Local Newsletter of the Embassy of Belgium in Islamabad Issue 10 – April 2016 Message from the Ambassador On March 22, Belgium was struck by a series of violent attacks targeting innocent civilians, marking the darkest day in our contemporary history. Much has been said and written about the events, and about how terrorism has become a worldwide plague. About the bravery shown by the emergency services personnel, as well as by some people who simply happened to be present during the attacks. About how to react in unity and face this threat firmly, without compromising our values of freedom, openness and tolerance. Surely, this is a grave test for Belgium, and indeed the European Union. Overcoming it will require hard work, ingenuity and patience. It is, however, my firm belief that our society and its values will prevail over violence fuelled by bigotry and ignorance. In the past days, the embassy has received countless messages of support and solidarity. Pakistani people know the suffering brought about by terrorism all too well, as we were again reminded following the recent suicide attack in a Lahore park. As you read these lines, I humbly request that you spare a thought for the persons who lost their lives following the attacks. Innocent lives, lives of commuters, travelers or simply passers-by, from all origins, walks of life and religions. They deserve that much. Frédéric Verheyden Ambassador of Belgium Sacred Heart Cathedral celebrated in Lahore… On November 28th, Ambassador Verheyden awarded the Prize for Belgian Heritage Abroad to the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lahore, built more than hundred years ago by the Belgian missionaries in Pakistan. The Prize is a new initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium and the King Baudouin Foundation. It aims to highlight the rich cultural heritage of Belgium in other countries whilst at the same encourage local authorities to actively preserve this heritage.
Transcript
Local Newsletter of the Embassy of Belgium in Islamabad Issue 10 – April 2016
Message from the Ambassador On March 22, Belgium was struck by a series of violent attacks targeting innocent civilians, marking the darkest day in our contemporary history. Much has been said and written about the events, and about how terrorism has become a worldwide plague. About the bravery shown by the emergency services personnel, as well as by some people who simply happened to be present during the attacks. About how to react in unity and face this threat firmly, without compromising our values of freedom, openness and tolerance. Surely, this is a grave test for Belgium, and indeed the European Union. Overcoming it will require hard work, ingenuity and patience. It is, however, my firm belief that our society and its values will prevail over violence fuelled by bigotry and ignorance. In the past days, the embassy has received countless messages of support and solidarity. Pakistani people know the suffering brought about by terrorism all too well, as we were again reminded following the recent suicide attack in a Lahore park. As you read these lines, I humbly request that you spare a thought for the persons who lost their lives following the attacks. Innocent lives, lives of commuters, travelers or simply passers-by, from all origins, walks of life and religions. They deserve that much. Frédéric Verheyden Ambassador of Belgium Sacred Heart Cathedral celebrated in Lahore… On November 28th, Ambassador Verheyden awarded the Prize for Belgian Heritage Abroad to the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lahore, built more than hundred years ago by the Belgian missionaries in Pakistan. The Prize is a new initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium and the King Baudouin Foundation. It aims to highlight the rich cultural heritage of Belgium in other countries whilst at the same encourage local authorities to actively preserve this heritage.
Together with the Sacred Heart Cathedral, the other laureates were the historical complex of Österbybruk (Sweden) and the stained-glass window in the Saint Catherine of Alexandria Church in Bethlehem (Palestinian territories). The award ceremony was preceded by a special Holy Mass in which Archbishop Shaw praised the legacy of the Belgian Capuchin fathers. He also pleaded for the need for interfaith harmony, tolerance and peace in Pakistan. A special remembrance plaque was inaugurated jointly by the Ambassador and the Archbishop. The ceremony itself took place in the adjacent St Anthony's school and featured outstanding dance, music and theatre performances by the schoolchildren. In his speech, the Ambassador quoted Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah: "Minorities to whichever community they may belong will be safeguarded. Their religion or faith or belief will be secure. There will be no interference of any kind with their freedom of worship. They will have their protection with regard to their religion, faith, their life, their culture. They will be, in all respects, the citizens of Pakistan without any distinction of caste or creed."
Pictured (from left to right): two clergymen, Khalil Tahir Sindhu (Punjab Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs), Zachary Harkenrider (US Consul General), Sebastian Shaw (Archbishop of Lahore), Ambassador Verheyden and spouse.
Pictured: Ambassador Verheyden and Archbishop Shaw show a banner thanking the Belgian Capuchin missionaries for their contributions to the development of Pakistan.
… and in Brussels There was also an official award ceremony in Brussels. On February 25th, Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders presented, in the presence of Prince Lorenz, the laureates during a ceremony at the Egmont Palace. Dr. Thomas Coomans de Brachène, Professor at the faculty of engineering sciences of the KU Leuven, gave a presentation in which he introduced the history and meaning of the Sacred Heart Cathedral to the audience.
Pictured: Prince Lorenz and Minister Reynders at the presentation ceremony (top left), the historical complex of Österbybruk in Sweden (top right), the stained-glass window in the Saint Catherine of Alexandria Church in Bethlehem (down left), the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lahore (down right)
The National Assembly visits Belgium From 18 to 22 January, a delegation of the Pakistan-Belgium Parliamentary Friendship Group paid an official visit to Belgium. The delegation consisted of five members of the National Assembly and was headed by Ms. Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Convenor of the Friendship Group. The visit took place under the umbrella of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a forum for dialogue between parliaments and parliamentarians. The intensive schedule took the MNA’s to the Federal parliament, the Flemish parliament, the Walloon parliament, the city councils of Antwerp and Ghent, the University of Ghent, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre, the Ghent Port Company and several companies.
