Diplomatic Connections Nov/Dec 2016

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AMBASSADOR KAIRAT UMAROV, EMBASSY OF KAZAKHSTAN BONO WITH SENATOR BARBARA MIKULSKI SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM AND SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY

SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY HOSTS C5+1 FOREIGN MINISTERS

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Medical Experts

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Jin He, M.D., Ph.D. Jin He, M.D., Ph.D., is a Johns Hopkins surgical oncologist who specializes in treating diseases of the liver and pancreas, including cancer of the liver, gallbladder, bile duct, pancreas, stomach and duodenum.

Dr. He performs open and minimally invasive surgery, including total laparoscopic or robotic options for complex surgeries such as the Whipple procedure, which is used to treat pancreatic cancer. He has dedicated his research to the personalized treatment of pancreatic cancers based on their genetic features.

A native of China, Dr. He earned his medical degree from Beijing Medial University in 1996. He has spent the last eight years at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, beginning as a resident in general surgery in 2008. He is an active member of the American College of Surgeons, Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology and other professional associations. Dr. He treats patients at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He speaks English and Mandarin.

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MEDICAL • MEDICAL • MEDICAL • MEDICAL

Medical Experts

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Eric Jackson, M.D. A member of Johns Hopkins Pediatric Neurosurgery, Eric Jackson, M.D. sees patients in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Jackson focuses on a broad range of conditions including congenital malformations of the brain and spine, hydrocephalus (including endoscopic treatment), spinal dysraphism, brain and spine tumors, craniosynostosis and traumatic brain injuries. Among his research interests are the genetics and treatment of pediatric brain tumors.

Dr. Jackson earned his medical degree at University of Michigan Medical School and completed his neurosurgery residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

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Medical Experts

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Shaun Desai, M.D., Nicole Schmitt, M.D. and Wojtek Mydlarz, M.D.

The Johns Hopkins Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery welcomes Shaun Desai, M.D., Nicole Schmitt, M.D., and Wojtek Mydlarz, M.D. to the Bethesda office.

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Dr. Desai specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, including facial trauma management, microvascular or “free-flap” reconstruction of major head and neck defects after cancer or trauma, and skin cancer reconstruction after Moh’s surgery.

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Meet Dr. Francine Blei Francine Blei, MD., MBA is Board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology Oncology. Her clinical practice is dedicated to vascular anomalies, spanning the gamut in patient age (prenatal to adult) and severity (hemangiomas, vascular malformations,lymphedema, and many syndromes associated with vascular anomalies).

Francine Blei, MD., MBA Medical Director of the AVM Center of New York Vascular Anomalies

Her areas of expertise include Hemangiomas – infantile, RICH, NICH, syndromic hemangiomas and vascular malformations, genetic aspects of vascular anomalies, medical treatment of vascular anomalies, lymphatic malformations, prenatally diagnosed vascular lesions, primary lymphedema, and hereditary and non-hereditary vascular and lymphatic syndromes.

Dr. Blei has co-authored many original articles, reviews, textbook chapters, and multicenter studies, and is the Associate Editor of the journal, and Section Editor for Vascular Anomalies of Lymphatic Research and Biology and co-author of “100 Questions and Answers About Vascular Anomalies,” a practical guide for patients, families and physicians.

For more information or to schedule an appointment: signature@northwell.edu or (212) 434-6000 or visit www.northwell.edu/signatureservices 6 W W W. D I P L O M AT I C C O N N E C T I O N S . C O M

Meet Dr. Milton Waner Milton Waner, MD specializes in Pediatric Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. He is considered a world authority in the treatment of hemangiomas and vascular malformations and patients from all over the world are referred to him for treatment. Dr. Waner pioneered many of the surgical and laser procedures used to treat these patients. He is also actively involved in both clinical and basic research in this field and has remained at the forefront.

Dr. Waner has authored more than 130 journal articles and has written 40 textbook chapters. He has also edited 2 textbooks in this field. His work has been cited more than 3,000 times in the world literature. Dr. Waner also holds 12 US and international patents on medical devices and one of his most recent inventions is a pair of infrared glasses that can visualize veins through intact skin. This instrument will soon be used in operating rooms and emergency rooms throughout the country. Dr. Waner’s work has been featured many times on both national and international television as well as in printed media around the world.

Milton Waner, MD, BCh (Wits.) FCS (SA) Surgical Director of the AVM Center of New York Pediatric Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Dr. Waner has served as the surgical representative on the board of directors of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery and was nominated to run for president of that society. He is also a member of several societies including the the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.

Dr. Waner is the recipient of numerous awards for his work with children suffering from hemangiomas and vascular malformations.

Amongst these are an Honor Award presented by the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and an Achievement award from the Children’s Miracle Network. He has also been made an honorary member of the British Academy of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. Dr. Waner has been recognized as a Top Doctor and Best Doctor by numerous publications.

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Meet Dr. Robert Rosen Robert Rosen, MD is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of interventional radiology and endovascular surgery, having pioneered several techniques and medical devices now in common use. To date, Dr. Rosen has performed 70,000 interventional and endovascular procedures and trained 45 fellows, several of whom have become leaders in the field in their own right.

Robert Rosen, MD Director of the AVM Center of New York Interventional Radiology & Endovascular Surgery

Dr. Rosen is best known for his original work in the management of children and adults with congenital vascular malformations, and patients from around the world with these disorders are referred to him. He has also developed techniques and instrumentation for the treatment of patients with aortic aneurysms, atherosclerosis, hepatic tumors and uterine fibroids.

He holds several patents for medical devices and has published over 100 original scientific papers and three textbooks, as well as book chapters in several standard medical texts. He also lectures extensively and has been a visiting professor in institutions throughout the United States and abroad. He was the youngest individual ever elected to fellowship in the Society for Interventional Radiology and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the Radiological Society of North America and the Cardiovascular Council of the American Heart Association.

For more information or to schedule an appointment: signature@northwell.edu or (212) 434-6000 or visit www.northwell.edu/signatureservices 8

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Lenox Hill Hospital Executive & International Health New York, NY

Signature Services at Lenox Hill Hospital provides comprehensive and culturally sensitive care to over 1,000 international patients every year.

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Medical Experts

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Pablo Recinos, M.D. Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center Cleveland Clinic’s Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center is a high-volume program with comprehensive multidisciplinary expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with all types of brain and spinal cord tumors. Serving patients from across the country and around the world, our specialists offer a full range of advanced treatment options for adults and children with spinal cord and brain tumors, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, radiosurgery, laser treatments and innovative brain tumor clinical trials.

Many factors — including tumor type, size and location — are considered when determining the most appropriate and effective treatment strategy. Cleveland Clinic offers a broad array of treatment options for benign and malignant brain tumors. The Skull Base Tumor Program, led by Dr. Recinos, is one of only a few specialized centers across the country to offer comprehensive services for skull base tumors, treating 300 new patients with meningioma and schwannomas and pituitary tumors annually, as well as skull base and sinonasal cancers.

