe sometimes, I will even tell you what you don’t like. Because of this firmness I believe that we have been able to establish very good relations with the United States.

Diplomatic Connections: What was it like representing the Gadhafi regime? Did you find yourself having to represent and defend policies that you disagreed with behind the scenes?

Ambassador Aujali: My intention through all of this time representing Libya in the United States has been to represent the Libyan people and their aspirations. No Libyan would ever have dreamed that they would have witnessed the changes that have come about in the last year. For 40 years, Libyans surrendered to Gadhafi’s all inclusive and overwhelming power.

Gadhafi used all ways and means to protect and sustain his regime. He didn’t care what happened to the people or to the country. He didn’t care about building and maintaining the infrastructure. He didn’t care about the people’s needs.

I always thought that the threat to Gadhafi would be from the United States, and he realized this very well. After 1986 when President Reagan bombed one of Gadhafi’s compounds,

Gadhafi took the threat to his life and regime very seriously.

I thought that once we had normal relations with the United States, then Gadhafi would be more relaxed. Once that happened, I thought he would give more space to the people — more freedom of speech, more human rights, and more attention to the infrastructure. That was the only option I had, and that was what I was working for as Gadhafi’s, or rather Libya’s, ambassador here in the United States.

Diplomatic Connections: What was the final straw?

When and how did you decide: “Now is the time I have to make the break with the Gadhafi regime?”

Ambassador Aujali: When the Wikileaks incident happened in 2010, there were some serious questions raised about Gadhafi’s personal life. He was very, very, very upset. I found that we were back to square one. The cables that were released describing Gadhafi’s private life and an alleged affair made him crazy. He did not want anyone else to be aware of these issues. I told my wife: “There is no more time to spend here. Now we are back to the state of relations between the U.S. and Libya before 2003. And, I think I should leave.”

Diplomatic Connections: Was that a difficult decision to make?

Ambassador Aujali: After the revolution began it was an easy decision for me, even though I did not know what price I would pay or what price my family would pay. By the way he handled the issue and dealt with the protests in Benghazi and other cities, Gadhafi made it very easy for anyone who had a sense of the nation and a loyalty to the people and for those who were not staying in place just for the sake of keeping a job. I think it was an easy decision . . . even though I was worrying whether I would ever see my country again.

So, I resigned on February 21, 2011. I decided with my family’s support, and we made the decision together.

Diplomatic Connections: Looking back on it, what are the lessons to be learned from the experience of the Libyan revolution and the response of the United States and Europe to that revolution?

Ambassador Aujali: I must tell you that I’m really very, very proud of Libya for the way they fought Gadhafi, for the way they collaborated across the country from the East to the West, from the North to the South. They united for eight months and they sacrificed their lives — women, children and men, young and old they came together — to resist Gadhafi’s forces. I am really proud. I never expected that Libyans would stand together in this way to fight this regime after 40 years. That’s something unbelievable.

I think this remarkable effort drew the attention of the international community for two reasons. First, Gadhafi had no friends. Not only many Libyans but also many foreign-

ers suffered from his terrorist actions. Second, the Libyans showed the world very clearly that they wanted to get rid of this regime.

Also, in many of my media interviews I was saying that if all the Americans decided to stand by Libya, then they would be telling the world that you will stand for democracy, you will help nations in their quest for freedom. Now is the time.

You have to prove that these idealized commitments are real.

And that’s what happened.

Diplomatic Connections: Do you think that Operation Unified Protector was too slow to unfold? Could lives have been saved if that operation had been put in place earlier?

Ambassador Aujali: The operation came just at the right time. I’ll never forget that on March 18, 2011, when Mr. Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the Chair of the National Transitional Council (NTC), called me and told me that: “If there is no intervention from NATO or from the United States, Gadhafi’s forces are now just a few kilometers West of Benghazi. Benghazi will not be there tomorrow.” This was really a very difficult situation I faced during that time. What I had to do was to call the Americans, the French, the Italians and the British. I called their ambassadors here in Washington — as did my colleagues in many capitals — and told them that immediate help was essential. The revolution hung in the balance. If they delayed by hours, not by days, and Gadhafi’s forces had reached Benghazi, I think a massacre would have ensued.

Diplomatic Connections: What are the problems of nation building with which the new regime in Libya is faced?

The Transitional National Council has done its job and has transitioned itself into the beginnings of a new Libyan government under the General National Council (GNC). Does the government in Tripoli in fact control the country? Is the GNC seen as legitimate by the bulk of the Libyan people?

How much resistance is there to the new government?

Ambassador Aujali: It is legitimate, especially now that this new government has been elected. But, how much of the country does the new central government control? That is a different question. I think that the government still is not in full control. This is very true. They are trying very hard.

But, at the same time, they are not in full control.

The Department of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior are short of personnel, technology and equipment, coordination, and communication. We need the help of our friends. We need their help to establish a very strong army, a very strong police force and a very strong civil service. Security is very important, and it is the first priority of the new government.

The other thing is that the Gadhafi loyalists are living in neighboring countries. They have money, they have freedom

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of movement, and they still have connections inside Libya.

There are also some groups with which we are not very comfortable. They may have proclaimed loyalty to Benghazi in the midst of the revolution, but now they have agendas of their own that are often opposed to the directions the new government wants to move. These are some of the people who were involved in the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi.

Diplomatic Connections: You were personal friends with Ambassador Chris Stevens. What was he like, and what was his importance to the people of Libya?

Ambassador Aujali: Chris lived with the people of Libya, and he really lived their daily life. He suffered like them. He understood and loved the Libyan people. He really committed to the Libyan cause. He had great confidence in the Libyan people and their ability to achieve their goal of overthrowing Gadhafi. He understood that 90 percent of the fighters who were facing Gadhafi’s forces were normal Libyan people, not professional soldiers. They went to the camps for training perhaps one week or 10-days and suddenly they were on the battlefield.

Chris was very touched by this and touched by the friendship of the Libyan people. He was very strong in his support for the Libyan people. We lost a very strong supporter, and a friend, and a man who we really loved.

Diplomatic Connections: Ambassador Stevens went into Benghazi very early on. How did he operate in Benghazi during the revolution?

Ambassador Aujali: I really don’t know exactly, but what I know is that he managed very easily to communicate with the people. He traveled many places in eastern Libya, even places where I have never been. He had the ability to make friendships very easily and very quickly. He was a very easy, simple man. Because of this the people liked him. Benghazi cries for him. Libya cries for him. He was an incredible person. He will always be one of the heroes of our revolution. He spoke good Arabic, and he was very happy to be Ambassador to the new Libya.

Diplomatic Connections: The attack on the American compound in Benghazi and Ambassador Stevens’ death is an unfolding story and an unfolding investigation. What is your sense at this point, or what is the Libyan government’s sense, of who is responsible?

Ambassador Aujali: The Libyan government has now said that it was a pre-organized attack against the consulate. I don’t think that Chris was the target or that Americans were the target themselves. The idea of a spontaneous protest just

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doesn’t ring true. Why would people want to protest at 8:30 in the evening? Why would protesters be armed with weapons and grenades? This is not a protest. This is an attack against the consulate. But, who is behind it? The Libyans and the Americans are working very hard to determine who did this. Was it extremists? Was it groups affiliated with al Qaeda? Was it people loyal to Gadhafi? Who is behind this?

We have to wait for answers instead of making a pre-judgment of the result before the investigators tell us who carried it out, who is behind it.

Diplomatic Connections: What is the level of cooperation in this investigation between the Libyan government and the government of the United States? Many people here in the United States have read stories about FBI investigation teams being delayed in Tripoli.

Ambassador Aujali: There is no limit to cooperation between the Libyan and the American officials as they seek to find out exactly what happened. We seek to help the American investigators in any way that we can and we are ready to offer our assistance in any way. There is no problem about this.

We want to know who is behind this attack and the death of Ambassador Stevens. We have to work very hard and discover the cells that are working in the dark to destabilize Libyan authority, Libyan security, and at the same time to harm the relations between Libya and the United States.

Diplomatic Connections: From your point of view, why is it important for the United States not to back away from the relationship with Libya and the new government?

Ambassador Aujali: That would be a great mistake. After discussions with many American officials, I don’t think that anything like a pullback is likely. The Americans are committed in their support and determination to help the Libyan people. They know that what happened at the American consulate in Benghazi is not the work of the Libyan government.

It is not the work of the Libyan people. It was a terrorist attack that was beyond the control of either government.

The President (Obama) did the right thing, and he took the right decision when he came forward and supported the Libyan revolution and the Libyan people. Otherwise, the credibility of the United States as supporting freedom and the aspirations of a people to overthrow a dictatorship would have been called into question. Now you’ve proved to the people of Libya and to the world that you are standing beside them when they seek release from dictatorship.

Diplomatic Connections: Once we move beyond the Benghazi attack — the destruction of the consulate and the death of Ambassador Stevens — what are some of the key is-

sues outstanding between the United States and Libya? What will be some of the most important elements of the relationship moving forward?

Ambassador Aujali: I’m happy to say that I see no major problems moving into the future. The big question is how can we best work together to build a new Libya that is stable and secure. How do we encourage American investment, technology transfer, improved health care and greater access to education to meet world standards in Libya? This is a field that we have to work together.

The other thing that is always a critical question is how can the United States help us build and strengthen our security without seeming to be interfering in our internal affairs?

How much can the United States work with Libya to promote education and training opportunities? I think that now we’re working toward strengthening the rebuilt foundation of Libyan-U.S. relations, not working to solve any other issues or problems between our countries. Certainly our relations are more open now than they were under Gadhafi.

Diplomatic Connections: What are your deepest concerns, your fears for the future of your country? And, what are your greatest hopes for the future of your country?

Ambassador Aujali: I am not concerned about the future. I am concerned about the present. Controlling the security of the country and putting an end to attacks like the

one that took place in Benghazi, is the critical concern now.

If we can gain full control, and if the ministries are functioning well, I don’t think that will be any problem.

Diplomatic Connections: . . . and your hopes, your vision for the new Libya?

Ambassador Aujali: First of all, I want to see Libya under full control of the new government, with full control of its territory, under a new constitution and secure. The second thing is I want Libyans, who are very hungry for democracy and liberty and education, to realize and enjoy their dreams.

I want to be proud of my country. Wherever I go, I want to smile at the people and have the people smile at me. That is my great hope. You don’t know how much we suffered.

Now we have to prove to the world that we deserve what we fought for. And that we deserve their help and their sacrifice for us also.

Diplomatic Connections: When you resigned you said that you were fearful that you might never see your homeland again. When the time comes, will you retire to Libya now?

