DK Diplomat For The Modern Diplomat
April Issue - 2016
Ambassador’s
View
H.E. Mr. Robo Kastriot
Macedonia
Joint of
Historical Heritage and Urban Living
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Events
In this political situation especially, our task is even of more importance. There is no negative attitude from either side and Danish goods are welcome in Russia where they can find their own niche and their own consumers
Tatiana Volozhinskaya p. 4
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Preface
Contents
Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the global economy. It has become a key sector with a significant impact on socio-economic and ecological development of regions and nation states. Governments have been able to stimulate foreign trade and exchange as well as create jobs in many braches of the economy by focusing on the tourism industry in their respective countries. This edition of DK diplomat Magazine focuses on tourism and investment and features interviews with the director of the Nordic Council, Brit Bohlin, the Head of the Russian Trade Mission, Tatiana Volozhinskaya, and the Ambassador of Albania, H.E. Mr. Kastriot Robo.
Page 03 Ambassador’s View Page 06 Interview with the director of The Nordic Council Page 11 Macedobia Joint of historical Heritage and urban living
Page 12 Tourism and Development Opportunities and Challenges Page 14 Upcoming Events Charity Concert Copenhagen International Rotary Club Page 16 Event Gallery
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r’s View
Ambassado
Interview of H.E. Mr. Kastriot ROBO, Ambassador of Albania
Albania has in recent years intensified it’s focus on the tourist industry in the hopes of attracting more foreign direct investment. Albania is rarely considered a potential tourist destination for Danes, despite beautiful beaches and relatively low prices. We ask the Ambassador of Albania about tourism in his country and the economic relations with Denmark and the EU. H.E. Mr. Robo Kastriot has studied Political-Juridical Science and Foreign Policy at the University of Tirana and has been involved in diplomatic affaires since his graduation in 1985. His first posting as Ambassador extraordinary was in Cyprus in 1997 and since then he has been representing Albania as an Ambassador to Ireland, Spain, Andorra, Morocco and Mauritania. Due to the developments after the Second World War that took place in Albania, the Danish public may have the wrong or no concept of Albania and Albanians. Referring to Albanians extensive history, Albanians are one of the most ancient people, not only in south-eastern Europe, but in the European continent. For centuries Albanians have lived in the southwestern part of the Balkans using a distinct Indo-European language. Albania is a Mediterranean country, with a coast of around 400km filled with the Adriatic and Ionian Sea.
1. How would you characterize the Albanian national identity? Due to the developments after the Second World War in Albania, there is a wrong or no concept on Albania and Albanians to the Danish public opinion. Referring to the long history, Albanians are one of the most ancient people not only to the South-eastern Europe, but to the whole Europe as a continent. Albanians are one the most ancient people in Europe, as the Greeks are. They have lived during centuries to the South-western part of the Balkans with a distinct language, an Indo-European one. Shortly, Albania is a Mediterranean country, in the crossroads of the East and West, of the North and the South of Europe, with about 400 km coast of Adriatic and Ionian seas.
2. What are the top priorities of the Albanian Embassy in Denmark? We have been focused on the strengthening of the bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Denmark, and Denmark has supported very much the democratic reforms and processes that we are undertaking for the Euro Atlantic integration of Albania. So we are working on the bilateral relations and on the integration as well. Albania had and has a very strong support from Denmark and our Danish friends in order to reach the Copenhagen Criteria. Albania became a NATO member from 2009 and has the Candidat status to the EU from 2014. We are focused now to start the negotiations process for a full EU membership. An important work that we are doing is promoting the image of our country and our people for the Danish public opinion and the
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Danish politics and for this we are trying to be as much as we can to the Danish media giving information on the progress that Albania is actually doing. We have organized many cultural activities such as exhibitions, concerts, participations to different fairs, screening films, etc. We have been focused on strengthening our bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Denmark, and Denmark has indeed, fully supported the democratic reforms and processes that we are undertaking for the Euro Atlantic integration of Albania. So we are working on the bilateral relations and on the integration as well. Albania had and has very strong support from Denmark and our Danish friends in order to reach the Copenhagen Criteria. Albania became a NATO member from 2009 and has the Candidat status to the EU from 2014. We are now focused to start the negotiations process for full EU membership. An important task that we are currently working on is promoting the image of our country and our people to the Danish public as well as Danish politics. As such we are trying to be as active as possible in the Danish media giving information on the progress of Albania. We have also organized many different cultural activities such as exhibitions, concerts, participating in different fairs, film screenings etc. 3. What kind of relations do Denmark and Albanian have? Last year we celebrated the 45th anniversary of our diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Denmark, but the Albanian-Danish relations have been developed strongly these last 25 years. For more than 14 years we have opened reciprocally Embassies in our two capitals. We have excellent political dialogue in the highest levels, as a strong base to further concrete the relations and cooperation in all the fields of the mutual interest. Denmark has helped so much in the framework of its programs DANIDA and Neighbourhood in many areas as justice, public administration, Ombudsman, energy, agriculture, energy, etc. Maturing the free market economy, we have created the possibility to develop and welcome other public and private Danish investments to the Albanian economy.