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MEDICAL • MEDICAL • MEDICAL • MEDICAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Medical Experts

Nizar Zein, M.D. Cleveland Clinic Digestive Disease Program Cleveland Clinic’s Digestive Disease & Surgery Institute is regarded as one of the top digestive disease programs in the country offering a fully integrated model of care aimed at optimizing the patient experience. U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” survey has ranked Cleveland Clinic No. 2 in the nation for gastroenterology and GI surgery.

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Cover photo credits: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Chris Jackson/ Getty Images; Bono with Senators, Pete Marovich/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Secretary of State John Kerry with C5 + 1, Mark Wilson/Getty Images; Ambassador of Kazakhstan Kairat Umarov, Paula Morrison, Diplomatic Connections

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H.E. KAIRAT UMAROV AMBASSADOR OF KAZAKHSTAN TO THE UNITED STATES

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AMBASSADOR

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KAIRAT UMAROV Years of Independent Foreign Policy Built From Scratch JAMES A. WINSHIP, PH.D.

KAZAKHSTAN

S

itting astride the European and Asian continents, Kazakhstan has always been a crossroads of trade, culture and peoples. Its former capital, Almaty, was an important stop along the Silk Road from China through Central Asia to Europe. Historically, Kazakhstan had to learn to live in the shadow of its large, powerful, expansionist neighbors, Russia and China, as well as the advance of Muslim civilization from the South. Its steppes, grasslands and high plateaus, have offered a superhighway for trade and cultural interaction and provided Kazakhstan with a rich natural environment.

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Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Today, that is none the less true. Kazakhstan shares long borders with both Putin’s Russian Federation and Xi Jinping’s China. It shares its Islamic faith with neighbors to the South and East. It shares values and close contact with both the European Union and the extended NATO security architecture to the West. Diplomatically, Kazakhstan has a foot in all of these camps. That is the legacy of its geopolitical location and its cultural diversity. In turn, that legacy has been carefully parlayed into a coveted seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council beginning in January 2017.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Kazakhstan, which had been a part of the Soviet empire since 1920, declared itself a sovereign nation state, one with nuclear weapons from birth. Moscow had long exploited the resources of Kazakhstan, open space coupled with sparse population and extensive natural resources, to expand agricultural production, develop an industrial base intended to supply both the Russian economy and the Soviet military, and to open the USSR’s space center at Baikonur and a nuclear testing site at Semipalatinsk.

At independence, however, Kazakhstan made a conscious decision to denuclearize, voluntarily giving up 22

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John Thys/AFP/Getty Images

nuclear weapons in favor of security guarantees and closer economic ties with the West. The decision was made easier

by President Nazarbayev’s strong leadership and because of the significant human and environmental damage suffered during decades of “secret” Soviet nuclear testing on Kazakh territory. Missiles and bombers were repatriated to Russia.

In cooperation with the United States under the NunnLugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, nuclear weapons infrastructure was eliminated and weapons-grade nuclear materials were removed. Kazakhstan’s example remains a landmark in nuclear nonproliferation efforts.

Ambassador Kairat Umarov graduated from what was the Almaty Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages and is today the Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages. He began his professional life as a faculty member and a translator of literary classics and academic papers. While his academic career offered many opportunities to work with foreigners, it was his work in the International Relations Department of the Kazakh Trade Union Federation’s Council that opened the door to his diplomatic career.

His first “adventure into the world of international relations,” recalls Ambassador Umarov, “came when I was given a role in Nevada Semipalatinsk, an anti-nuclear movement seeking the closing of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan and one of the first nongovernmental organizations in the Soviet Union.” He was an active participant in trying to forge links with anti-nuclear NGO’s across the world and was part of conversations regarding nuclear testing in the United States. “I actually visited all the states on the West Coast of America talking to people, meeting at universities, and talking to television and radio stations. It was quite a good experience for me.”

The Semipalatinsk nuclear test area was closed even before the collapse of the Soviet Union, and when Kazakhstan became independent, Ambassador Umarov was present at the creation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs serving in a variety of capacities before being appointed First Secretary and then Counsellor at the Kazakh Embassy in Washington in 1994-1996. After a two year stint at the Foreign Ministry from 1996-1998, Ambassador Umarov returned to Washington as Minister-Counsellor from 19982003. From 2004-2009 Umarov served as Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to India and Sri Lanka, returning home to serve as Deputy Foreign Minister (2009-2012) before being named Ambassador to the United States in 2013.

Outside the Kazakhstan Embassy in Washington, D.C. stands a statue of the “Golden Warrior” astride the figure of a winged snow leopard from Kazakh folklore. The “Golden Warrior” is a replica of a gold plated suit that clothed the skeleton of an ancient prince and was discovered as part of the 1969 excavation of a burial mound from nomadic Scythian-Saka civilization (VII BC). The statue is not only an icon of Kazakhstan’s independence but a patriotic reflection of the country’s proud history of defending its lands from invaders, ancient cultural heritage, accomplishments and hopes for a peaceful, secure and prosperous future. This year it also marks an important anniversary, 25 years of Kazakhstan’s independence.

Ambassador Kairat Umarov embodies the legacy of the Golden Warrior tradition pursuing peace and security as he seeks to extend his country’s diplomatic presence in Washington, D.C. He was kind enough to extend “Diplomatic Connections” an in-depth interview.

Diplomatic Connections: How did the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 affect Kazakhstan’s diplomatic efforts? It was

suddenly a very different proposition no longer to be a Soviet republic but to be an independent state.

Ambassador Umarov: Exactly. We had to build our foreign ministry from scratch. All the rest of the ministries had more or less existed as part of the regional government dealing with local issues within the framework of the Soviet Union. But, becoming an independent country meant that it was necessary to deal not only with regional issues but with the whole range of global issues. That was a very difficult and challenging time.

Diplomatic Connections: What was it like to join this fledgling Foreign Ministry?

Ambassador Umarov: When Kazakhstan became independent a set of rules and principles was presented to those entering the Foreign Service. One of those rules was that a diplomat must work for the good of the state and its people; but at the same time, a diplomat is expected to facilitate relations between states in order to avoid conflict and ensure peace and stability.

Alexei Druzhinin\TASS via Getty Images

(L-R) Nikolai Bordyuzha, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO); Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko; Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambayev; Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan; Russia’s President Vladimir Putin; Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon; and Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev pose for a family photo ahead of a session of the CSTO Collective Security Council on October 14, 2016.

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Our position from the very first days of our independence was to develop friendly relations, cooperative ties with our neighbors and with our major trading and security partners.

We stand for mutually beneficial relations that can jointly help to develop our economies. There is a golden rule of diplomacy that in order to succeed it is necessary to be mindful not only of your own country’s interests but of your diplomatic partners’ interests as well.