Ambassador Aujali: Of course. I have no plan to live overseas anywhere else. Perhaps I will travel but I love my country. I want to live there, and I will spend the rest of my life in my country. That is certain.

Diplomatic Connections: Mr. Ambassador, thank you for your time and your candor. n

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James A. Winship, Ph.D.

T

he dictionary defines the term “diplomatist” as a synonym for and a somewhat old-fashioned version of the more common word “diplomat.” But professional usage has often used the term “diplomatist” to designate a skilled practitioner of the art of diplomacy, an envoy who is especially astute and tactful, a careful listener, and a creative negotiator and problem solver.

Rudolf Bekink was academically trained as an economist, but he is also a student of the art of diplomacy. He brings to his chosen profession skills similar to those displayed by the great Dutch Masters of the Golden Age of Dutch painting in the 17th century, the period immediately following the founding of the Dutch Republic (1581) and its final political acceptance in the Treaty of Westphalia (!648). The great Dutch Masters — among them Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals — were known for their exceptional realism, their attention to minute detail, their tonal use of color, their commitment to the depiction of mundane scenes of everyday life and their extraordinary ability to capture light in all of its shades and nuances.

Much the same can be said of Rudolf Bekink. He learned his craft at the hands of masters. He fondly recalls an early diplomatic assignment in Athens. “I learned a lot of the trade thanks to two much older senior colleagues in Athens where I was in 1976. The ambassador and the number two had quite a number of American connections. His name was van Roijen, and both his father and grandfather served as the Dutch ambassador here in Washington. You learn the tricks of the trade especially well when you are part of a small team

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led by very experienced diplomats.”

Bekink did learn his lessons well. As a young diplomat he found himself working as a one-man outpost in Luanda, Angola, while the country was in the midst of civil war. Returning to Holland for further training, Ambassador Bekink subsequently served as First Secretary to the political department of the Dutch Embassy in Washington, D.C. from 1982 1986, where he watched the “Reagan Revolution” take place.

From there he served as Chargé d’Affaires in Ghana; Deputy Head of Division in the Ministry of Economic Affairs; Deputy Head of Mission for the Dutch Permanent Representation to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris; and Chief of Protocol for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Since the beginning of the new millennium, Ambassador Bekink has served as Ambassador of the Netherlands to Sweden (2000 - 2004); Belgium (2004 - 2008); the People’s Republic of China (2008 - 2012); and now as Ambassador to the United States. In his biographical note on the Dutch Embassy website, Bekink describes Ambassadors as being “permanently astonished.” What does he mean by that description? “The good thing,” he explains, “is that every four years you’re in completely different surroundings. That makes you examine what’s going on, and you begin to look closely at what makes each individual post unique.” Like the Dutch painters of the Golden Age, Bekink has an eye and an ear for detail. He looks deeply to understand the color palette of life in the countries to which he has been posted, and in his reporting, he aims to illuminate the nuances of a

White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy

At the White House, President Obama with Dutch Ambassador Rudolf Bekink while presenting his credentials.

people’s needs and a government’s policy positions. He takes the time to listen carefully not only to official voices but to the voices of business leaders and average people. He travels to observe regional differences and to absorb daily life. And in the process he gains understanding.

In one sense, accepting a new posting requires ambassadors to turn their eyes from their immediate past experience to try to understand and report on a new and quite different locale. Perceived wisdom has to allow itself to be challenged by new, first-hand experiences in the receiving country. But, it is also true that ambassadors bring with them to their new posting a considerable fund of experience. Rudolf Bekink comes to Washington, D.C., having just finished a four-year assignment in Beijing. He is a figurative bridge across the

most important diplomatic relationship of the current era, the evolving balance of power and influence between China, the world’s rising great power, and the United States, the world’s reigning great power.

“In China,” Ambassador Bekink recalls, “I felt very much that I was a witness to history in the making. China’s emergence is the most remarkable international phenomenon in the present day, and it must play a leading role in the economic and security issues of this new century.”

“By integrating China,” he continues, “you will have to allow the international system to change and encourage China to evolve internally. Don’t forget that the Chinese are also signatories to the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the human rights conven-

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Dutch Embassy

Ambassador Bekink with the Dutch delegation meet with Governor Rick Perry in Austin, Texas in September, 2012.

tions. Those values are, in theory, shared values. But, China is a very different culture with unique historical experiences, and interpretations of these foundational international documents are often quite different. Both sides have got to adapt.”

Ambassador Bekink brings his Dutch master painter’s eye to observing the rich detail of life in the United States and to interpreting the subtleties of American political rhetoric.

“I just want to be a witness, to be an observer of American life and politics as it unfolds during my tenure here. There’s a different America beyond the Beltway, and I want to be certain to be in touch with the heart of small town America.

When I was here 30 years ago I thought that life within the Beltway was the real America. That was my mistake.”

Unlike the apprentice diplomat that he was during his early posting in Washington, today Rudolf Bekink returns as a master diplomatist in his own right. If he brings with him to Washington his powers of observation, he also brings with him unusual powers of illumination. He possesses a detailed and nuanced vision of China emergent and assertive based on bringing those same powers of observation and attention 42

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to detail to bear, not just on China and its people, but on the Chinese sense of identity and China’s perception of its deserved place in the discourse of international diplomacy.

Still in the very earliest month of his assignment in Washington, Ambassador Bekink was kind enough to sit down with Diplomatic Connections for an extended conversation.

Diplomatic Connections: You are trained actually as an economist. How does that training impact your role as a diplomat?

Ambassador Bekink: Economic diplomacy has become much more important over the last 30 years, especially for a country like the Netherlands that is so dependent on exports and on investment abroad as well as foreign investments in the Netherlands.

I do think that I speak the language of the private sector economy, more so than if I had been trained as an historian or a lawyer, which are among the most common backgrounds for diplomats. I’ve always been very interested in the economic and investment part of the work.

Diplomatic Connections: As a younger diplomat you

were posted here in Washington during the Reagan years.

Now that you’re back here, how do you think the political and the diplomatic atmosphere has changed in Washington?

Ambassador Bekink: It’s a different life being a young secretary and being an ambassador. When I was here in Washington in the 1980s, it was the period of the Cruise missiles, and the Dutch population had some trouble accepting them.

A group of these missiles was to be placed in the Netherlands, and we had huge demonstrations in 1982 - 83 opposing their installation in our country. That set the tone for a lot of the work of the political section of this embassy at that time.

When I was first here, there was a young Senator with a family — Richard Lugar (R-IN). Olympia Snowe (R-ME) was then a member of the House of Representatives. These people, who were relative newcomers when I was first here, went on to become powers in the Republican Party. Lugar went on to become Ranking Member or Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Olympia Snowe became recognized as one of the leading voices of moderate Republicanism in the Senate. Now Senator Snowe has chosen not to run for re-election, and Senator Lugar was defeated in his party primary election by a more conservative candidate.

It is remarkable to see careers evolve in this way.

Diplomatic Connections: You did have a chance to go to the two political conventions late this summer.

Ambassador Bekink: Yes, I went to the two conventions, and I went to the first presidential debate in Denver.

U.S. internal politics is a fascinating thing. One of the things you see in the conventions is that there are just a few pointed messages that are repeated over and over again because the parties really want those specific messages to come across.

For example, President Obama saved General Motors. The slogan became: “GM is alive and Osama bin Laden is dead.”

It was impossible to escape that message.

Diplomatic Connections: To turn the tables a bit in terms of electoral politics, your country just recently had national elections. Could you tell us a bit about the outcome of those elections and the process of parliamentary coalition building that’s needed to put a government together?

Ambassador Bekink: We have a representational system with many political parties where each party gets a number of parliamentary seats almost exactly equal to the percentage of the vote they receive.

If you get 20% of the vote, you get 20 percent of the seats, and that goes down to quite a small percentage. We

have no threshold level for representation with the result that we have many, many small parties and single-issue parties that receive votes and gain representation.

But Dutch society has been changing and our politics tend to be led either by the Liberal Conservative Party, which in our country is a conservative party, or the Social Democrats, who represent the more liberal side of the Dutch political spectrum. These are the main lines of division in the Dutch system. Actually, the differences between the major parties are not that great. The election outcomes in September seem to show that a pro-Europe, centrist, responsible budget point of view is shared by the majority of voters.

Diplomatic Connections: You indicated that the recent elections were pro-Europe, but there have been some quite outspoken and controversial parties on the Right.

Ambassador Bekink: There has been the Right-wing Freedom Party, led by Geert Wilders, that ran on a platform of pulling the Netherlands out of the European Union and dumping the EU’s shared currency, the Euro. He has also been outspoken in his criticism of mass immigration and the place of Islam in Europe. He did not do well in these elections, losing nine of the 24 seats in parliament his party previously held.

Diplomatic Connections: Your country faces issues that are not unlike some of those faced by the United States, an aging population along with the question of growing numbers of pensioners and supporting the social welfare system.

What direction do you expect the next government of the Netherlands to go?

Ambassador Bekink: There is a great deal of discussion questioning what is affordable, what is sustainable. We really have two parties within the government. The Social Democrats are slightly more into the idea that it is necessary to try to jumpstart the economy even while dealing with budgetary pressures. The Liberal Conservatives are more into the idea that it is necessary to have an austerity budget.

Fundamentally, we are moving quickly to bring next year’s national budget in under the 3 percent of GDP deficit level prescribed by the European Union. In the end, no matter what the shape of the next ruling coalition, I expect that budgetary guideline to be met. In turn, meeting that deficit guideline will strengthen the Dutch government in Brussels.

Diplomatic Connections: How do you assess the so-called “Eurozone crisis” that has gotten a great deal of attention here in the United States? Can the Euro survive as a

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military is very good, well trained and consistently helpful in joint operations. We are, I’m told, the very example of a country that “punches above its weight.” But, there is also a little note of concern that conversations focus too much on our defense.

From an economic point of view, things appear to be going well.

Diplomatic Connections: Many Americans don’t realize what a large investment Dutch industry has in the United States and vice versa — the large American business presence in the Netherlands.

Ambassador Bekink: Close to 625,000 American jobs depend on Dutch investment in the United States, which is quite a lot. The Netherlands is the third largest foreign investor in the United States and its ninth largest export partner.

The United States is also a big investor in the Netherlands.

All the big Dutch companies are here in the United States in a big way — Shell, Phillips, Heineken and many others — but also small start-ups. There are more than 850 Dutch companies in the United States.

