Brazil’s Independence Day celebrated

AMBASSADOR Claudio Lins and his wife Zu de Morais on Brazil’s National Day, with the dean of the diplomatic corps, Argentine ambassador Rodolfo Martin Saravia.

Brazil’s new ambassador to Pakistan, Claudio Lins, hosted a reception at his residence to mark his country’s Independence Day, Dia da Pàtria, on September 7. It was attended by ambassadors of Latin American countries, including the dean of the diplomatic corps from Argentina, as well as the ambassador of Portugal, Brazil’s former colonial power. The ambassadors of Afghanistan and Tajikistan to which the Brazilian ambassador is also accredited were also among the guests. The director for the Americas, Mariam Aftab, represented the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In his speech, Ambassador Lins said there was a scope for expansion of the business and other relations between Pakistan and Brazil, adding his country was facing economic challenges.

Pakistanis remember the World Football Cup in Brazil last year, and in a year’s time, Brazil will host the Olympic Games, giving the country another chance to get on the world map, and to show its friendliness and hospitality. The ambassador said Brazil and Pakistan had much in common in those fields.

North Korea’s founding day

AMBASSADOR Kim Thaesop with the Chinese and Russian envoys (right), Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastagir Khan and other dignitaries on North Korea’s National Day in Islamabad.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was founded on September 9, 1948. The event was marked in Islamabad by a reception hosted by the country’s new ambassador, Kim Thaesop. The reception was not quite as large as many other national day receptions but still a festive and pleasant one.

North Korea and Pakistan established full diplomatic relations in the 1970s following the then President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s visit to that country. It has an embassy in Islamabad and consulates in other cities while Pakistan has an embassy in Pyongyang.

Federal Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastagir Khan represented the government at the reception.

New ambassadors welcomed

SENATE Chairman Raza Rabbani and Ambassador Rodolfo Martin Saravia, dean of the diplomatic corps, were among the dignitaries at a dinner hosted by Senator M. Enver Baig.

Former Senator M. Enver Baig of the PML-N hosted an informal dinner for dignitaries. The event was attended by Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, the dean of the diplomatic corps, Rodolfo Martin Saravia, and a number of ambassadors, some of them having taken up their posts recently.

The chairman of Solar Now, Irshadullah Khan and his wife Hooshi, also held a dinner to welcome new ambassadors and bid farewell to the Italian ambassador, Adriano Chiodi.

More women have been appointed as the head of missions in Pakistan. The German and Dutch embassies have new women ambassadors, Ina Lepal and Jeanette Seppen, respectively.

The Norwegian and Sri Lankan missions have had women acting heads for a while and some other embassies are also headed by women but the number of women heads is still less than 10 in all.

“Let us also remember that some UN agencies have women heads,” said a guest, gesturing towards Vibeke Jensen, Unesco’s representative to Pakistan who also attended the dinner.

— Text and pho­to by Atle Hetland & Shahbaz Chaudary

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2015

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