4. What projects have been initiated in order to enhance cooperation between the two countries? Actually, the bilateral cooperation is more on a trade basis. Many Danish companies and goods are present to the Albanian market, such as LEGO, Arla, Grundfoss, Jusk, Pandora etc. On the other end are exporting to Denmark fresh agricultural products. We are working with the biggest Danish importers, mainly from the biggest supermarkets to import Albanian fresh, organic products, as well olive oil, which is so qualitative. In the meantime, in Albania the fason (madeto-order) industry is going quite well and many international luxury companies are producing their good to Albania, like Gucci, Georgio Armani, Zara, etc. It is a good opportunity for the Danish companies like, Ecco to transfer their production units to Albania as well.
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5. Why is Albania a good tourist destination ? I would like to thank you once more that the main theme of the interview is tourism, which is a priority for the Albanian Government. Being in the heart of Europe and a Mediteranian country, Albania is in a prime position to be visited by foreigners. Albania has more than 260 sunny days per year, 400 km of coast, Adriatic and Ionian Seas. But the sea, sand and sun are not the only things which provide Albania with tourism. There are also 28,000 km2 of diverse terrain, making it a great spot for hiking. We have Alps and the possibility for skiing as well as rafting. Another attractive feature of our country is the cultural and archaeological heritage that Albania has. We have three cities that fall under the UNESCO World heritage, Butrint, Berat and Gjirokastra. Visiting these centres is a fantastic experience full of joy and jaw-dropping views. All the foreign tourists in Albania are enjoying the hospitality of the people and the Albanian traditional culinary, which is so diverse and so similar to our close neighbours, Italy and Greece. The tasteful organic agricultural productions in Albania fortunately are still very massive and popular. 6. The Bank of Albania has released a report stating that FDI’s have increased by almost 40% in the second quarter of 2015. To what is this growth due to ? All the countries of the Western Balkans have made tremendous progress concerning the regional approach, more stability and security and better neighbouring relations have resulted in an increase of the FDI in the region in general and in Albania particularly. Actually massively, mainly German, Austrian and Italian companies and businesses are coming to Albania, which is a good attraction for other countries, including Denmark as well. And this growth is due to: EU perspective of Albania, A high degree of macroeconomic stability, Geographic proximity and tariff-free access to EU markets,
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The diversity of the economy, Taxes and labour costs are favourable, The transport infrastructure is improved tremendously, A good regional energy sector. Despite this progress, attracting FDI to the Albanian national economy is crucial for the future and I think that the regional approach and the Berlin Process which is focused in developing regional infrastructure works in transport, energy, telecommunication, will create greater possibilities for the strategic investors to see the Western Balkans as a hole. 7. What steps have to be taken in order for Albania to become a part of the European Union ? As I mentioned above from June 2014, Albania has the candidat status. What is more important is that the European project has a strong massive support from all the Albanian citizens, with more than 90% being in favour. We are actually focussed to fulfil the five recommendations that the European Commission and member states did to our Government and we fully agree that the European integration is a process based on merits and performances. So the next objective is to open the negotiation process with the European Commission, which is a very important process followed by many profound reforms in all the fields. Actually, the Albanian Government together with opposition parties are working to complete the juridical reform, which is so important and linked with many constitutional changes that will bring us closer towards European standards. 8. What will be the main gains for Albania if they become a member of the Europen Union ? The membership of Albania to the EU is not a formal process, but is a process followed by strong and profound reforms and reaching all the three “Copenhagen criteria�. For sure that the EU membership will increase many standards in my country and the people will be equal to all European people, which is where Albanians really belong.