In 2008, the banking crisis hit us fairly hard. AMRO as well as ING took a dive. Being a financial center is important for us, and things are coming back. The insurance company Transamerica is wholly owned by a Dutch company — AEGON NV. The Dutch retailer, Royal Ahold NV, owns Stop and Shop and Giant food stores and has a large presence on the East Coast.

Diplomatic Connections: The Dutch have a long tradition in inter-

Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro and Kingdom of the Netherlands Ambassador Rudolf Bekink shake hands after signing a new U.S.-Kingdom of the Netherlands Status of Forces Agreement covering the Kingdom’s territories in the Caribbean at the U.S. Department of State, October 19, 2012.

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U.S. Department of State photo/ Public Domain/inset: Dutch Embassy

shared currency? Can Europe’s weaker economies — Greece, Spain, Italy — be bailed out in a way that strengthens rather than weakens European integration?

Ambassador Bekink: As we think about this dilemma, there’s actually only one way out of the crisis and that is forward to more integration. You can see it happening, because it’s got to happen. I’m not the first who says that Europe’s integration is vastly helped by crises. That is true if you look at the history of Europe.

It’s a political project. The idea of the Fathers of Europe — Jean Monnet and Robert Schumann — was to make sure that a continental war would never happen again by combining and coordinating coal and steel production. It has evolved into a magnificent and far-reaching integration project.

Diplomatic Connections: We are very early in your time here in Washington, barely two months in residence here. But, could you tell us — as you begin your work here — what are some of the most important outstanding issues between the United States and the Netherlands that will be part of the focus of your time here?

Ambassador Bekink: Certainly strengthening the transAtlantic link will be at the center of everything we do while I am here in the United States. I’m doing my rounds of think tanks, businesses, government agencies, Congressional offices and NGOs right now, and what I’m hearing is that the Dutch

Dutch Embassy

Economic Ties graphic: Economic ties between the Netherlands and the United States support nearly 625,000 jobs in the United States.

national law dating back to Hugo Grotius in the 17th century and the development of a common law of war and peace that should bind the relations between nations. In The Hague today you have the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the Special Tribunal for Yugoslav War Crimes, as well as the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. What role does the Netherlands see itself playing in promoting the rule of law and the sometimes controversial work of the International Criminal Court?

Ambassador Bekink: It has been good for The Hague to be the legal capital of the world. We do believe strongly in international law. From the very beginning, The Hague Conference of 1899, led by Russian diplomacy, sought to require pacific settlement of disputes and to formalize the rules of warfare on land and at sea, including an early ban on chemical weapons. Then Andrew Carnegie gave us the Peace Palace which first housed the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Following World War I, Article 14 of the Covenant of the League of Nations required that a Permanent Court of International Justice be created.

We have a long tradition of training international law experts. The presence of these international courts in The Hague has something to do with the fact that we are a fairly small country with a strong commitment to living under

rules and regulations rather than unbridled power.

Diplomatic Connections: Would you reflect on your time as Ambassador in Beijing? What is the impact of China’s rapid economic rise on the international political system?

How is China’s presence changing the international system?

Ambassador Bekink: China’s sheer size and growing economic presence is changing things profoundly. The Chinese are a very real and influential presence in Africa and Latin America. When there is strong leadership in China and there is a growing economy, China has always exercised influence over its near neighbors. There’s no question that China is becoming somewhat more assertive now, especially on the question of territorial waters. The conflicts over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea and the East China Sea are worrisome because they tap very deep nationalistic sentiments. The Chinese are making sweeping territorial seas claims that cover the entire South China Sea all the way to the Philippines.

There are major international shipping routes moving through this area as well as potential fields of oil and natural gas to be tapped. These are matters that are of real concern to the United States and its relationships in East Asia and Southeast Asia. At the same time, the United States has announced its “pivot toward Asia” and is shifting its priorities to

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respond to these concerns.

China’s growing international presence will certainly change the entire concert of nations. They are very proud of the history of 5,000 years, and the entire population is well aware of the landmarks of that history — highpoints as well as perceived humiliations. It is important that Europe and the United States “team up” so to speak to coordinate more closely their responses to China’s initiatives because we share fundamentally the same morals and values.

Diplomatic Connections: The Nuclear Security Summit that was held in Seoul this year will be held in the Netherlands in 2014. How does your country look at the question of potential nuclear threats from other parts of the world, particularly the proliferation issues with Iran and North Korea?

Ambassador Bekink: We take a very strong position with regard to Iran’s nuclear development. We are in the forefront of the sanctions regime. We are very, very much anti-proliferation. The spread of nuclear weapons doesn’t prevent war. It doesn’t make the world safer. That is especially true of the thought of nuclear weapons in the hands of regimes such as North Korea and Iran. There may be some hope with the leadership change in North Korea.

Diplomatic Connections: How will you define “success” in your new position as Ambassador of The Netherlands to the United States?

Ambassador Bekink: I want to continue a strong trans-Atlantic link between the United States and Europe

where Holland can play a role. I think for the generation of our grandchildren it is very important to sustain and strengthen these links. I also want to help the private sector develop more here in the United States and in the Netherlands. I want to help create and facilitate good business and investment conditions on both sides of the Atlantic. I’ll be visiting many companies, which is always informative. I will also focus on promoting Dutch culture and encourage as many cultural exchanges as I can, including contemporary as well as classical Dutch arts. That work is interesting and always a learning experience for me. It’s an on-going effort.

It is quite a job to step into the shoes of my predecessor — Ambassador Renée Jones-Bos. She did very, very well and put Holland on the map even more than it already was. I will try to develop a good working relationship with the Congress and with the Dutch Caucus on the Hill. It is small, but it is there and very active and includes both sides of the American political spectrum.

My time here is going to be demanding and fascinating.

It’s very inspiring to be here in the United States for the next several years.

Diplomatic Connections: Mr. Ambassador, thank you so much for taking time to speak with us today. It has been a very stimulating conversation. Welcome (back) to Washington! n

OAS

Ambassador Bekink meets with Organization of American States Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza.

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By Michael Litzelman

In

Above: Former Macedonian Ambassador Luba Acevska with husband Dr. Joseph Novello, Nyumbani Executive Director Sr. Mary Owens, Hollywood director Kenny Ortega, Nyumbani Board Members Kerry McKenney and Mike Litzelman Below: Hardball’s Chris Matthews, Joseph D’Agostino - brother of Nyumbani founder Fr. Angelo D’Agostino, and Kathleen Matthews

a city which hosts hundreds of celebratory events each year, the 20th Anniversary of the founding of a small orphanage in Kenya easily could go unnoticed.

But, From Vision to Reality…a 20-year journey, held in Washington, D.C., in September, celebrated much more than a single event. It marked the triumph of hope and determination over one of the most devastating diseases affecting society in recent times.

In 1992, as the AIDS pandemic was racing across the African sub-continent with unrelenting fury, one man had a vision.

Father Angelo D’Agostino, SJ, MD, a Georgetown University Jesuit working in Nairobi, was determined to make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable and innocent victims. As a result of his passion and dedication, Nyumbani, which means “home” in Swahili, has become an amazing success story, transforming the lives of thousands of children and families in Kenya affected by HIV/AIDS and serving as a model for all of Africa.

Nyumbani now operates four programs — The Nyumbani Children’s Home; a state

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1. Lockheed Martin Vice President, Lawrence Duncan, III and Sr. Mary Owens; 2. Handcrafted items from Kenya offered for sale; 3. Longtime Nyumbani supporters Mercedes and Giuseppe Cecchi; 4. Patty and John Noel, presenters of Nyumbani’s Noel Humanitarian Award; 5. Kathleen Matthews congratulates Larry Duncan who accepted the special 20th Anniversary Nyumbani Award on behalf of Lockheed Martin; 6. Sra. Casilda Garcia-Quiros and husband Ambassador Jorge Hevia Sierra, Spanish Permanent Observer to the OAS

of the art Diagnostic Laboratory; Lea Toto (a community outreach program in the poorest areas of Nairobi); and the Nyumbani Village in the eastern province of Kitui — which represent a multi-faceted approach to tackling the societal devastation caused by the HIV/AIDS epidemic with a comprehensive lifesaving and economic growth-oriented strategy.

The Nyumbani Children’s Home, begun as a hospice, cares for 110 HIV+ orphans, from toddlers to a 23 year old. It was there that Fr. D’Agostino, who died at age 80 in 2006 and his successor, Sr. Mary Owens, demonstrated that with antiretroviral drugs, proper nutrition, and loving care HIV+ children could grow and thrive. Thanks to their unwavering commitment, and a subsequent partnership with the U.S. Government’s PEPFAR program, today one resident is studying law and seven others are in tertiary training attending college. Most importantly, all of the Home’s residents now can look forward to leading productive lives.

Nyumbani’s community-based program, Lea Toto, serves eight poverty stricken communities surrounding Nairobi, and has enrolled almost 9,000 since inception. With access to Prevention of Transmission from Mother to Child services, an increasing number of newborns are now testing negative for HIV.

Nyumbani Village, home to 953 children and 97 “grandparents,” is designed to be both self-sufficient and bio-friendly, 48

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using Western technology while maintaining Kenyan culture.

It has developed an extensive sustainability program including organic permaculture, agro-forestry, bio-fuel production, carbon farming and livestock husbandry. Five hundred acres of melia trees are planned to make the Village fully self-sufficient by 2018.

The growth and success of Nyumbani has been supported through the years by an ever-increasing group of concerned individuals in the United States. When 350 of them gathered for the 20th anniversary celebration in September, they paid tribute to many individuals who had contributed to that success.

Nyumbani’s John and Patty Noel Humanitarian Award was presented to Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson, long involved in Africa, and Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee on Africa. Lockheed Martin was honored for its ongoing support since Nyumbani’s founding, and for the service of its employees, three of whom have been on the Nyumbani board of directors over the years.

Sisters Frances Cassidy and Rose Monica Katusz, from the Order of St. Francis in Philadelphia, were recognized for their two-year stint at the Nyumbani Village, where they established the Lawson School.

Longtime Nyumbani supporters Chris and Kathleen Matthews were recognized with the announcement that the guest

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12 7. Elijah Lawrence, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, offered the evening’s entertainment; 8. Jose and Amor Morales, Friends of Nyumbani, with their daughter; 9. Angelena Young, with husband former US Ambassador Johnny Young and Nyumbani US Board President Mary Lynn Qurnell; 10. Noel Humanitarian Award recipient Georgia US Senator Johnny Isakson; 11. Sr. Julie Mulvihill with filmmaker Nihal Dhillon and Ms. Dhillon’s mother; 12. Roger Tauss with Jocelyn Frye, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Policy and Special Events for the First Lady, and her husband Brian Summers

house in the Nyumbani Village had been named in their honor. “Hardball’s” Chris admitted to being “Humbled … unusually.” Nevertheless, he spoke eloquently about his family’s Nyumbani experience and credited wife Kathleen, the event Mistress of Ceremonies, with fostering their ties to the Nyumbani children.