Ambassador Umarov: The world today is not a simple one. Relations between states are made up of complex interdependencies. As my President Nursultan Nazarbayev defines it, multi-vectored diplomacy means a balanced, well-conceived, predictable and responsible foreign policy aimed at avoiding conflicts by building trust and mutual understanding in pursuit of peace.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev prior to the opening session of the 13th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit at Istanbul Congress Center (ICC), in Istanbul, Turkey on April 14, 2016. Istanbul hosted the two-day 13th OIC Summit on the April 14-15, 2016 with the attendance by prime ministers and presidents from over 30 countries.

We continue to cherish those goals in our Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We hold them in very high esteem. I am very glad that today we have a highly professional foreign service which has more than 70 diplomatic missions all over the world, where 25 years ago there was nothing.

Diplomatic Connections: Kazakhstan occupies a unique geostrategic space, literally between Europe and Asia. How does geography affect Kazakhstan’s diplomacy?

Ambassador Umarov: Geography plays an important role in our foreign policy. Kazakhstan is at the heart of Eurasia. We have the world’s longest border with Russia, longer than the border between the United States and Canada. We have a long border with China. Our neighbors are Central Asian countries, and we are in close proximity to India, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. We are at the crossroads of civilizations serving as a bridge between East and West, North and South.

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In April 2016, during a visit to the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., President Nazarbayev unveiled his vision for a secure world in “Manifesto. The World. The 21st Century.” There he actually “declared war on war” appealing for a new mentality that would eliminate war as a way of life and underscoring the responsibility of leading world powers to achieve a nuclear-weapons-free-world in this century.

At the beginning of our independence, of course, people could not understand what this sort of policy would mean. How could a country like Kazakhstan develop strong relations with such different countries as the Russian Federation, China, the United States as well as organizations like the EU, NATO and the OSCE? But, at the end of the day, we can say this policy has proven itself right. The policy has made Kazakhstan more stable and more secure.

Diplomatic Connections: How does this multi-vectored policy play out in the real world?

Ambassador Umarov: For example, Kazakhstan is a member of the NATO Partnership for Peace program; at the same time, we are part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which includes many former Soviet republics. We are a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and at the same time we hosted a summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

We have chaired the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC

Turkish Presidency/Murat Cetinmuhürdar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Diplomatic Connections: Kazakhstan’s foreign policy is often described in official publications as “multi-vectored.” What is meant by that term?

– the Organization for Islamic Cooperation. And, we have a country program with OECD – the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

My point is that we can and should be part of any regional grouping or world organization where we can seriously contribute to peace and sustainable development. Every country, every organization looks at Kazakhstan as an asset and not as a problem. Our multi-vectored foreign policy helps us to maintain this balance of relationships with many countries.

Diplomatic Connections: How would you characterize the relationship between Kazakhstan and the United States today?

Ambassador Umarov: Our relationship is strong and enduring. We are strategic partners and meet regularly to discuss a wide range of issues, including nonproliferation cooperation, energy, economic concerns, human rights, science and technology, security and military-to-military cooperation. It is a very wide and deep set of recurring discussions.

Today we have a very robust strategic partnership that we anticipate will expand and grow. We cooperate to

bring peace and stability in our region and around the world. For example, in the case of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan provides free passage for flights by the American military as part of the international force carrying supplies into that country. And, when overland supply was needed, we were instrumental in creating ground access routes to Afghanistan. We have sent Kazakh troops to Iraq to assist in demining efforts.

We have also cooperated with the United States to launch a new regional platform, the C5+1, meaning the five countries of the Central Asian region: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the United States. This diplomatic platform is intended to explore the challenges of building a connected and prosperous Central Asia and identifying areas where the United Sates might help to promote that process.

Diplomatic Connections: Kazakhstan has been elected to a two-year term (2017-2019) as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. What does Kazakhstan expect to bring to the Security Council? What will the experience of sitting and voting on the Security Council bring to Kazakhstan?

Metin Pala/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

(Front L-R) Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain; Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani; Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan; Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah; Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev; Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev; and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani are seen as they pose for a family photo during the opening of the 13th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit at Istanbul Congress Center (ICC), in Istanbul, Turkey on April 14, 2016.

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Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Secretary of State John Kerry (3rd L) hosts the C5+1 Foreign Ministerial meeting at the State Department on August 3, 2016 in Washington, D.C. Also pictured (L-R), Kyrgyz Republic Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev; Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov; Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov; Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov; and Tajikistan Foreign Minister Sirodjidin Aslov. The group discussed central Asia issues of shared interest.

Ambassador Umarov: Membership on the UN Security Council brings the Central Asian region into the focal point of international affairs. Very often the issues of our region, which is becoming vitally important for stability and sustainable development in Asia and beyond, are being neglected. We hope that, as a result of our presence, key problems and issues of relevance for Central Asia and the Asia-Pacific region Kazakhstan was elected to represent will be brought to the table.

We have gone through all of that, and we understand the issues of nation building. We have achieved denuclearization and we have achieved water, food and energy security. Those themes were precisely the pillars on which we built our campaign for a Security Council seat.

Diplomatic Connections: Could you explain how Kazakhstan’s efforts to be elected a member of the Security Council proceeded?

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Aliia Raimbekova/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Kazakhstan has gone through many difficulties. In 25 years of independence, we have gone from 700 USD per capita GDP to 13,700 USD per capita GDP. That is an increase of almost 16 times over. From an unknown country, we have become an important player in regional and international affairs. We have gone from a constituent republic of the former Soviet Union that nobody knew to a respected country and a member of the United Nations Security Council.

Ambassador Umarov: To be a Security Council candidate today requires a great deal of preparation and very detailed work. Our campaign for a non-permanent seat, representing the Asia-Pacific regional grouping, began six years ago. Over that time we talked to a wide cross-section of United Nations members. You have to convince the countries involved that you can really make a difference. We worked tirelessly on building up the substance of our proposal in order to explain what we would like to bring to the table.

Take food security as an example. Kazakhstan is creating a food bank within the structure of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC). This gives us a recipe for how to deal with food shortage issues. Where nuclear security is concerned, our legacy of denuclearization is well known, and we would like to work further on nonproliferation issues. We would like to move forward the agenda that there should be a nuclear weapons free world. Water security is a pressing issue today. In many parts of the world there is no access to fresh water. We have first-hand experience with this issue.

Energy security is a difficult issue, but exciting new horizons

Building A Nuclear-Weapon-Free World International Conference was held within the 25th anniversary of the closing the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site at Palace of Independence in Astana, Kazakhstan on August 29, 2016.

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Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev greets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin during the welcoming ceremony at the Akkorda Palace on October 4, 2016 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

are opening. Every country should have access to cheap, sustainable resources of energy.

