Consular Corps Antwerp

30/10/2024

23/10/2024 Yearly Lunch with Prof. PhD. Marc Cools @ de Jachthoorn

30/10/2024

3/10/2024 'Citaat op straat' op Linkeroever

03/09/2023

75th Commemoration of the Liberation of Antwerp on behalf of Politie Antwerpen.



Consular Corps Antwerp

Antwerp Branch Royal British Legion

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

26/04/2023

On Thursday April 20th, the Consular Corps Antwerp visited the Antwerp Bunkermuseum.

During World War II, the headquarters of the German 89th Army Corps, responsible for the Atlantic Wall in Belgium and Zeeland, was located in and around Antwerp's Park Den Brandt. Now this listed bunker village serves as a museum where, in addition to the Atlantic Wall, attention is also paid to the V-weapons on Antwerp.

The CCA was guided by mr. Olivier Villain who passionately guided us through the museum and some of its backstories. The CCA would like to thank mr. Villain for passing his knowledge and enthusiasm during the tour. We can highly recommend contacting mr. Villain if you would like to pay the Bunkermuseum a visit!

Afterwards 23 members of the CCA enjoined a wonderful diner at De Nachtegaal

For your information, the Bunkermuseum opens every first weekend of the month:
https://bunkermuseumantwerpen.be/openingsdagen/
If you would like to know more about the V-Weapons which terrorised Europe (and more in particular Antwerp), a mini exhibition is organised on May 6 -7th and 13 – 14th (www.antwerpx.be)

21/03/2023

On March 16th 2023 the Consular Corps Antwerp received a letter from the Royal Palace in which the Consular Corps Antwerp was informed that His Majesty the King has fulfilled our wish to bear the title of “Royal”.

The title “Royal” can be awarded by the King to Belgian associations that have existed continuously for 50 years. Other criteria are also taken into account, such as good management, the unprofitable goal pursued by the association, the dynamics of the association, etc.

The Secretary-General Stefan Claes investigated the possibility of being honored with the title “Royal” and came to the conclusion that the qualified for such title.

An extensive file was officially submitted to the Palace on August 20, 2021. One of the documents included is a reference to a founding date or other evidence of past activity or existence.

We already knew that the oldest consulates in Antwerp date back to the early 19th century, even before the independence of Belgium: the United States in 1803, Great Britain in 1805, Denmark in 1808 and Switzerland in 1818. After Belgium's independence in 1830: France (1840), the Ottoman Empire (1848) and the Netherlands (1854) also established a consular post in Antwerp.

The big question was when these consulates started to unite. Honorary Consul of Spain and member of the committee Barbara Moreels, made a visit to the Felix Archives and found evidence of a visit by the to the port authorities on May 22, 1924 and of a gala dinner on July 27, 1928 organized by the City of Antwerp in honor of the farewell of George S. Messersmith, Consul-General of the USA and Dean of the CCA.

The research not only provided evidence that the Consular Corps of Antwerp was founded more than 100 years ago, but also showed the importance of the privileged relations and warm friendships that we have been able to maintain to this day with the City and the Province of Antwerp.

The official presentation of the Royal certificate will be done by the Governor Cathy Berx, in the name of the King.

The Consular Corps of Antwerp is therefore very proud to change its moto to:

Consular Corps of Antwerp, a Royal association run by consuls for consuls.

15/10/2022

Remembrance of first V Bomb on Antwerp Civilians should never be targeted

18/01/2022

Ecuador

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Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, gets his name from – you guessed it right – the Equator, which runs straight through it. It’s a beautiful country in northwestern South America and bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Ecuador also includes the world-famous Galapagos Islands, about 1.000 kilometers west of the mainland.

The capital is Quito, and other important cities are Guayaquil and Cuenca, all boasting populations of more than 1 million habitants. Ecuador has a land surface of about 256.000 square kilometers, which is about a similar size as the United Kingdom, Italy or New Zealand. Or about 8,5 times the size of Belgium. Ecuador has a population of about 18 million.