Since its founding, people from all walks of life have been drawn to Nyumbani. Hollywood director, choreographer and producer Kenny Ortega related his experience.

Ortega, who directed “High School Musical” and “High School Musical 2,” has worked with some of the industry’s most talented musical artists including Cher, Michael Jackson and Gloria Estefan. When he traveled to Africa in 2007, expecting a land and animal adventure, he found himself amid an extraordinary human experience. After having spent days interacting with the Masai, in the Masai Mara, he’d already had a great trip, but then his group came to Nyumbani.

As they arrived, they were greeted by all the children.

That, in and of itself would be moving, but the big impact was yet to come. The children began to sing the “High School Musical” anthem “We’re All in This Together.” Kenny later recalled that he was so overjoyed, so touched and so moved.

“I’d discovered in my two days with these extraordinary children that you always get more out of it. I have always found

that when you are working with children — when you leave that experience, you’re soaring, you’re flying and your heart is pumped with joy and adrenaline. It was no different here.”

A 15-year old girl read him a letter that said “High School Musical” returned hope to her life and gave her a sense of enthusiasm. “You really come to realize the importance of how far your work can reach, and at the end of the day how important it can be to someone out there. I left Africa realizing the responsibility that we have and how far-reaching our ideas and our work can be and how deeply impacting they can be.”

As the evening drew to a close, Nyumbani Executor Director Sister Mary Owens, who shared Father D’Agostino’s vision from the beginning, reflected on the 20-year journey, humorously noting the episodes of “Divine Anxiety” she experienced when “Fr. D’Ag” would assure her that “Divine Providence” would see them through the crisis of the moment, then calmly turn his attention to other matters.

An unexpected highlight of the event was the announcement that earlier in the day the Alliance for Global Good’s Innovation Fund had awarded Nyumbani a substantial grant, recognizing the combination of its nonprofit mission and business models for sustainable social good. Without a doubt, the vision which inspired Nyumbani, and has sustained it for two decades, will carry it far in its future endeavors. n

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BELGIUM Plays Leading Role In Building INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY Ambassador Says His Country’s History of Being at the Center of Europe’s Conflicts Fuels Belgium’s Commitment to Multilateral Diplomacy

By James A. Winship, Ph.D.

H.E.

Jan Matthysen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United States, is a seasoned diplomat with a strong sense of his country’s history. He began his professional life as a professor of history for 10 years before joining his country’s diplomatic service. “I came into diplomacy,” he notes, “not because I was born into it. I did not have any family or relatives in the diplomatic corps.

I was not familiar with it at all. It was at university, where I did the master’s degree in political history, that some professors tried to convince me to consider a diplomatic career. It took a while to convince me.”

Reluctant diplomat though he might have been, Matthysen took to the diplomatic life with relish, not least because it placed him at the cutting edges of history. He was the last Chargé d’Affaires at the Belgian embassy in East Germany, literally turning off the lights after the fall of the Berlin Wall as the Cold War divisions came to an end and Germany was reunified. From 1994 - 1997, following the break-up of Yugoslavia, Matthysen served in Belgrade where he was Chargé and then ambassador during the toughest times of the Bosnian wars and the imposition of arms embargoes, sanctions, and no-fly zones on the combatants. “It was scary because I remember phone calls with our Belgian forces then serving in Eastern Slovenia where you could hear gun shots and bombing in the background of the phone conversations.”

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Returning to Brussels, Matthysen headed the NATO desk at the Foreign Ministry and then served as Acting Head of the General Directorate for Political-Military Affairs. At the same time he served as Senior Advisor on Kosovo to the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the Balkans. This experience with the Balkan conflicts led to Matthysen being named as Belgium’s Ambassador to Turkey at a time when that country’s politics were in transition and when Turkey’s potential membership in the European Union was under consideration. “I was there,” he recalls, “when ˘ became Prime Minister, when the Justice Recep Erdogan and Development Party (AK Parti) won the elections and the whole identity of Turkey was evolving.”

In 2004, Ambassador Matthysen was named as Belgium’s Ambassador to Thailand. He was appointed as Belgium’s Ambassador to the United States in 2009.

If his diplomatic postings have placed him in the midst of unfolding history, Ambassador Matthysen suggests that it is history that has placed Belgium at the center of the international diplomatic community. “Belgium is known in history as the battlefield of Europe. It goes back to Waterloo and the Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the 19th century. We have the memory of Flanders Fields from the First World War, among the most deadly battlefields of that war, as defining our history. The World War Two ‘Battle of

His Excellency Jan Matthysen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United States

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Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and European Commission Chairman Jose Manuel Barroso on October 4, 2012, before their meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels.

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strongly in multilateral diplomacy. It is part of our commitment to multilateralism that these institutions are in Brussels and that the Belgian government does everything possible to accommodate their needs and facilitate their work.”

Ambassador Matthysen was kind enough to take time from his busy schedule to agree to a wide-ranging interview that allows insights into his country’s diplomacy.

Diplomatic Connections: As you sit here in Washington, D.C., as ambassador of your country, what are some of the most important issues between the United States and Belgium, two countries that are really very good friends?

Ambassador Matthysen: There are constantly issues.

The first thing is to work with Belgian ministers, parliamentarians, and top business people to help them maximize the results of their visits to the United States and their contacts with their American counterparts. A lot of work goes into preparing for these visits. We need to make certain that they are speaking with the right people for their particular concerns and that we get the right people to brief them, so that the visit achieves optimum results.

The second thing is perceptions about Belgium. Wherever and whenever we can, we want decision makers to know about our country and to have a positive point of view toward Belgium. We want them to hear the right arguments and reasons why Belgian policy moves in a particular direction. We also want to bring a positive image of our country to the general public. The basic principle is that we want to promote better understanding of Belgium’s identity, its place in Europe, and its place in the world.

And third, there is the protection of Belgium’s immediate interests. We provide consular assistance to Belgian citizens and Belgian companies who need to deal with the American legal system. Of course, the legal system in the United States is not an arbitrary one, but still a country wants to be able to assist whenever its citizens are in need of help from our consular section.

In addition, we are constantly reporting back to Belgium on a wide variety of developments here in the United States.

Whenever our ministers have to represent us and debate on a European level in the decision-making rounds, they have to be well informed. From the embassy’s point of view, we seek to tap into the general knowledge available here from the State Department, the Defense Department, the Commerce Department or whatever other U.S. government agencies might be relevant.

Diplomatic Connections: Your diplomatic postings have placed you in locales — the former Yugoslavia and Turkey -

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the Bulge,’ the biggest land battle fought by Americans on European soil, was fought on Belgian territory. These battles meant that Belgium was overrun by our neighbors twice in one generation. We shouldn’t forget that generation who were teenagers in the First World War, raised a family in the 1930s, and were under German occupation again in the 1940s. All Belgians have in their families stories of soldiers in their houses and family members or neighbors arrested or killed. We know what it is to be in a European environment that had to change. As a consequence, we were among those pushing for greater European unity very early. It is a part of our diplomacy.”

“There is a conviction,” Ambassador Matthysen adds, “that we are among the founding fathers of most of the international institutions that are now headquartered in Brussels. We were among the first in the European Union from the time when it began as the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), and we were part of the Benelux arrangements (a customs union between Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands), and the Western European Union, and the founding of NATO. After the Second World War, Belgium no longer believed in any possibility of continuing the illusion of neutrality that we tried to cling to during the two World Wars. We believe

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General view shows the NATO Defense Ministers’ Meeting held at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on October 9, 2012.

NATO warned on October 9 against any escalation in hostilities between Syria and Turkey after border artillery exchanges as alliance defense ministers reviewed a difficult withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Belgium’s Defense Minister Pieter De Crem (2ndL) looks on prior to the start of the NATO Defense Ministers’ meeting held at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on October 9, 2012.

where problems of nationalism and sub-national groups have become sources of conflict. Belgium has its own history of a linguistic divide between the French-speaking in Wallonia and the Dutch-speaking in Flanders. Are there lessons to be learned from the ways in which Belgium has handled its linguistic division?

Ambassador Matthysen: You cannot simply use the model of one country in another country without significant adaptation and modification. Perhaps you can use experiences and parcels of it, but the Belgian institutional transformation came in a peaceful environment. We were internally at peace. We did not fight. There were no riots. It was a political, civilized discourse. That’s not always the case in several of the contexts you mentioned.

A second point is that we could deal with our divisions in a context where our neighbors were not interfering and where they didn’t have a stake in the internal decisions Belgium made. That’s also not always the case with these sorts of problems because you have neighbors who seek to advance their own national interests in the midst of a neighboring state’s disharmony.

A third point is that we are a wealthy country. You can find institutional reform more easily if you have a context of economic well-being. And, there was sophistication enough in society to come up with creative solutions to the institutional changes that needed to come about.

Plus, this was done in a generation that believed strongly in the European future. That meant that there was a bigger

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“Belgium is known in history as the battlefield of Europe.

It goes back to Waterloo and the Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the 19th century.

We have the memory of Flanders Fields from the First World War, among the most deadly battlefields of that war, as defining our history.

The World War Two ‘Battle of the Bulge,’ the biggest land battle fought

by Americans on European soil, was fought on Belgian territory.”

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structure helping to overcome the difficulties that existed. So for all these reasons I leave it to the world community to pick and choose from the Belgian model what they want. We did our best within the country to evolve in an overall peaceful and democratic way.

Diplomatic Connections: Belgium is headquarters for the European Union and for many of its subsidiary institutions. Belgium is also headquarters for the NATO Alliance and several other international organizations. How does that large-scale international presence affect your country and its diplomacy?

Ambassador Matthysen: First of all, the international presence in Brussels is huge. We’re talking about tens of thousands of people with diplomatic status. The Belgian protocol department lists the largest numbers of people with expatriate status in the world. In addition to this, you have a vast concentration of international lobbyists and international journalists. That is an expat community in itself.

Looking back to its development, you could think that such a large international presence might crush the housing market or that with all the motorcades, the European and NATO summits that are held in and around Brussels the security forces, infrastructure and transportation system would be overwhelmed.