Diplomatic Connections: Kazakhstan will host a global energy conference “EXPO 2017” in Astana. Kazakhstan is a major energy producer. Some might think it odd that your country is looking beyond fossil fuels to promote alternative energy sources. What are the goals of the conference? Who will be attending that conference?

Ambassador Umarov: Over 100 countries have confirmed their participation in EXPO 2017, which will take place in our capital city, Astana, from June 10 to September 10, 2017. The fair will be a truly multinational event, and we have built new infrastructure, including hotels and roads, designed to accommodate an influx of foreign visitors.

Several thousand events, including cultural presentations, concerts and festivals are planned. We welcome visitors who are interested in the theme of the event and who are interested in learning more about our country.

Fossil fuels, oil and gas, will continue to play an important role in global energy supplies well into the future. Still,

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the whole world today is thinking about climate change and hoping to live in a cleaner, better environment. We believe the future is with clean, renewable fuels. By 2050 Kazakhstan would like to have 50% of its energy produced by renewable sources.

The theme of Expo 2017 is “Future Energy.” Everything is being done to show that we can sustain high technology and at the same time employ highly efficient renewable energy sources. Energy companies from around the world will showcase the latest technologies in renewable energy, in energy conservation and in carbon capture methods. The entire site will be divided into corporate and national pavilions.

The whole “Expo Village” site will be completely run by green technologies. It will be a model of clean energy, making extensive use of solar and wind. All facilities are designed to incorporate the latest technologies for energy efficiency and conservation as well as for recycling. The entire site will employ smart grid technology for energy distribution and generation.

Diplomatic Connections: What are Kazakhstan’s goals for “EXPO 2017”?

We have to prove that together we can make our future and the future of our children safer and better.

Ambassador Umarov: The main idea of EXPO is that energy is a right for all. Everyone has the right to have it. We would like to assure that all countries have access to the latest and best technologies.

Diplomats play their own special part in this effort. The lesson that we have learned is simple: the fate and the future of your country is closely connected to the fate and the future of the world. You cannot be an island of happiness in a sea of misfortune and despair. That is why, my diplomatic colleagues, all of us are called to represent the best interests of our people and our country. But, we must also keep in mind how to match the interests of our country with the best interests of the global community.

After the exhibition is concluded, the entire site will be used for educational purposes, for international organizations like the United Nations Green Technology site. We are also going to have their Astana International Financial Center, which will become the heart of Green financial operations in the region and beyond. The site will continue to be a symbol of best energy practices which we can use and learn from well into the future.

Diplomatic Connections: At the beginning of our conversation this afternoon, you talked about creating a diplomatic role for Kazakhstan. Based on your diplomatic experience, literally being there at the modern day birth of your country, what lessons do you want to pass on to a new generation of Kazakh diplomats?

Ambassador Umarov: The people of Kazakhstan have accomplished a great deal in only 25 years of independence, but we have to do even more in the coming years. Kazakhstan is a strong and reliable international partner, a forward looking country willing to contribute to the good of this world. It depends on each and every one of us what kind of a world we leave to our next generation.

Diplomatic Connections: It is fascinating to hear you state the diplomatic calling in that way, Mr. Ambassador, because what you are saying is that there is not just a political, an economic and a security dimension to being a diplomat, there is an ethical dimension as well.

Ambassador Umarov: Absolutely. You have to have high moral values and an ethical view both of statecraft and of your responsibility to humankind as well as to the biodiversity and the ecosystems of the planet. You must have a vision not only for your country and its people but for the world.

Diplomatic Connections: That is a perfect place to end, Mr. Ambassador. Thank you for your time and your insights into your country’s unique position in the world.

Photos continue through to page 30

Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit on September 4, 2016 in Hangzhou, China. World leaders gathered in Hangzhou for the 11th G20 Leaders Summit.

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Ambassador of Kazakhstan Kairat Umarov standing next to the statue of the “Golden Warrior,” a figure of a winged snow leopard from Kazakh folklore at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Washington, D.C. The “Golden Warrior” is a replica of a gold plated suit that clothed the skeleton of an ancient prince and was discovered as part of the 1969 excavation of a burial mound from nomadic Scythian-Saka civilization (VII BC).

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Shirley Phull, Director of Diplomatic Sales of The Watergate Hotel (far left) with several diplomats beside her at the Diplomatic Connections’ International Diplomat Appreciation Reception held on October 27, 2016. Photo taken at The Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.

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Chris Jackson/Getty Images

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Kate, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, is a radiant image of sophistication and style aboundingly inspiring with a regal nobility all her own. Her fashion sensibilities are trendsetting while being contemporary yet conservative.

E

ROYAL STYLE

For the next 4 pages, view a collection of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, dashing off to her high-level engagements in a myriad of distinguished wardrobe ensembles in 2016.

2016

1

Patron of the 1851 Trust, arrives at Land

Rover BAR on May 20, 2016 in Portsmouth, England. The Duchess of Cambridge launched the 1851 Trust’s two sailing projects and met people involved in the project. Afterwards she opened the ‘Tech Deck’ Education Centre at the heart of the base.

2

Visits the mentoring programme of

the XLP project London Wall in London, England. XLP supports young people who are facing emotional, behavioral and relational challenges. XL-Mentoring programme was started in 2008.

3

Officially opens The Magic Garden At

Hampton Court Palace on May 4, 2016 in London, England.

4

Attends SportsAid’s 40th anniversary dinner

on June 9, 2016 in London, England. On arrival, The Duchess met SportsAid ambassadors and young athletes who competed in the Rio 2016 Olympics at a pre-dinner reception, as well as Arthur Edwards - WPA Pool/Getty Images

some of the charity’s key supporters.

5

Attends a lunch after the National Service

of Thanksgiving as part of the 90th birthday celebrations for The Queen at The Guildhall on

Eddie Mulholland - WPA Pool/Getty Images

June 10, 2016 in London, England.

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Arthur Edwards - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Matt Dunham/WPA Pool/Getty Images

Samir Hussein/WireImage

THE APPAREL OF A PRINCESS

FASHI

ION

ROYAL FASHION 6

Attends the Secretary of State’s annual

Garden party at Hillsborough Castle on June 14, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

7

Arrives for the Order of The Garter Service

at Windsor Castle on June 13, 2016 in Windsor, England. The service is held in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

8

Attends ‘The Patron’s Lunch’ celebrations

for The Queen’s 90th birthday on The Mall on June 12, 2016 in London, England. 10,000 guests gathered on The Mall for a lunch to celebrate The Queen’s Patronage of more than 600 charities and organizations. The lunch was part of a weekend of celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday and 63 year reign.

The Duke of Edinburgh and other members of The Royal Family were also in attendance.

During the lunch a carnival parade traveled down The Mall and around St. James’s Park.

9

Attends the launch of the Heads Together

campaign to eliminate stigma on mental health at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on May 16,

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images

2016 in London, England.

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Attends day 2 of Royal Ascot at

Ascot Racecourse on June 15, 2016 in Ascot, England.