Ecuador is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world, hosting many endemic plants and animals such as those of the Galapagos Islands. In recognition of its unique ecological heritage, the new constitution of 2008 is the first in the world to recognize legally the right of nature and the ecosystem. How about that!

Ecuador has a developing economy that is highly dependent on commodities, namely petroleum and agricultural products. The country is classified as an upper-middle-income country. Ecuador's economy is the eighth largest in Latin America. Oil accounts for 40% of exports and contributes to maintaining a positive trade balance. In the agricultural sector, Ecuador is a major exporter of bananas (first place worldwide in production and export) and flowers.

The beautiful country of Ecuador is represented in Flanders by our relatively new but nevertheless highly esteemed colleague Yann Callaert. He was appointed in June 2020 and since then being a regular guest to the Consular Corps of Antwerp’s activities. He learnt the ropes from his grandfather, who until last year was the Honorary Consul-General of Peru.

In his daily life Honorary Consul Yann Callaert is the CEO of Daniel Ost Group, one of the world’s leading flower houses. In that capacity he has had the privilege of working with beautiful flowers on a daily basis, and of course some of them come from… Ecuador!

Some fun facts about Ecuador:

- Ecuador’s sunrise and sunset remain virtually the same throughout the whole year. The sun rises at 6 am, the sun sets at 6 pm.
- Ecuador is more biodiverse per square kilometer than any other nation.
- Charles Darwin came up with his Theory of Evolution in the Galapagos.
- Quito is the second-highest capital city in the world.
- The official currency of Ecuador is the US Dollar
If you would like to know more about Ecuador, do not hesitate to contact mr. Yann Callaert:

Yann Callaert
Honorary Consul of Ecuador
t: +32 (0) 3 376 68 33
m: +32 (0) 472 299 799
e: [email protected]
De Pretstraat 22
2060 Antwerp

16/12/2021

The Maldives: Ready to be Discovered

The association between Flanders/Belgium and the , a group of 1,190 coral islands located in the Indian Ocean below India known as a luxury destination and for its fantastic diving locations and sustainable fishing methods, is, at first sight, not particularly evident or apparent. Yet, the Maldives and Belgium have a long history of diplomatic relations since 3 October 1977, and the Maldives has an Embassy in Brussels since 2010.

The Maldives, which since 2008 is a multi-party presidential democracy, has an economy based on three sectors: , and . The country is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, as the land area is so small. Slightly less than half of the country’s entire population lives in the capital, . The vast majority of the population adheres to Islam, even if the religion here is less strict than in other Islamic countries. Music and dance form important elements in the life of the inhabitants.

Since 2021 mr. Gerard Huiting is the Honorary Consul of Maldives in Flanders, but he has been committed to the Maldives for quite some time. For many years he was involved in meetings and discussions about tourism, culture, climate change and the fishing tax, among other things, at the EU institutions in Brussels.

When asked to highlight one topic in particular of critical importance, the answer is clear: fishing. The fishing industry in the Maldives is the nation’s second-biggest industry after tourism, it employs roughly half of the country’s workforce and provides a livelihood for much of the population in the islands’ communities. The pole and line method used to catch tuna by Maldivian fishermen is both environmentally and socially , enabling the island communities to live well within the limits of nature. With a fishing rod, fishermen bring in the fish one by one, and the smaller ones are thrown back into the sea. Because trawls are not used, the seabed and precious corals (already under threat from warming sea temperatures) remain intact during this form of fishing.

Given this situation, mr. Huiting states that the 24% tariff presently levied by the European Union for Maldivian fish imports is not truly fair and has proven to be a major challenge and a huge factor in making the Maldives less competitive in the EU market.

As honorary consul for the Maledives, mr. Huiting also believes people should look at the Maldives as a tourism destination for everyone, not just for the rich few. When speaking to people in Flanders about the Maldives, the conversation usually refers to expensive island resorts. As a result, people argue the Maldives are out of bound with hotelcost over EUR 1,000 per night in such resorts. However, they are less aware that on the local islands there are guest houses and affordable hotels starting at EUR 30-50 per night. As such: the Maledives are truly for everyone and mr. Huiting is passionate to promote visiting the country in order to allow the local population to benefit as well from tourism revenues.