The opposite is true. Cultural life, gastronomy and the overall quality of life are thriving precisely because of all this international presence. In terms of security, we have been spared from major security incidents. We have quite an established way and experience to deal with the immediate security aspects of motorcades and dignitaries being protected and brought to their respective meetings. All that is not perfect, but it works.

Diplomatic Connections: Belgium is headquarters for NATO and also part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Americans are generally familiar with NATO but much less familiar with OSCE. Can you explain to us how these organizations differ from each other and how they mesh with each other?

Ambassador Matthysen: These are two totally different sets of institutions. OSCE is far less engaging and demanding than the NATO alliance. NATO is an integrated military alliance — 28 countries linked together on the basis of a treaty, with Article 5 a clear obligation to assist in case of an attack on their territory. That is the trans-Atlantic alliance between Canada, the United States and European countries. It is a cornerstone that is an essential reality for our foreign and security policy.

The OSCE is much wider, more broadly based, with 56 member states. This is more a diplomatic tool, an instrument to widen the security dialogue and to bring initiatives and activities to life in a way designed to prevent conflict between member states. Or, after a conflict, OSCE may contribute to pacification, to efforts to restore societies and to prevent flare-ups of violence. OSCE also works to promote democracy by observing elections, which is also a part of preventing conflict.

Diplomatic Connections: Over the years there have been many debates at NATO over whether “out of theater” actions should be taken, and now almost all of NATO’s actions seem to be “out of theater.” What do you think the future of NATO is and should be? Looking particularly at Operation Unified Protector that came to the assistance of the uprising in Libya, how do you see the mission of NATO evolving?

Ambassador Matthysen: A debate flared up immediately after the collapse of the Iron Curtain where you had to reassess the threat level to Europe. On the European side there was a request to realize what was called a “peace dividend.” There was a tendency to say: “We held out for so many years against the enemy on our continent. Now that threat is no longer there. We could withdraw our troops from Germany and reduce drastically our transcripts. We could maintain a much smaller army and transform those forces into something else.”

And then you had the Kosovo War that brought home the new realities of security threats to Europe. After long discussion, NATO opted to respond to events in Serbia and in Bosnia and to stop the outrages against local security and human rights that were occurring. That put the future of NATO into question because the wars in Yugoslavia presented a new challenge.

NATO reviewed its strategic concept, which is the main document describing its doctrine. NATO sees as its vocation to create a capability, where the security of Europe is at stake, to intervene where it is appropriate. That kind of capability is central to the decision-making of the new NATO. We are cautious with that tool. No politician will use that tool lightly. But it is part of reality.

In Libya, Belgium was among the first to engage. We had F-16 bombers flying and being part of the effort. The action was approved with unanimous support in the Belgian parliament. That shows that there is willingness on the European side to act where it is necessary to do what has to be done. The world remains a challenging place. It is good that

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European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso talk during a press conference at a recent European Union leaders meeting in Brussels. EU leaders debated “a big leap forward” to strengthen their union and save the Euro, but divisions may scuttle efforts to shore up the single currency.

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— the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi — and there is a strong feeling that this is helpful. There is massive development aid in these three countries from Belgium. We rank very near the top of the list of bilateral donors. There is also a presence in terms of skilled advisors by so many people who have affection for the country and a particular bond with it.

Diplomatic Connections: One of the fascinating things about the European embassies here in Washington is their outreach to ethnic cultural communities. There is a fairly large Belgian heritage community in the United States. As Belgium’s representative here in Washington, what is the importance of those Belgian heritage communities?

Ambassador Matthysen: The Belgian immigration into the United States dates from the 19th century going into the 1930s, and it’s still continuing but on an individual basis. Don’t forget that there is still a claim that New York was founded not by the Dutch but by a Belgian even before Belgium became an independent state.

The immigration of Belgians once they made their life here led them to identify themselves totally with the New World. They became very American. Only in rural areas where farm communities migrated together did they keep their identity as Belgian. It could be Flemish or Walloon.

Often these communities continued to speak the language, either Flemish or French. I have the impression that in recent decades, perhaps because of the presence of media everywhere, this is now quickly fading out.

Another part of migration is sometimes underestimated. Through the port of Antwerp between the 1880s and 1930s, 2.6 million emigrants left Europe and came to Ellis Island. One of the major shipping lines, the Red Star Line, transported emigrants especially from Central Europe and the last city they saw on European soil was Antwerp. There is a project now to link Ellis Island museum with a new museum to be built in Antwerp. I think it is scheduled to open next year commemorating that part of history linking Belgium to the American immigration.

Diplomatic Connections: Apart from the history of Belgian communities in the United States, what is the present day impact of trade and investment between Belgium and the United States?

Ambassador Matthysen: American companies have huge investments in Belgium. There is as much American investment in Belgium as there is in China. American invest-

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countries rely not just on their values, or their wealth or their moral convictions but also that they maintain the capabilities and the will to act militarily when necessary.

Diplomatic Connections: May we go back to a very specific piece of Belgium’s history — Belgium’s continuing relationship with what was known as the Belgian Congo? Belgium’s historic relationship as a colonial power was over when that territory became independent in 1960. What is your country’s continuing relationship with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its development even in the face of chaotic, and sometime quite deadly, violence in that country?

Ambassador Matthysen: It is part of our history, and we deal with that. I can tell you that in Belgium there is a lot of internal debate about our colonial history that has been undertaken by many scholars and journalists. Our parliament has worked on the issues and continues to dig into the how and why of our country’s involvement there. There are good things and there are bad things, sometimes very bad parts of that history. We can only hope that all countries of the world that have a colonial past will do the same so that we can come to terms with our history.

There is an expectation on the Belgian side and the Congolese side that we should remain involved in Central Africa

ment in Belgium is not something from the past, from the 1950s or the 1960s alone. The investment statistics from 2010 and 2011 are record highs. In 2011, Belgium was among the top 10 foreign investors in the United States.

That means that existing companies are still expanding their investments and new investors are coming.

That investment generates jobs, just as Belgian companies create jobs in the United States. We can proudly say that Belgium and the United States have a mature economic relationship where Belgian and American companies make money on both sides of the Atlantic. Belgium is attractive for investors

because of its highly-skilled workforce, outstanding roads and logistics infrastructure, and the excellent quality of living for expats. This explains why we see that investment is increasing in sectors where you need skilled labor — research, for example. Belgium’s pharmaceutical cluster is very strong.

Diplomatic Connections: Certainly the story involving Europe that has dominated the American press is the future of the Euro and the way in which the European Union and the European Central Bank are responding to the crisis of public debt in many of the member states notably Greece, Spain, and Italy. What do you see as the future of the Euro and the Eurozone?

Ambassador Matthysen: I’m confident about the future of the Euro.

Though we have not solved the issue, we are working our way through a series of steps designed to deal with the problem of

A Belgian soldier of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) talks with an Afghan man as he keeps watch at the site of a suicide bomb attack near the main gate of a NATO military airport in Kabul.

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Afghan policemen and Belgian soldiers of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) block a road at the site where a suicide bomb attack at the main gate of a NATO military airport in Kabul. A suicide bomber exploded a car outside Kabul’s military airport just a day earlier, killing two Afghan civilians and wounding 10 people, including four foreign soldiers, officials said.

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public debt. There is no miracle immediate solution. Those who think that this can be done in a second by some bold stroke are wrong. These are complicated issues. You have to act together, and you have to grow out of the widespread recession that has intensified this problem. You have to keep your potential for growth alive.

The President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, who happens to be a Belgian, in the new structure under the Lisbon Treaty plays a pivotal role in organizing this difficult Council of 27 Heads of state and government plus the President of the Commission. That is a difficult body to bring into quick and efficient decision making. Recognizing that difficulty, we have made remarkable progress in recent months. We are building and strengthening institutions like the European Central Bank (ECB) one step after the other.

We will get through this and Europe will come out stronger rather than weaker.

Diplomatic Connections: Could we talk just a bit about Belgium’s role in Afghanistan? Many Americans may not be aware of a Belgian presence in that country. How does Belgium see its role in Afghanistan evolving as the United States prepares to withdraw forces by the end of 2014? Do you see a role for your country in Afghanistan beyond 2014?

Ambassador Matthysen: First of all, Belgium got involved militarily in Afghanistan right from the start, and we are still present with what for us are significant troop numbers. We have more than 500 highly-trained and very qualified soldiers in Afghanistan serving in short rotations.

For Belgium, given the size of our Army, these numbers are substantial. We have a squadron of F-16 fighter jets deployed in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. For more than a decade, Belgian troops led the protection of Kabul International Airport. Finally, our military is deployed in the North with troops based in Kunduz and Masar-e-Sharif.

Originally the Belgian population saw this deployment as an act of solidarity with the United States following the 9/11 attacks. Belgians said, “Here is an ally confronted with 58

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an attack at its heart, and we must stand with them against those who planned and carried out this attack.” That’s why we went there. Then, as events unfolded it became clear that there was a broader need to do our part in the collective effort to bring security and stability to Afghanistan.

Beyond 2014 we are subscribed to the logic as it has been stated in the NATO summits in Lisbon and most recently reconfirmed in Chicago. We will continue in the assistance effort beyond 2014 and will share in financing the security of Afghanistan.

Diplomatic Connections: A final question. What are your greatest hopes for your country’s future and what are your greatest fears?

Ambassador Matthysen: Our country, as I see it, is not fearful, although we have reason out of our past to be cautious. We have had our share of wars and problems. I’m not thinking in terms of concerns. Instead, I’m thinking more in terms of potential. I see that there is much more potential still in the trans-Atlantic community, if you see that the world is developing and expanding.

Globalization has been an on-going development from the very beginnings of international trade, but clearly the cast of international actors and their presence on the international scene in our lifetime is changing dramatically. Asia is a growing presence, especially as China and India assume greater roles in the world economy. Latin America and Africa are beginning to assume larger roles. And the impact of the forces unleashed by the Arab Spring is only beginning to play out its ramifications on the world stage.

The relative presence of the North Atlantic community will diminish, not through any fault of its own, but because of the expanded role for additional players in world politics.

And that will bring us more together. Only a minority of the world’s population lives in free societies with democratic processes, with freedom of speech and with a free economy.

Economically, morally and culturally, it makes great sense to continue to work on building and strengthening the Atlantic community. If we do that, it is for the benefit of all.

Diplomatic Connections: Ambassador Matthysen, thank you so much for allowing us such an open and wide-ranging conversation with you today. We very much appreciate your insights. n

O R I G I N A L LY C R A F T E D F O R T H E H O L I D AY S

Named after the Holiday star, Stella Artois was first brewed as a holiday beer as a gift to the people of Leuven, Belgium. A golden lager in contrast to the popular dark ales of the time, its brilliant amber color illuminated holiday celebrations for generations thereafter. “Artois” acknowledges Sebastian Artois, t he master brewer and owner of t he brewer y.