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Pete Marovich/Bloomberg via Getty Images

SO

Members of the media photograph Bono, singer for the band U2, before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C. on April 12, 2016. Bono testified on Capitol Hill about the impact of violent extremism and the role of foreign aid.

WHO DOES BENEFIT FROM CELEBRITY ADVOCACY? STARS on (and off) THE HILL

BY ROLAND FLAMINI

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n April 2016, Irish rock star and activist Bono testified before a U.S. Senate sub-committee hearing on the pressing issue of confronting violent extremism. Bono, who had just returned from a tour of Africa and the Middle East with a congressional committee, argued for the use of foreign aid as a weapon against extremism. To the rhythm of clicking cameras in the crowded room, Bono said, “When aid is structured properly, with a focus on fighting poverty

Bono stands for a photograph with Senator Barbara Mikulski, a Democrat from Maryland, left, while Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, second right, and Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont, look on before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C. on April 12, 2016.

Bono testified on the impact of violent extremism and the role of foreign aid.

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Kerem Kocalar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Star advocacy is an understandable by-product of our fascination with celebrities.

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Senators and U2’s Bono (left 2nd) pose with kids for a group photo during a visit to a preschool at a tent city of Syrian refugees in Nizip district of Turkey’s Gaziantep province on April 01, 2016.

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their favorite causes before U.S. Congressional committees or to hold meaningful press conferences. In 2016, which was supposed to be a “lean” year in celebrity sightings on the Hill, more than 20 stars of screen, stage, and sport made trips to Washington for one reason or another, including George Clooney, Sharon Stone, Gwyenth Paltrow, Blythe Danner, Ben Affleck, Eva Longoria, and Elton John.

Star advocacy is an understandable by-product of our fascination with celebrities.

According to the website Look to the Stars, more than 2,000 charities, causes, or issues have some form of celebrity Actor and Refugees International Board Member Matt Dillon speaks during a National Press Club Speakers Newsmakers event at support. And their range is the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Dillon spoke about his visit to western Myanmar and reports of a humanitarian crisis among the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority. striking: Clooney has publicized and improving governance it could be the best bulwark the conflict in Darfur, South Sudan, raising money, against the extremism of our age.” garnering celebrity support, and testifying in Congress, to Then in May 2016, a dozen top music performers try to draw attention to widespread atrocities in the region. spanning the generations from Katy Perry to Billy Joel went Angelina Jolie has met with lawmakers to discuss global to the U.S. Congress to urge lawmakers to take tougher humanitarian issues. At the same time, Nashville star action against-- music piracy. They were seeking a reform Hayden Panettiere has been on the Hill to lobby for whale of the U.S. copyright laws directed against unauthorized preservation, and Seth Rogan has testified before a panel use of music on such electronic media as Youtube. of the Senate Appropriations Committee on the economic And in June, the British actress Helen Mirren was on impact of Alzheimer’s disease. Mary Tyler Moore has the Hill to testify before a Senate sub-committee chaired appeared before Congress campaigning for more funding by former Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Tom Cruz, for diabetes research. on the restoration to its rightful owners -- with special Washington-based Refugees International has the reference to Holocaust survivors-- of stolen and looted art. actor Matt Dillon on its board, and Sam Waterston, of Law In a well-argued statement, the star of The Queen and Order fame, as an emeritus board member. Dillon’s and numerous other movies, said, “Art restitution is so childhood friend Ben Affleck has testified more than once much more than reclaiming a material good. It is a on conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a moral imperative.” benighted land of deprivation and internal strife. The actor For decades, movie stars and other celebrities steered and director of Argo (among other movies) speaks with clear of the U.S. Congress as the fatal shore on which some authority having made several trips to the Congo and reputations were wrecked and careers died in the McCarthy founded the Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), as “the first U.S. witch hunt of the 1950s. But that was then. Today, there based advocacy and grant-making initiative wholly focused is a constant traffic of celebrities to Capitol Hill to lobby on working with and for the people of eastern Congo.”

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Kris Connor/ Getty Images

. . .more than 2,000 charities, causes, or issues have some form of celebrity support.

Paul Morigi/WireImage

Actor Ben Affleck, founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative, arrives at a Senate Appropriations State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing on ‘Diplomacy, Development, and National Security’ on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

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Kris Connor/Getty Images for NAMM

Experts trace the origins of the current trend of celebrity advocacy on the Hill to Elizabeth Taylor’s celebrated appearance to campaign. . .

Singer Eric Paslay with other members of NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) meet with Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) during the NAMM, CMA (Country Music Association) and VH1 Music Advocacy Day in the U.S. Capitol on May 25, 2016 in Washington D.C.

Experts trace the origins of the current trend of celebrity advocacy on the Hill to Elizabeth Taylor’s celebrated appearance to campaign for more funding for AIDs research in the 1980s. This was a startling departure from old Hollywood inhibitions, not just the result of McCarthyism but also the fact that historically Hollywood studios rarely relaxed their rules against star activism (they feared it would make stars controversial). One exception had been the U.S. War Bond drive in World War II when top actors and actresses were actually encouraged by the studios to become involved. The campaign even claimed one victim. Carole Lombard, the brilliant screen 60

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comedienne, died in an air crash in 1942 while on a War Bonds tour.

But studio control is the current proliferation of celebrity activism inevitably raises questions about its effectiveness and the motivations of everyone involved, and some of the more thoughtful celebrities agree. “It makes sense to be skeptical about celebrity activism,” Ben Affleck admitted recently. “There is always the suspicion that involvement with a cause may be doing more good for the spokesman than he or she is doing for the cause.”

Affleck is acknowledging that celebrity advocacy has its critics as well as its supporters. As citizens, celebrities

Singer Katy Perry actively participates in politics through entertainment.

Timothy J. Countess/Getty A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images Images

Actress Emma Watson departs after remarks at the launch of the HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 University Parity Report at the United Nations on September 20, 2016 in New York City.

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. . . studio control is the current proliferation of celebrity activism. . . column with a key quote – and with details of what the celebrity was wearing.

Critics are sometimes skeptical of some stars’ intentions, and it’s not hard to envision a celebrity eager to project a serious, concerned image, saying to his or her publicist, “Clooney has Sudan, Affleck his Congolese, where are my starving millions?” A report on celebrity advocacy warned against entering into such commitments lightly. “Celebrity humanitarians should do their homework to earn

in the home paper rubbing shoulders with a Hollywood denizen. When photographers focused on Bono, ignoring Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who accompanied him, the senator grumbled, only half joking, “So that’s what it’s like to be chopped liver.”