Pictured: Professor Coomans introduces the Sacred Heart Cathedral to the audience.
Pictured: the delegation with Mr. Siegfried Bracke, President of the Chamber of Representatives, and with Ms. Petra De Sutter, Senator and IPU delegation leader for Pakistan.
Pictured: Jan Peumans, President of the Flemish Parliament, meets with the delegation
Pictured: André Antoine, President of the Walloon Parliament, gives the delegation a tour of the parliament
Journée de la Francophonie As in the previous years, the Embassy took part in the celebrations of the “Journée de la Francophonie” in Islamabad. The Embassy was fortunate to receive support from Wallonie Bruxelles International, which provided some great gifts such as sports bags and cartoon books. In the picture below, Ambassador Verheyden awards prizes to the young laureates of the French spelling, singing and drawing competitions.
Pictured: Meeting with Professor Anne De Paepe, Rector of the Ghent University
Pictured: Ms. Fatemi signs the official guest book of the city of Antwerp
Meetings with the chambers of commerce In March, Ambassador Verheyden paid visits to the chambers of commerce of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, where he had exchanges with the Board and other members. The meetings highlighted the local business community’s keen interest in the Belgian economy, in terms of export but also investment. Possible opportunities were discussed in a wide range of sectors, including information technology, poultry, textile and energy. The Embassy agreed to intensify its exchanges with the chambers through enhanced interaction between the members
and the Embassy’s trade promotion office.
Meeting with the Youth Parliament The Counsellor of the Embassy welcomed a delegation of the Youth Parliament of Pakistan at the Embassy. They discussed a wide range of topics such as the role of youth in society, the current political situation, human rights, GSP+ and the death penalty. Together they also explored the possibility of collaborating with the Belgian youth parliament.
Visit of the Senate Standing Committee on Defense and Security On February 22, the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the Senate of Pakistan visited Brussels. The Committee, headed by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, had a meeting with the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and took part in a briefing seminar “Pakistan and the Evolving Regional Scenario” organized by the European Institute for Asia Studies (EIAS). The seminar discussed the current state of regional stability, in particular the role that Pakistan should play to enhance regional stability. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed delivered the keynote address while other speakers included H.E. Ms. Naghmana Hashmi, Ambassador of Pakistan to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg, Mr Peter Claes, Coordination South Asia & Afghanistan at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former Belgian Ambassador to Pakistan as well as Mr. Tomas Niklasson, Deputy Head of Division (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives) of the European External Action Service.
DAWN education expo Also this year, the University of Hasselt participated in the Dawn Education Expo, Pakistan’s largest and most renowned education fair. The University had a stand at the events in Islamabad and Lahore where a representative promoted the Master Programme in
Transportation Sciences, one of the three Masters that are taught in English. The stand was a big success with hundreds of interested students asking questions about the content of the programme, the admission procedure and the job prospects. This year too, the Embassy supported the participation of Hasselt University. A representative of the consular section helped to man the stand of the university in Islamabad and gave the students more information about the opportunities and practicalities of studying and living in Belgium. The Embassy strongly believes in academic diplomacy: the idea that the institutionalised cooperation between Belgian and Pakistani universities improves the mutual understanding between the countries and contributes to a higher level of education. In this context, Ambassador Verheyden recently visited the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and discussed possible ways of cooperation with Prof. Dr. S. Sohail H. Naqvi, Vice Chancellor. Paper Miracles Fundraising Show “Colors of Pakistan” Together with Ambassadors and diplomats from Argentina, Germany, Canada, Bosnia, Hungary, Japan, Denmark, Poland and the Netherlands, as well as several other dignitaries, the counsellor of the Belgian Embassy participated in Lahore in a fundraising fashion show for NGO Paper Miracles. All "models" were wearing traditional and modern Pakistani fashion and showed beautiful jewelry made by Kashmiri women who were partially paralyzed by the terrible earthquake of 2005. "The Land of the Enlightened" wins award at the Sundance Film Festival
The documentary "The Land of the Enlightened", made by Belgian filmmaker Pieter-Jan De Pue, has won the World Cinema special jury award for best cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival. The Land of the Enlightened is a "creative documentary" shot over the course of seven years in Afghanistan. It follows a group of Afghan kids in a gang who dig up old Soviet mines and sell them. The documentary has received raving reviews in the international media. The trailer can be watched following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFniJRSgIkY&nohtml5=False Belgium remains attractive for investors In response to some factual incorrect, strongly biased and outdated media reports about Belgium, 13 foreign Chambers of Commerce in Belgium published an open letter in which defend they that Belgium remains an attractive place for investors. As representatives of the international business community in Belgium, which directly employs some 700,000 people in the country, these 13 Chambers of Commerce, representing more than 1,000 companies, declared that "Belgium continues to be a safe place for developing commercial activities and is an ideal place to live". They also recall that "statistically, Belgium is one of the safest countries in the world" and list the "unique assets of Belgium as a destination for investment", namely a workforce which is "talented, highly qualified, multilingual and diverse"; an ideal geographic location with "a solid transport and logistics infrastructure providing access to key markets"; a position at the cutting-edge of technology and innovation; a quality of life illustrated by a "health and education system, gastronomy and culture that is famous around the world"; and, finally, a stable open economy with an international vocation. All these factors "constitute an ideal environment for very effective business", explain the Chambers of Commerce, who also insist on "the modesty" which characterises the country, illustrated by the fact that Belgium "very rarely boasts about its own success." “The reality is that, day after day, we enjoy a comfortable, safe and professionally stimulating life in Belgium" conclude these foreign investors who, on behalf of the international business community, continue to "say yes to Belgium".