StellaArtois.com Always Enjoy Responsibly. © 2012 Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A., Stella Artois® Beer, Imported by Import Brands Alliance, St. Louis, MO

lobal efforts to eliminate a major disease such as malaria are most often described in humanitarian terms aimed at relieving human suffering and saving lives.

But, it is critical to see malaria as an issue of international security and a major roadblock to global economic development as well. The dimensions of global malarial infection and its consequences are truly staggering.

Malaria is endemic in 106 countries around the world with an estimated 3.3 billion people, almost half the world’s population, at risk of malaria. In 2010, the World Health Organization estimated that there were 216 million documented cases of malaria, of these an estimated 665,000 persons died of malaria. Roughly 80 percent of the documented cases were in the WHO African Region and more than 91 percent of the malaria deaths occurred in the same region. The costs of this human tragedy — at least $12 billion in direct losses to African countries and far larger losses in potential economic growth each year — are a major hindrance to Africa’s development. And, malaria is not limited to Africa. It is endemic to the Amazon basin and areas of Central America as well as to large areas of South and Southeast Asia.

The image of malaria is of a mosquito-borne tropical disease that is debilitating to human beings but that can be controlled either by prophylactic measures, most travelers take one of several preventive medications when they’re in malaria susceptible areas of the world, or by the control of mosquito populations and the use of mosquito repellents. That assurance that malaria can be dealt with masks a more troubling reality. Scientific research and development as well as field

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Princess Astrid of Belgium, the Special Representative of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership.

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Belgium Royals

testing of malaria control methods is not the same thing as making these advances widely available in the field to large cross-sections of vulnerable populations.

Malaria is an age-old problem and a killer with a special affinity for women and children, for populations under the duress of conflict and disruption, and for communities living with the stresses of poverty. There were efforts to eliminate malaria as early as 1920 under the auspices of the League of Nations and again in the 1950s and 1960s. These initial efforts to control malaria failed largely because a lack of political will and insufficient, inconsistent funding. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, has noted that, “Malaria defeated the international community many years ago. We cannot allow this to happen again.

A single global action plan for malaria control, that enjoys Partnership-wide support, is a strong factor for success.”

The Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) was launched in 1998 in order to encourage a coordinated, broad-based 62

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Ophelie de Clercq, RBM 2012

(Top L-R) Belgium’s Princess Claire, Prince Laurent, Princess Mathilde, Crown Prince Philippe, Princess Astrid, Prince Lorenz, Prince Joachim, Prince Amede, (center row L-R) Princess Louise, Prince Aymeric, Prince Nicolas, Prince Gabriel, Princess Laetitia Maria, (First row L-R) Princess Elisabeth, Princess Eleonore, Queen Paola, Prince Emmanuel, King Albert II and Queen Fabiola pose for a portrait of the Belgian Royal Family at the Castle of Laeken-Laken in Brussels on September 2, 2012.

HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Special Representative for RBM, participates in a traditional ceremony with Mrs. Pitka Menoza, wife of the vice-governor of Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, during an advocacy mission to the country in April 2012.

effort to bring together the resources of the public and private sectors alongside continuing medical and scientific breakthroughs to encourage a highly-focused, closely-coordinated, widely-supported battle against malaria and its debilitating effects. The effort has brought together more than 500 institutional partners worldwide and has been effective in creating a consensus-driven Global Malaria Action Plan built around commitments to provide universal coverage with essential malaria control interventions for those at risk, a reduction of the number of preventable deaths from malaria to near zero by 2015, and sustained control measures thereafter.

Accomplishing these goals, however, requires leaders who are willing to put their personality and their power on the line to create greater global awareness of the malaria problem and to encourage expanded financial support for the effort. How to do that?

Princess parties are very much in style for American children today. Search the term “princess parties” and up pops an inventory of princess-themed party supplies and an array of costumed pretend princesses — Snow White, Rapunzel, Belle of “Beauty and the Beast” fame, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and the Little Mermaid — who can be hired

to host and entertain at a children’s party. To be sure, there is a fun and fanciful appeal to these fairy tale princesses who charm and delight with their beauty, their princes and their near magical powers. But perhaps there should be room for the stories of real life princesses who use their position and their power to highlight critical human causes in a world confronted with poverty and disease and broken by conflict and extremism?

Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium and Archduchess of Austria-Esta is one such committed royal. She is the second child of King Albert II of the Belgians and Queen Paola. She is the wife of Prince Lorenz, Archduke of AustriaEste and head of a branch of the historic House of Habsburg.

She is the mother of five children ranging in age from 26 to 9 years old. Princess Astrid is also a member of the Belgian Senate as senator by right, and in 1997 she joined the Belgian Armed forces where she is currently a Colonel in the Medical Unit. She refuses “to conform to the image of the ‘Lady of Charity.’ Instead, I seek to respond to the trust others put into me by activating a network of people and institutions which can bring about concrete results for the benefit of those who are in need of it.”

Ophelie de Clercq, RBM 2012

HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Special Representative for RBM, visits a young man being treated for malaria at the Moelick Hospital in Bandar Lampung, Indonsesia, during an advocacy mission to the country in April 2012.

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Ophelie de Clercq, RBM 2012

Princess Astrid accepted her first mandate as Special Representative for the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership in 2007. In this role, the Princess travels widely in malaria-affected areas of the world as well as in donor countries where she advocates for various RBM initiatives, seeks to raise awareness of malaria’s human and economic impacts, and to mobilize resources for effective malaria control efforts. Her goal is to secure and sustain adequate financial will to assure continuing progress against malaria and to continue building relationships between state governments, non-governmental organizations, research facilities and drug companies, the business community, as well as other global collaborators that are the vital partners in RBM’s coordination and planning efforts, and the leading edge of malaria control and elimination efforts in the field.

Princess Astrid was kind enough to personally accept a series of written questions exclusively from Diplomatic Connections, and her answers were provided directly to us from her offices in the Royal Palace in Brussels, Belgium. We are deeply appreciative of her willingness to speak with us in this way and welcome the opportunity to highlight her role as Special Representative for the Roll Back Malaria Partnership.

Her answers display not only her detailed awareness of the successes achieved by RBM and the continuing challenges in the fight against malaria; they also show a depth of compassion and a commitment to global service.

Diplomatic Connections: Why did you decide to lend your time and voice to the work of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) Princess Astrid: I decided to become the Special Representative for the Roll Back Malaria Partnership because I was so moved by the complete devastation malaria has on communities around the world. I found it unacceptable that so many people suffer and die from such an easily preventable and treatable disease simply because they lack a US$1 course of treatment and diagnosis or a US $7 insecticide-treated net.

Diplomatic Connections: Malaria is not endemic to Belgium.

What drew your interest and concern to dealing with this illness and its consequences?

Princess Astrid: Malaria is especially important to me, because of its particular effect on the world’s most vulnerable — pregnant women and children. I’ve always felt a strong responsibility to use my position to help give a voice to others, regardless of their nationality. My role as Special Representative of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership allows me to do that for some of the most vulnerable communities in developing countries. In my work with RBM, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to countries like Zambia, Tanzania and Indonesia, where I’ve seen firsthand the devastation of malaria on communities — mothers walking hours carrying their weak children to seek malaria treatment often unavailable or too expensive, empty classrooms and parents burying their children far too young. These mothers and children continue to drive my passion for this work.

Ophelie de Clercq, RBM 2012

HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Special Representative for RBM, visits the Way Urung health clinic in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, during an April 2012 mission to the country.

HervÊ Verhoosel (left), Representative in New York and Head of External Relations for RBM, briefs HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium (center) and Diplomatic Advisor to the Royal Palace, Ambassador Ghislain D’hoop (right) while en route to an April 2012 field visit in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia.

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I’m also very drawn to the economic impact of malaria.

Despite tremendous progress in recent years, malaria continues to kill a child every minute. We must remember that each of those deaths is not just a number; it is a life with great potential not realized and has incredible economic impact on already struggling communities — in Africa, where 90 percent of malaria deaths occur, the disease costs an estimated minimum of US$12 billion in lost productivity per year. Malaria is simple to prevent and treat, yet it continues to plunge developing countries further into poverty.

Diplomatic Connections: Why was the Roll Back Malaria Partnership created? How is the Partnership different from previous efforts to combat the spread of malarial infections?

Princess Astrid: The Roll Back Malaria Partnership was developed in 1998 by UNICEF, WHO, UNDP and the World Bank to serve as the global coordinating mechanism for action against malaria. As a public-private partnership of more

than 500 partners around the world, RBM facilitates the creation of new and innovative approaches against malaria, promotes high-level political commitment and keeps malaria high on the global agenda by enabling, harmonizing and amplifying partner-driven advocacy initiatives. Through the partnership, RBM is able to leverage a diverse set of skill sets in many different sectors to also help secure policy guidance as well as financial and technical support for control efforts in countries and monitors progress towards universal goals.

Diplomatic Connections: What difference do you think your involvement makes in promoting and advancing the work of Roll Back Malaria?

Princess Astrid: I hope that through my work with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, I am able to raise the profile of malaria on the international agenda, giving those struggling to overcome this disease a voice and galvanizing necessary political will against it. Despite incredible progress against

Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images

School children in a depressed part of the city struggle to reach mosquito nets being given out by Belgium’s Princess Astrid who was visiting their school in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Malaria, according to the UN, kills approximately 3,000 children a day worldwide and remains the single largest cause of death for children under five in sub-Saharan Africa.

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UN, Paulo Filgueiras 2012

HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Special Representative for RBM, participates in a World Malaria Day 2012 reception at the United Nations in New York. Co-hosted by RBM, the UN Foundation, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria, the event brought new and unique partners to the fight against malaria.

2012 Stephanie Badini

(l to r: Dikembe Mutombo, NBA legend and malaria champion; Kathy Calvin, CEO, UN Foundation; HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Special Representative for RBM; UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon; Madam Ban Soon-taek; Shaquille O’Neal, NBA legend and malaria champion; Ray Chambers, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria; Brian Gott, Publisher, Variety Magazine; Hervé Verhoosel, Representative in New York & Head of External Relations, RBM)

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, honors HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Special Representative for RBM, for her work in the fight against malaria at a 2012 World Malaria Day reception at the United Nations in New York.

malaria, we still live in a time where approximately 216 million people around the world are infected with malaria each year, and more than 650,000 lose their lives. I hope that my work with RBM can help to continuously bring those numbers down until malaria is a thing of the past.