Nor is the U.S. Congress the only forum open to celebrities. UNICEF has dozens of “Goodwill Ambassadors” and “Advocates” such as Angelina Jolie and Mia Farrow. The Youtube of (L-R) UNICEF Ambassador and recipient of the ‘Spirit of Compassion’ award Alyssa Milano; Pier 1 Imports CEO and Emma Watson’s speech at the U.N. recipient of the ‘Children First’ award Alex Smith; UNICEF Next Generation National Development Committee Chair on gender equality went viral. Stars and recipient of the ‘NextGen Champion for Children’ award Sterling McDavid; and U.S. Fund for UNICEF President/ CEO Caryl Stern at the Children First. An Evening With UNICEF on April 15, 2016. have attended meetings like DAVOS and the G8 to discuss global issues of have as much right as anyone else to get on their humanitarian concern. soapbox. But they are not anyone else, and star power can The bottom line, of course, is: does celebrity advocacy encourage popular support, including financial support, achieve results? When it comes to domestic issues, attract media attention – the latter not always at the level celebrities have often had an impact, not to say success. the stars would wish. For example, the Washington Post With complex foreign issues the overall effect is harder to regularly consigns reports that this or that celebrity has measure. The Guardian newspaper recently interviewed testified before a Congressional committee to its gossip foreign aid workers and some prominent, and not so

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Cooper Neill/Getty Images for U.S. Fund for UNICEF

credibility while also respecting their bounded roles as celebrity figures,” the report said.

Meanwhile, it never hurts a senator or congressman to be seen

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Actress Helen Mirren talks with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) after testifying before the Constitution Subcommittee and the Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts Subcommittee joint hearing on the ‘Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act - Reuniting Victims with Their Lost Heritage’ on Capitol Hill on June 7, 2016, in Washington, D.C.

prominent Sudanese on whether George Clooney’s efforts have made a difference in the area and their overall assessment, for what it was worth, was — none whatsoever.

In the Congo, Ben Affleck’s ECI has given grants to a number of community-based organizations. ECI has also provided a database link to connect funders to Congolese organizations. But to skeptics of such activism, Affleck — and others like him — is contributing to a culture of African

dependence on Western help. Which is why Mother Jones magazine has called celebrity involvement in African countries, well meaning as it might be, “recolonization.”

As for the current trend of using celebrities to increase Congressional awareness. Some would argue that in a perfect world lawmakers should already be aware of the need for political change without celebrities having to bring it to their attention. But when was it a perfect world?

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Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

. . .star power can encourage popular support, including financial support, attract media attention – the latter not always at the level the stars would wish.

British singer Cheryl Cole attends the The Global Gift Gala in Paris on May 9, 2016. Money raised by the gala went towards projects organized by Global Gift Foundation, UNICEF, The Eva Longoria Foundation and La Bonne Etoile.

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Actress Eva Longoria attends the The Global Gift Gala in Paris on May 9, 2016.

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UNICEF has dozens of “Goodwill Ambassadors” and “Advocates”. . .

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for WE Day

Actress, multi-platinum recording artist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Selena Gomez, walks the WE Carpet at WE Day California 2016 at The Forum on April 7, 2016 in Inglewood, California.

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As the political and cultural heart of Taiwan, Taipei is a modern, bustling city eager to show the world its resolve. For worldwide travelers, it’s a haven of peace and natural beauty.

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TOURISM MEETS POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE IN TAIPEI

BY MONICA FRIM

Tapei 101 looms over the colorful roofs of the city.

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e arrived in Taipei in the dark of early morning, which seemed the perfect time to ease into a country that is still feeling its way into the limelight. Although the island of Taiwan is ancient, with evidence of human life going back at least 20,000 years, Taiwan remains surprisingly undiscovered by international travelers.

Yet Taiwan is no backwater. In fact, this tiny, island nation of less than 14,000 square miles is heavily urbanized, and a leader in transportation, architecture, manufacturing and design. In addition to cutting-edge technology, the country is blessed with spectacular natural beauty: mountains, forests, waterfalls, beaches, national parks, hot springs and roughly 4,000 kilometers of cycling trails through both wilderness and cityscapes. According to Business Insider, a British financial media and technology news website, Taiwan is Asia’s best kept secret, one of 12 emerging destinations travelers must visit this year.

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We drove into the city as night thinned into a gossamer dawn. Slowly the sky turned orange, then bronze, as the sun kindled the clouds and etched a purple outline of the mountains surrounding the Taipei Basin. The highway curved and dipped among hills that grew progressively greener with the onset of dayspring. As the mountains receded, the jagged rooftops of concrete highrises emerged, scattered like stones on a greensward. In the distance Taipei Tower pierced the sky then suddenly loomed close as lines on a ledger as we entered the city. We scooted along the leafy boulevard that harbored our hotel just as the sun burst fully through the clouds. It ignited the city with subtropical brightness and initiated a daily pattern that, during the week of our visit, consisted of sundrenched mornings followed by leaden afternoons. I would soon learn that in Taipei, photography, like breakfast, is best taken in the morning.

Taipei is a modern city, largely grey but with pockets of color, owing to the various architectural styles that emerged from its complicated history. Aboriginal, Chinese, Japanese and Western influences collide in the streets, infusing the city with a variety of landmarks and green spaces that may not be quite cohesive, but nevertheless serve to explain the Taiwanese identity. It’s a wonderful city for walking around and simply drinking in the atmosphere, watching the people scurry about the streets, shopping in the old medicine stores and dry good shops that line the streets of the old Da-Dao-Chang neighborhood on the west side of the city, now run down

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The incense burner and gateway at Wen Wu Temple on Sun Moon Lake.

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but once the richest section of the city. Here large round vats of wrinkled black mushrooms are laid on the streets to sun-dry in the empty spaces among parked cars and motorcyles. A puppet theater and museum share the street with a tea house whose owners practice calligraphy and provide a free scroll with your purchase of tea. A variety of architectural styles from western baroque to Japanese to traditional southern styles stand side by side, their cultural or historical identities divulged in the crests and decorative reliefs that grace their facades. Everywhere are sacks of dried somethings—many unidentifiable to western sensibilities—wrinkled squid, lacy mushrooms, pungent herbs and spices, dried hibiscus flowers, sacks of beans and bins of nuts… the list is as long as the contents are colorful and whiffy.

Contrasting with the old and enduring neighborhoods, Taipei 101 is a contemporary ziggurat, the tallest tower in the world before the Burj Khalifa and a few other skyscrapers usurped the title. Built to resemble a bamboo stalk, Taipei 101 is known for its eco-friendly construction and the luxury shops that grace its lower floors. It was designed as a fusion of Asian traditions and the evolution of technology. No visit to Taipei can be considered complete without a ride to the top of the tower in its fast-speed elevator where you will be rewarded with 360 degree views over the city and onto the surrounding mountains.

Afterwards you can treat yourself to some of the best Chinese dumplings in Taipei at the Din Tai Fung Dumpling House at the base of the tower. Here you can also watch the dumpling making process through a glass partition.