Another good reason to visit the Maldives is its rich cuisine, characterised by a myriad of rich tastes and flavours with strong influences from neighbouring countries and based on fresh locally sourced ingredients like fish, coconuts, and breadfruit. Over time, Maldivian cuisine developed a distinctive blend of unique flavours. One of the most popular dishes, Mas Huni, is a breakfast staple among most locals. This is made with fresh tuna, grated coconut, onion, Chili and lime and served
alongside roshi, a type of rounded flatbread.

As the Antwerp Consular Corps we are truly grateful to count Honorary Consul of the Maldives in Flanders mr. Gerard Huiting among our members.

If you would like to know more about the Maledives, do not hesitate to contact him:

www.maldivesconsulate.be
[email protected]
Biesakker 39
2490 B***n
Belgium
+32(0)14820718
+32(0)475724841

21/11/2021

30/09/2021 Social Media

21/11/2021

27/10/2021 Consular Lunch

21/11/2021

18/11/2021 Autumn Reception

27/10/2021

12/10/2021

We would like to welcome mr. Georgy Kuznetsov who is the new appointed Consul-General of the Russian Federation in Antwerp.

As Antwerp Consular Corps we hope to welcome mr. Kuznetsov at our regular events and wish him all the best in our city.

23/09/2021

As a new initiative to introduce you to our members, we would regularly present you one of our members and the country our member represents.

Today:
Guy Van Doosselaere (Honorary Consul-General of Monaco)

Everyone knows the Principality of Monaco, the microstate bordered by the Mediterranean Sea (2.08 km2). The smallest country in the world after Vatican City. With just under 40,000 inhabitants, it is also the most populous independent state in the world. More foreigners than Monegasques live in . Only 17% of the population is of Monegasque origin. Furthermore, there are 28% French, 17% Italians, 6% British and a couple of thousand Belgians.

Foreigners (excluding French citizens) are not required to pay income tax there.

: the Prince, the Princesses, the Grand Prix, the Casino, the sun, the sea… everything that attracts people! But is much more than glitter & glamour and a tax haven. In addition to tourism, the banking sector is an important part of the Monegasque economy. Monaco is trying to attract more and more foreign entrepreneurs and is also increasingly involved in foreign projects.

Monaco has been represented by our colleague Guy Van Doosselaere who acts as Honorary Consul-General of Monaco since years. Until June 2021, Guy Van Doosselaere was also the Secretary General of the Consular Corps Antwerp.

If you would like to know more about and the possibilities the Principality of Monaco offers, now is the time.

On September 28, 29 and 30, 2021, a Monegasque delegation will come to .

It is an economic mission of the local Chamber of Commerce (Monaco Economic Board or MEB). The delegation will consist of about twenty entrepreneurs from Monaco, working in various sectors, who will come to do networking here in Antwerp and attend B2B meetings.

The climax of the mission will take place on Wednesday, September 29, 2021. At that time, His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco will join the delegation on the occasion of a visit to Euroports at the Deurgangdok on the Left Bank.

is one of the largest and most diversified port terminals in Europe. The largest shareholder of is the Monegasque company MONACO RESOURCES GROUP .

On the occasion of the Prince's visit, a cooperation agreement will be signed between CBL-ACP (Chambre de Commerce, d'Industrie et d'Agriculture Belgique, Luxembourg-Afrique, Caraïbes, Pacifique) and MEB (Monaco Economic Board (MEB)) with a view to the expanding and strengthening their international networks.

CEMA (Club des entrepreneurs monégasques en Afrique), a member of both Houses, is one of the important partners in this event.

If given the opportunity to do so, the Prince will undoubtedly emphasize how closely He fits in with the tradition of the Monegasque Sovereigns to draw attention to environmental issues through their position.

11/09/2021

Opening of the Honorary Consulate of the Maldives in Flanders, in presence of HE Ahmed Khaleel, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Maldives.

Congratulations to our new colleague Gerard Huiting, Honorary Consul of Maldives.

05/09/2021

Liberation of Antwerp Day 2: Cromwell Tank Ceremony.