Diplomatic Connections: Is it realistic to think that malaria can be controlled and eventually eliminated?

What steps must be taken to achieve this goal?

Princess Astrid: I believe that malaria can absolutely be controlled, and I hope that one day we can live in a world that is free of it. But, achieving that goal will take the investment and commitment of many. We have seen tremendous progress against malaria in recent years — since 2000, we’ve decreased global malaria deaths by one-third, and 43 countries worldwide have reduced their malaria cases or deaths by a minimum of 50 percent. We are at a critical time, facing many challenges,

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Romeo Gacad/AFP/Getty Images

Princess Astrid of Belgium (C) holds a model of a mosquito as she speaks with Hervé Verhoosel (L), an official of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and Belgian Ambassador Christiaan Tanghe (R) after a press conference in Jakarta on April 13, 2012. Princess Astrid was on a four-day mission in Indonesia as special envoy for the Roll Back Malaria campaign to strengthen commitment to global malaria control efforts in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Global Fund and Indonesia’s Ministry of Health.

and we must maintain our commitment to overcome malaria if we are to sustain this fragile progress. Now, more than ever, we must work together to find opportunities for collaboration that will maximize the impact of our efforts.

Diplomatic Connections: What are the biggest hurdles facing the control, treatment, and prevention of malaria at the moment? What populations are most at risk from malarial infection?

Princess Astrid: A major threat to sustained malaria control and elimination is a developing resistance to the most effective course of malaria treatment — artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) — which we see developing in some areas of the Asia-Pacific region. This threat is very real, as this part of the world is the historical epicenter for the emergence of drugresistant malaria parasites. Over the past several decades, many front-line antimalarials have been lost to resistance, and we cannot afford to lose any more. The large majority of malariaendemic countries have no alternatives if these drugs begin to fail, leaving the more than three billion people at risk of 68

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malaria around the world with very little protection if infected.

Thanks to a surge in research, we now understand malaria and the mechanisms of drug resistance better than ever, and vigilance is at an all-time high. But the window for action to stop the emergence of artemisinin resistance is small, so we must act quickly to address it. Political attention at the highest of levels will be critical to these efforts. This is why I was recently in Indonesia, supporting the government as they launched their national Roll Back Malaria Partnership, and participating in high-level meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Vice President and the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), among others. I was impressed by their commitment to malaria, and I am inspired by the political leadership they are exhibiting to help achieve a regionally coordinated effort against the disease. Malaria is no longer just a health issue; it is also a political one, and it will require political attention.

Diplomatic Connections: Is the introduction of a safe and effective anti-malarial vaccine possible?

Princess Astrid: Researchers and scientists are working diligently to develop the next generation of antimalarial tools, which includes a potential vaccine. We have seen promising results from current studies, but while we eagerly await further results and potential approval, we cannot lose sight of the tools that we already have that are proven and costeffective in the prevention and treatment of malaria.

Diplomatic Connections: Why has the Roll Back Malaria Partnership been so successful in scaling-up global attention to effective malaria control interventions?

Princess Astrid: Under the coordination of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, we’ve really seen unprecedented successes against malaria. One of the reasons RBM has been so effective is because it is, at the core, a partnership. No single organization or government can defeat malaria. There are many actors in the global fight against malaria, but the Roll Back Malaria Partnership brings everyone together under the same umbrella to work toward one global plan against the disease — the Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP). RBM and the GMAP are the foundation of our progress and success — they provide a roadmap for success and evidence that our goals are feasible given the right resources and commitment.

Diplomatic Connections: What are the most effective means of controlling malarial infections? What must be done to encourage the further development of malaria control efforts?

Princess Astrid: In my work with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, I have seen first-hand the incredible hope that

simple, cost-effective solutions can have on communities.

Tools like insecticide-treated nets, indoor spraying with insecticides, accurate diagnostic tests and appropriate treatment are proven, they are effective and they are inexpensive investments that could change the course of history for generations. If we are to reach our goal of providing effective and affordable protection and treatment to all people at risk of malaria, close cooperation by all partners and strong political leadership will be required to expand access.

Diplomatic Connections: What is the return on investment from the massive efforts that have been undertaken to control the spread of malaria and to limit its effects?

Princess Astrid: Investments in malaria prevention and control have been among the best investments in global health, resulting in a dramatic decrease in malaria deaths and illness. If adequate financial resources are secured, we could further expand our efforts and continue saving lives.

With malaria, we know that the return is high and the cost is low. The simple, proven tools we have to prevent and treat malaria account for some of the most cost-effective health interventions of our time, and they have the potential to lift entire generations around the globe out of poverty.

Our malaria control efforts will not only help achieve UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6, they will also help to advance progress against several other MDGs across the board. When we prevent malaria infection or death, we not only save lives, we accelerate progress in other health and development areas as well, including reducing school absenteeism, fighting poverty, and improving maternal and child health. Health is the building block of all development, and when we invest in malaria, we invest in communities and accelerate progress in other health and development areas as well. Investment in malaria will only foster greater economic development for us all.

Diplomatic Connections: How has the global economic slowdown affected the Roll Back Malaria Partnership? Can the public and private expenditures that have been effective in expanding the program be sustained?

Princess Astrid: While global funding for malaria reached unprecedented levels in 2010, challenging economic times have placed our progress in great jeopardy. Many have felt the effects of difficult economic times, and they have left the malaria community with a financial gap of an estimated US$3.2 billion in Africa alone through 2015. This gap represents an estimated three million people who will lose their lives to malaria in the next three years if we don’t work together to close this gap.

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Ophelie de Clercq, RBM 2012

As Special Representative for RBM, HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium participates in the April 2012 launch of Indonesia’s national Roll Back Malaria Partnership in Jakarta, to leverage multi-sectoral partnerships to support the national government’s malaria control strategy.

If adequate financial resources are secured, we could not only sustain our progress but also scale up our efforts to ensure millions of lives continue to be saved.

Diplomatic Connections: What are some of your other public service involvements beyond your work with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership?

Princess Astrid: In addition to my role as Special Representative of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, I am honorary chairperson of the Belgian Paralympic Committee and a member of the International Paralympic Committee. I also serve as honorary chairperson for the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, which is headquartered in Brussels, and I am a patron of various voluntary organizations in Belgium which are active in the fight against poverty, rare diseases and contagious diseases, such as tuberculosis and leprosy.

Diplomatic Connections: What are the public duties “expected” of a member of the Royal Family? Why did you choose to broaden your portfolio of responsibilities to include your work with “vulnerable” populations?

Princess Astrid: As a member of the royal family, I am naturally concerned about the well-being of my compatriots.

Public health, medical research and support for the physically and mentally disabled are my main areas of interest. My 70

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personal interest in public health and my former mandate as Chairperson of the Belgian Red Cross, which ended in 2007, naturally led to a greater involvement in world health policy.

Belgium is a strong supporter of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which include targets in the fight against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Support for the fight against these diseases is very important to me, and I’m proud that it is a priority in Belgium’s overseas assistance program.

I also fulfill other duties as a member of the royal family, including attending public events with all members of the royal family and standing-in for my parents at certain events they are unable to attend.

Diplomatic Connections: What is your long-range vision for the future of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership?

Princess Astrid: The Roll Back Malaria Partnership is indispensable to successfully overcoming malaria. The distribution of insecticide-treated nets and effective medicine shows that the disease is preventable and treatable. The tools we have are working, and death rates have dropped dramatically as a result of our efforts. We must, at all cost, continue this action for as long as it takes in order to achieve the end goal: a world without malaria. n

For more information see: www.rollbackmalaria.org

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Diplomat Appreciation Reception

™

at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. A Dazzling Event for Royalty, Diplomats, International Organizations, U.S. Department of State, Pentagon and Capitol Hill

by Monica Frim

Adriaan F. Radder, General Manager, Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C.

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The room ignited the senses like ice and fire!

Hundreds of candles glittered like miniature fireworks frozen in spectacular array on transparent tables with matching benches that made the guests appear as if they were sitting suspended in air. You could picture yourself in one of those chic European ice hotels where all the furnishings are made of ice if the business suits and sheath dresses didn’t give away a warm indoor venue fit for diplomats and career delegates.

While Diplomatic Connections is known for hosting receptions for Washington’s international and diplomatic community throughout the year, October’s event was an unprecedented affair in a unique venue at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. Royalty from the Middle East, seasoned and newly arrived diplomats from a variety of embassies as well as representatives from international organizations and Capitol Hill connected over culinary treats from all three of the hotel’s diverse restaurants clinking glasses, sharing specializations and chatting informally on diverse matters and interests. Professionals from businesses catering to

Michael Katigbak Associate Director of Sales Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C.

Gemma Bro w Governmen n, Director of Diplom t atic and Mandarin Relations Oriental W ashington, DC 75

the international and diplomatic community displayed wares and services at tables with luminous backdrops that blended into the ethereal atmosphere.

If the minimal and chic décor lent a dreamy glow to the evening, the refreshments provided a tangible anchor. A fusion of Asian and American tastes and textures catered to the eye as well as the palette. Guests chose from foodstuffs grilled, braised, fried, boiled and baked: steamed dumplings, green curried chicken, jasmine rice, samosas, salads and stir-fried shrimp at one locale; shredded beef on Asian bread, stew, crab balls and ceviche at another. A third set-up proffered to meat-andpotatoes tastes with sliders and fries. And the artisanal cheeses and breads at yet another stand… heaven in a mouthful!

But the highlight of cuisine came in an assortment of artistically-crafted cakes, crèmes and custards. Giant acrylic stands stood as if chiseled out of sheets of crystalline ice and displayed dainty desserts that dotted the transparent shelves like colorful bas-reliefs in a gallery.

Hundreds of tiny brûlées and gâteaux were set among chocolates, mousses and tartlets topped with seasonal berries and pumpkin- or vanilla-flavored cream cheeses.

You could eat them with your eyes!

One wouldn’t normally expect diplomatic and business connections to fuse in a shadowy romantic setting like this, but Diplomatic Connections and the Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. displayed just the right touch of drama to keep the event businesslike and engaging.

Guests proclaimed their enjoyment in a counterpoint of expressions even as they hailed valet parking attendants or ambled toward the nearest metro station. Versions of “This was so beautiful” and “I really had a good time,” rang through the exits as guests ventured into the cool outdoors, parting cups of rich, creamy hot chocolate in hand. How fitting an end to a fabulous evening.

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Your event was organized in a perfect way. Thanks again for the invitation.