Formally known as the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan is not to be confused with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with whom it shares ethnicity but not ideology. The distinction is important, for Taiwan became a true democracy in 1996 with a freedom of both press and religion that is almost unheard of in other Chinese–speaking countries. A high degree of openness permeates the island not only in terms of space, but also thought.

We visited two of Taiwan’s newest digital news agencies, Storm Media, which was begun in 2014 and The News Lens,

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started in 2013, to get the scoop of the state of the news in Taiwan. Both agencies claim to offer a non-partisan and independent alternative to traditional newspapers in Taiwan, which tend to align themselves with one political party or another. And both have attained admirable success within a very short period. At the time of our visit early in summer, the News Lens boasted five to six million unique monthly visitors; Storm Media had a monthly reach of 20 million. The company also recently ranked first in independent media in Taiwan.

Taiwan’s current President, Tsai Ing-wen and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) see membership in international organizations such as the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) as strategic and economic necessities and are working hard to bring domestic regulations in line with TPP standards. As Taiwan’s ally and 9th largest trading partner, the United States could play a significant pro-active role in making that happen, although it would require a delicate high wire act given the current tension between Taipei and Beijing. Above all, the US wants to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait.

So what, if anything, does Taiwan’s political stance have to do with tourism? For one, the economic link is significant. Almost three percent of Taiwan’s GDP or $16 billion US dollars come from tourism, with most visitors arriving from the neighboring countries of China, Japan, Hong Kong and Korea.

According to Eric Lin, Taiwan’s Director of International Affairs, Ministry of Transportation and Communication, Taiwan is hoping to increase tourist traffic by 15 to 20 percent a year, which would raise the total number of tourists to 15 million per year within five years. It’s an optimistic prediction given that the number of tourists from the mainland declined as much as 30 percent in the last year. The ROC is counting on other nations to take up the slack. New routes were recently added from Chicago and Houston, and promotions that combine visits to Taiwan with visits to Hong Kong, were initiated in efforts

Cable cars painted in the colors of the sun (red), moon (yellow) and lake (blue) to represent Sun Moon Lake, whisk visitors to and from the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village.

to put Taiwan on the agenda of those traveling to more than one country in Southeast Asia. Recently the ROC also eased visa restrictions for citizens of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). Citizens of the United States, Canada and most European countries already did not need visas to enter Taiwan.

Most visitors get their first taste of Taiwan in Taipei—a bustling city of beautiful landmarks and sensational eateries. The pun is intentional as food plays an important role in Taiwanese society. The variety is astounding—from cheap eats in night markets to fine dining in high-priced restaurants. High-end hotels feature buffets loaded with signature dishes and gleaming assortments of highquality meats and seafood. These buffets are not low-key

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if you have the wallet to indulge in a truly hedonistic dining experience, the variety of exquisite delicacies served in the major hotels and specialty restaurants with private dining rooms are alone worth the trip to Taiwan.

The adage, everything from soup to nuts, applies literally to Taiwan’s creative kitchen. Outstandingly, that same artistic flair underscores all aspects of Taiwanese life and culture—from A tea store on historic Da-Dao-Cheng Street. manufacturing to visual spreads like and performing arts. The Songshan Cultural and Creative many of their Park is Taiwan’s largest platform for showcasing, inspiring North American and nurturing creativity and cross-disciplinary innovation. counterparts, The center occupies a space the size of six football fields, but trend-setting with plenty of product, performance and gallery space. culinary displays It is Taiwan’s most creative hub—an “industrial village” Calligraphy scrolls, hand painted by the owner of the tea store. prepared by that also provides marketing and branding assistance to masterly chefs with artistic leanings. innovative products—from soaps that spiral out of tubes Whether at a simple canteen or an elaborate like lipstick (great for travelers) to the reinvention of papers roundtable sit-down, the crux is variety and “little eats.” and inks of a dying industry. The facility first opened in One can feast on as many as 12 courses at a single meal 1939 as the country’s first modernized tobacco factory. because the dishes are small and often arrive in sequence It was a pioneering design of Japanese Early Modernism with various soups and vinegary palate-cleansing potions with cheerful quarters for the factory workers who lived on served in between courses. I am not exaggerating when I the premises. Large windows, bathhouses, and geometric say that in a single week, our group must have sampled parks and gardens full of fountains, and leafy paths, made a hundred different dishes, from plain to textural works it one of the most pleasant environments that an industrial of art you almost wish you could take home and preserve space could occupy. It’s still an enchanting place with large in a display case. With so much variety, Taiwanese food open spaces and a variety of protected fauna and flora that is difficult to define, especially as it’s been influenced sprout among statues that were reputedly modeled on the by other cultures. Western, Italian, Japanese, Hakka and female workers of the plant. The gardens, old warehouses Aboriginal dishes are served up in various combinations and offices now serve as multifunctional spaces that host that make for truly unique dining experiences. Where, but banquets, fashion shows, film shootings, conferences in Taiwan, can you eat octopus and squid pizza with pesto? seminars, and art and design exhibitions.

Or stinky tofu (it tastes better than it sounds—or smells!), Similarly, the Taiwan Excellence Pavilion showcases 120 and bouncy things like jellyfish and lacy mushrooms of 523 award-winning products that have been marketed served with a mélange of noodles, savory meats and worldwide—from IT and telecommunications to sports seafood? Less adventuresome eaters can find all the usual and leisure to cultural and creative products. But it’s really staples—from western fast foods to typical Asian dishes of hardware and software integration that’s putting Taiwan Cantonese dim sum, Beijing duck, Mongolian barbecues, on the forefront of technological innovation. One can see spicy Sichuanese meats, and Japanese teppanyaki. But firsthand how this plays out in the smart scooters at the 78

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Pavilion on Sun Moon Lake.

Looking through the entry gate at Liberty Square to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, National Theater and Concert Hall.

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A dry goods store on Da-Dao-Cheng Street; (top right) a food stand in the Tong-Hua Night Market of Taipei; (bottom center) making dumplings at the Din Tai Fung Dumpling House in Taipei 101; (bottom right) A lotus flower garnishes vegetable soup at the Shi-Yang Cultural Restaurant in Yangminshan National Park.

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Gogoro Global Experience Center whose aim is to tackle the problem of urban density with smart technology. Scooters are outfitted with 80 sensors that are continually monitored by a central control system, and power up using a battery swap system. With a population of 23 million people and 15 million scooters, Taiwan is the ideal incubator for literally setting smart technology in motion.

There’s something about travel that opens the mind and brings growth, engagement and connectivity to the venture. It’s not always about simply seeing things but about learning new things and engaging with people and in activities you might not normally do. I had no intention of riding a scooter but there I was listening in rapt attention to the story of Gogoro and thinking I am enriched for having come to this country.

I was traveling with a group of journalists—largely political commentators—so our days were filled with meetings, but we also made time for cultural endeavors.