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Arben Hanelli Embassy of Albania

Sheikh Julanda Bin Salim Al Hashmi (second from left), Sultanate of Oman; Sheikha Jinan Bint Salim Al Hashmi (second from right), Sultanate of Oman; Commercial Attache Shireen Said, Embassy of Sultanate of Oman (far left) and Dawn Parker, Diplomatic Connections (far right)

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Diplomatic Connections organ ized a fabu lous reception a t the Manda rin Oriental Wa shington, D .C .

The room ju st buzzed w ith happy peop le, the setup of the spon sors was do n e in such a p ositive way and network ing was very alive!

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Ingrid Richa rdson-McKin non Formerly w ith Embass y of Austria

d rfully organize ents are wonde ev ns tio ec re nn eat inte st Diplomatic Co are always of gr em th g rin so on tering sses sp and the busine and hotels to ca parel to travel ap m fro , ity s un is n’t m to our comm e suggestion, do in between! On ng hi yt er ev d an of Italy ante, Embassy a ‘connection’.

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Patricia Viol

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Thank you very much for last Thursday’s rece at the Mandarin ption Oriental. It is a ve ry beautiful, m hotel and the odern food was exce llent. I really the hot chocol appreciated ate they served while we were outside waitin standing g for the car. Th at was awesom e!

Kerstin Ehser Embassy of th e Fe

deral Republic

of Germany

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I wanted to thank you for an absolutely fabulous event hosted by Diplomatic Connections recently held at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. The event was outstanding!

Victoria Flamant World Bank

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Dear Diplomatic Connections, I attended your event tonight held at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC with my wife; we met many people and really enjoyed!

Thank you for your invitation.

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Sunyup Choi Embassy of Korea

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“

November’s Diplomatic Connections event at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C., was absolutely fantastic - great venue, amazing hospitality and a very useful networking and interaction opportunity.

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Dr. John Frim Embassy of Canada

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I just want you to know that I had a superb time at the Diplomatic Connections reception! Thank you for placing me on the list for attendance. Your organization left a positive impression on me, and I will pass this along to others in my office. I would love to attend other Diplomatic Connections events as this one was so enjoyable. The Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. is beautiful!

Alvenia McQueen

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Dear Diplomatic Connections, What an outstanding event you hosted last night at the Mandarin Oriental. It was a wonderful get together. Everyone seemed to have a marvelous time, and really enjoyed themselves. Congratulations on organizing such a memorable evening!

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Lawrence Dunham Protocol Partners formerly with Protocol Office U.S. Department of State

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We wanted to thank you for giving us the opportunity to showcase our real estate company this past November 1st at the Diplomat Appreciation Reception. We were honored to be part of such a distinguished guest list. We look forward to having our company, Washington Luxury Properties, participate in other events in the future.

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Amal Lafhal Washington Luxury Properties, LLC

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Diplomatic Connections, thank you for the kind invitation, we had a lovely evening at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC! Great event!!

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Dora M. de Aguilar Embassy of El Salvador

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Chris Jackson-Pool/Getty Images

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, pose with the President of Singapore Tony Tan and his wife Mary Tan at The Istana on day 1 of their Diamond Jubilee tour on September 11, 2012, in Singapore.

The Royal couple were on a Diamond Jubilee Tour of the Far East taking in Singapore, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and the tiny Pacific Island of Tuvalu.

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By Meghan Lawson

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

I

n many ways, 2012 belongs to Britain. Danny Boyle’s opening ceremonies for the London Olympic Games endeared the world with its eccentricities. Just weeks beforehand, the Thames came alive with a river pageant in honor of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Britain mania even went beyond borders.

Southeast Asia and the Pacific were soon swept up in celebrating the Commonwealth when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge embarked on a nine-day tour of the region in September to mark the Queen’s 60-year reign. The trip took Wil-

liam and Kate from Singapore to Malaysia, and then onto the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, where Queen Elizabeth serves as the head of state.

William and Kate kicked off their tour on September 12 with a visit to Singapore’s botanical gardens, where they were shown an orchid named for William’s mother, the late Princess Diana. The young couple, who were married in April 2011, were also presented with a new plant named in their honor: the Vanda William Catherine. In the citystate, the tradition of orchid naming is a way to welcome important guests.

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Danny Lawson - Pool/Getty Images

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, visits Singapore Botanical Gardens on September 11, 2012, in Singapore.

“It is especially significant that we are able to name an orchid after Their Royal Highnesses, having named orchids after Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as well as the late Princess of Wales,” said Poon Hong Yuen, the CEO of the National Parks Board in Singapore.

Afterwards, the pair headed to a Commonwealth war graves cemetery, and laid a wreath on behalf of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the Kranji Memorial.

Along with Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the couple also served as trade ambassadors during several stops on their tour, a role generally performed by Prince Andrew, 88

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Duke of York, before he stepped down from his post as Special Representative for UK Trade and Investment last year.

William had the opportunity to flaunt his aviation knowledge during a visit to the Rolls Royce Seletar campus in Singapore, where both he and the Duchess of Cambridge tested Trent 1000 jet engines. Before leaving the plant, Kate fitted the last of 24 fan blades on a Trent 900 engine, striking a Rosy the Riveter pose as she completed the task.

“Here is cutting-edge aerospace technology developed by one of the United Kingdom’s great global companies,” William said in a speech at the plant. In England, he serves as a

Roslan Rahman/AFP/GettyImages

Above: Prince William signs a plaque while Kate looks on during the launch of the first aero engine and fan blades produced in Singapore at the Rolls Royce plant in Singapore on September 12, 2012.

Above: Britain’s Prince William (L) and his wife Catherine (R), the Duchess of Cambridge, attend a launch event. Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine arrived in Singapore on September 11 to kick off a nine-day Southeast Asian and Pacific tour marking Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.

Right: Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, reacts as she officiates the launch of the first aero engine and fan blades produced in Singapore at the Rolls Royce plant.

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William is given a gift as he attends a cultural event in Queenstown on day 2 of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s, Diamond Jubilee Tour of the Far East on September 12, 2012, in Singapore.

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Kate is given flowers by a young girl as she attends a cultural event in Queenstown on September 12, 2012, in Singapore.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

search and rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force.

The tour’s next stop was to Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, where the royal couple made their first official visit to a mosque. As Syakirin Mosque is the largest in the Commonwealth country, with the capacity to hold 12,000 for Friday prayers.

Another first for the Duchess took place at Hospis Malaysia — one of the country’s few medical institutions providing care for the terminally ill — where she gave her first speech on foreign soil to staff and patients in the children’s palliative care unit. She described her work with the hospice movement, including East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices in the UK, as “life-changing.”

While attending a state dinner that evening hosted by Malaysian Head of State Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah of Kedah, a relieved Kate said of her speech: “I was so nervous and I am very glad that it is over with.”

In Borneo, the Duke and Duchess caught a bird’s eye view of the rainforest by being hoisted into the treetops. Later, in the Solomon Islands, they were greeted by 70,000 well-wishers, including a group of warriors in traditional dress.

The final leg of the tour took the royal couple to Tuvalu, the fourth smallest and one of the most remote countries in the world. William and Kate became the first royals to visit the island nation, which sits between Australia and Hawaii, in 30 years. While enjoying a more informal state dinner, the Duke and Duchess took part in traditional dancing, with Kate joking that her husband had been practicing his dance moves beforehand at Kensington Palace.

Despite being hailed as a success by observers, much of the tour was overshadowed by the hangover of events from the couple’s earlier visit to the south of France. While vacationing at a remote château owned by Viscount Linley, the Queen’s nephew, photos were snapped with a long-range lens of Kate sunbathing topless. A flurry of media activity followed as one French publication, Closer magazine, became the first of several to publish the photos.

No strangers to the public eye, the incident was especially poignant for William and Kate in light of the complicated relationship Princess Diana shared with the press. The incident took place shortly after the fifteenth anniversary of Diana’s death in a car crash while being chased by paparazzi in 1997.

Both media darlings and style icons, Kate and Diana illustrate the dual role of sovereign and celebrity that defines the modern British monarchy. Like her husband’s mother, Kate walks a fine line between privacy and public figurehead. Now, however, the reality

Chris Jackson/Getty Images; Inset photo: Diego Zapata/AFP/Getty Images

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, visit Assyakirin Mosque on September 14, 2012, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Mark Large-Pool/Getty Images

(L-R) Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah of Kedah the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and his wife Sultanah Tuanku Haminah binti Hamidun the Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Rosmah Mansor pose for a photograph during an official dinner hosted by Malaysia’s Head of State Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah of Kedah on Day 3 of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s Diamond Jubilee Tour of South East Asia at the Istana Negara on September 13, 2012, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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inset photos: Chris Jackson/Getty Images; Rick Rycroft/AFP/GettyImages

Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, smile as they watch a shark ceremony performed by women in the water as they arrive at Marapa Island on September 17, 2012.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, travel in a special boat vehicle as they arrive at Honiara International Airport on September 16, 2012, in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island.

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inset photo: Chris Jackson-Pool/Getty Images

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, are followed by locals dressed as “sharks� as they travel in a traditional canoe during a visit to Tuvanipupu Island on their Diamond Jubilee tour of the Far East on September 17, 2012, in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island.

Crowds of locals line the streets as Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, travel in a special boat vehicle to Honiara Cathedral during their Diamond Jubilee tour of the Far East on September 16, 2012, in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island.

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William and Kate walk across a canopy walkway at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley some 70 kilometers (44 miles) west of Lahad Datu, on the island of Borneo on September 15, 2012.

The Royal couple walk through the rainforest in Danum Valley Research Center in Danum Valley, some 70 kilometers west of Lahad Datu, on the island of Borneo on September 15, 2012.

of instant news makes such incidents as the one in France even more intrusive for Britain’s royals.

But more positive parallels can be drawn from the experiences of the two royal women abroad. Kate’s speech at Hospis Malaysia was reminiscent of the late Princess of Wales’ own commitment to public service, especially through charitable work benefitting children.

Kate appears to be following in Diana’s footsteps in attempting to harness her public clout towards philanthropic ends.

Since the Duke and Duchess returned from their tour of the region, travel agents have reported soaring increases in bookings to Southeast Asia.

The fascination with Britain’s royal family knows no bounds. It can only be hoped that such fascination shines a light on their important charitable works around the world. n D I P L O M A T I C C O N N E C T I O N S B U S I N E S S edition | N o v embe r - D ecembe r 2 0 1 2

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Experience The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City. To reserve your next group meeting or special event, contact our Director of Diplomatic Sales at 703-412-2794 or visit ritzcarlton.com/pentagoncity.

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