One day we found ourselves walking among thousandyear-old cultural artifacts in the Palace Museum, on another engaged in a long, steep climb through a subtropical forest full of sun-dappled ferns to an outdoor theater that incorporated the sounds and sights and smells of nature into the performances. The droning clicks of cicadas were almost louder than the drums of the U-Theater performers who also include meditation rituals in their acts. Another day we stood on Liberty Square looking in one direction onto the dazzling white memorial that houses the statue of Chiang Kai-shek, and to our left and right, the National

Sun Moon Lake

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Theater and Concert Hall. Taipei was all about color and sound and struggle for identity.

Midweek, we took a break and left Taipei for Sun Moon Lake in the mountains of Nantou near Taiwan’s geographical center. It’s Taiwan’s most visited vacation spot, popular with honeymooners and other vacationers.

Boat tours circle the lake, gondolas whisk visitors to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village high up in the mountains, and bicycle and walking paths wend through villages with meditative views of the mountains and their reflections in the clear green lake. The area is known as the heart of Taiwan and is seen best in the early morning before the day melts off the mist and mood.

Taiwan is like that—generally best before breakfast.

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businesses in NYC tend to be transient due to the rapid pace

that call for them (the tenant) to pay the cost of property

the city moves in, while foreign government entities tend

taxes regardless of their international status. Governmental

to have a long-term goal for their real estate investments.

organizations have tax-exempt status on their real estate

For example, an owner of a 5,500 square foot office

holdings, which saves them the cost of property taxes.

condominium on 2nd Ave near the UN may pay an average

Commercial condominium (or condo) is an opportunity individually owned unit that is part of a larger multi-unit building with various businesses as owners. A condo owner also receives an undivided interest in the common areas of

of $7,500 per month in common charges. A space rented of that exact size and location can be upwards of $25,000 per month. Yet, office condominiums only make up 2 percent of the NYC office market.

the building, including the hallways, parking areas (a rare

One such condominium where multi-country missions

occurrence in Manhattan), property grounds, etc. There can

and consulates reside is the 15-story office building, 2 Dag

be dozens of unit owners in a 30-story Manhattan office

Hammarskjöld Plaza (named after the Swedish Diplomat and

building. Office condominiums are prevalent in Europe and

2nd secretary-general of the UN). “2 Dag” is a condominium

WW W. ME TPA CPROPERTIES.COM 944D I P L O M•A IN T I CFO@MET C O N N E C PACPROPERT T I O N S B U S I N E S IES.COM S E D I T I O N •| J(212) U LY – A U G U 91 ST 0 20 016

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office building just steps away from the United Nations HQ

income for the owners whenever and wherever possible.

in NYC and houses the consular offices for Saudi Arabia,

Some nations will hire management companies to oversee

Portugal, Greece, Bahrain, Ethiopia, Morocco, and Jordan

their own income-generating properties while also saving

amongst other commercial offices and retail space. Office

countries money on energy costs, supplies, insurance,

condominium ownership at 2 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Condo

to even services like electrical and plumbing (due to the

allows countries to lock in their occupancy costs and insulate

management company’s large purchasing power and

themselves from the ever-rising expense of office leasing in

economies of scale). “I can say that unfortunately, that

Midtown Manhattan. Metropolitan Pacific Properties is the

reputation of being rich in cash has reverberated beyond the

Property Management company and Realtor for 2 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and works exclusively with the diplomatic community to manage their Real Estate assets in NYC. Brandon Osman, COO of the

25-year-old family firm is a fiduciary of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of foreign real estate assets in midtown-east. He is also in charge of taking care of the day-to-day operation of the building

Metropolitan Pacific Properties

NYC real estate industry.” Osman states. “People recognize that the

is the Property Management

foreign client is an easy target for

company and Realtor for 2 Dag

are not familiar with the region. We

Hammarskjold Plaza and works

price gouging because they often have seen it all too frequently where governments are taken advantage of

exclusively with the diplomatic

by contractors and charged ‘more-

community to manage their

rendered services.” It takes a strong

Real Estate assets in NYC.

than-industry standards’ for the same Property Management company in accordance with the Condominium

including overseeing staff, security and compliance with

Board to fight for every single penny when it comes to

city regulations. The owners of the condominium pay the

spending money on building operations and building

management company in the form of a small monthly

improvement costs.

“common charge” so that they may take care of the property and run it safely and efficiently.

Right now is a great time to buy and own Commercial Real Estate in NYC and a qualified property manager will

Having a property management company run the operations

make these investments much simpler and cost effective

of a country’s commercial property is beneficial to owners

for owners no matter what part of the world they come

because they have the resources and experience it takes to

from. If you would like to learn more about how a property

manage and hold real estate in any particular locality. Simply,

management can help save your country money on building

they can take the stresses out of real estate ownership.

operating costs and earn additional income, call or email

Osman also looks at ways of saving and even generating

us today.

WW 8 6 WW W LME O A 4 WW W . D. D I W. PI LP O MM ATPACPROPERTIES.COM T ITCI C CC OO NN N NE ECCT TI OI ONNS S. C. COOMM

• IN FO@MET PACPROPERT IES.COM • (212) 944- 91 0 0

PROUDLY SERVING SERVING THE THE PROUDLY DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY COMMUNITY DIPLOMATIC

From FromNew NewYork YorktotoWashington, Washington,D.C., D.C.,Metropolitan Metropolitan

PROPERTY PROPERTYMANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT■■Protocol ProtocolforforEmbassy Embassyand andGovernment Government

Pacifi PacificcProperties Propertiestakes takespride prideininour ouraccomplishments accomplishments

Institutions Expenditureanalysis analysistotoensure ensurereduced reducedcosts costsand and Institutions■■Expenditure

and andservices servicesprovided providedfor forthe thepast past20 20years. years.AApartial partial

increase Procureexperienced experiencedbuilding buildingstaff staffand andcontractors contractors increaserevenues revenues■■Procure

range rangeofofMetropolitan’s Metropolitan’sservices servicestotosupport supportthe the Diplomatic Diplomaticcommunity communityare: are:

SECURITY SECURITY■■Analysis Analysisofofspace spacetotoassess assesssafety safety■■Recommendations Recommendations for Provisionofof forsecurity securitycameras, cameras,identifi identification cationand andaccess accesscontrol control■■Provision security securitystaff stafffor forconsulate consulateand andspecialty specialtyevents events

For Formore moreinformation, information,please pleasevisit visitour ourwebsite websiteWWW.METPACPROPERTIES.COM, WWW.METPACPROPERTIES.COM,call callororemail: email:

(212) (212)944-9100 944-9100 info@metpacproperties.com info@metpacproperties.com

Diplomatic I n t e rn at ion al

DIPLOM AT APPRE CIATION RECE PTION H E L D AT

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THE PENINSULA CHICAGO

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THE PENINSULA CHICAGO

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“A Romantic Escape Under the Stars in the Heart of Beverly Hills”

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