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Interview with the director of The Nordic Council The Nordic Council was formed in 1952 as a new and even stronger alliance between the Nordic countries. The purpose of the Nordic cooperation was to preserve and develop the Nordic cooperation in the field of justice, culture, communications, environment, social and economic conditions. Today, the Nordic Council works for the same subjects and themes as then. One of the main themes for 2016 is tourism. Swedish Britt Bohlin is the Director of the Secretariat in Copenhagen and at the head of a reformation of the council, which among other things aims to strengthen the political work and make the 87 Nordic parliamentary members more visible. tensen. He has chosen the three main themes for this year, which consists of Nordic defense cooperation, the Nordic cooperation on health and Nordic tourism cooperation. We need to find out how we can bring together the tourism in the Nordic region under a unified whole. Each country already makes a numerous business and tourism promotion abroad. The Danish Presidency in 2016 will focus on whether and how the Nordic countries can work together to market the Nordic region as a single tourist destination, thereby creating further growth and value in the Nordic region and internationally. We will therefore explore the possibilities for a joint Nordic strategy for tourism. What is the Nordic cooperation to you? I can start by telling that the Nordic Council is the official Nordic co-operation between the five Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and the three autonomous territories the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. 87 MPs are members of the Council and they meets five times a year to discuss politics and current cases and make recommendations to the national parliaments. For me, the Nordic cooperation is an extremely important political organization, which in many cases is a pioneer in relation to political matters and issues which the various countries’ parliaments and governments work with on a daily basis.
Why tourism? Our northern region has a unique status internationally in areas such as design, food, film, architecture, sustainability and democracy. But we must not rest on our laurels. We must continue to develop and create more growth and culture.
What is on the agenda right now? Every year a new president is elected. This year it is the former danish minister Henrik Dam Kris-
Would you please elaborate your thoughts on integration and the Nordic Council’s role? In 2015, Europe was experiencing a refugee
We must build on the foundation for further growth and development in a time when we are also challenged with integration. Successful integration is also about getting people into work and education so that they contribute to the society and thus feel that they are part of society and not excluded. Tourism is an industry that contributes to an incredible number of jobs.
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crisis of unprecedented formats. Thousands of people were fleeing from war and terror and headed toward northern Europe and further north to our region. Even today, there are still people on the run and want a safer future for their families and themselves. It is not a crisis that seems to come to an end within a reasonable timeframe. The Nordic cooperation has always worked to improve conditions for Nordic citizens and those who want to settle in the Nordic region. And it is still valid. We thus have to deal with the current situation. As a consequence of the flood of refugees, Sweden has introduced latest ID checks in the border between Denmark and Sweden, as has Denmark introduced the same in the German border. The Schengen Agreement is thus challenged. What mandate do you have in the Nordic Council in relation to the refugee crisis, for example? The Nordic Council is not a legislative body. But our parliamentary members who sit in our four committee and presidium makes recommendations, written questions and stands behind joint opinions addressed to the national parliaments and to the Council of Ministers, which is our sister organization. We also have a strong international cooperation with countries such as the Baltic States, Poland and Germany. When the Council is assembled they discuss current domestic and foreign policy and current issues and cases are being processed. Many of our policy proposals are implemented in the various countries’ political work. We address challenges and solutions and are visible which creates an obligation - not least in relation to the role of parliamentarians in the Nordic Council and their role as a politician in their home country. And the refugees and thus integration is also on our program. And in that context labor market, mobility and a reduction of border barriers plays a major role. These are core areas of the Nordic Council especially the Nordic labor market which is one of the main pillars of our work. What other than tourism is on this year’s program? Tourism is one of three main themes at this year presidency program. The Nordic health cooperation is also on the program. We need to look at the areas that can add value and utility. As in the rest of the world Norden is also experiencing
growing healthcare needs and rising health care costs. We must find solutions, such as joint procurement of medicine between the Nordic countries. And we must focus on rare diseases. It’s all about finding solutions and areas where member countries can benefit from cooperation. The third and final theme is the Nordic Defence Cooperation. Increasing number of acts of terrorism, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Russia’s saber-rattling along the Nordic borders calls for a strengthening of the Nordic Defence Cooperation. The meltdown of the Polar ice is also creating new challenges which demands an increased focus on defense and common solutions in the areas around the Arctic. And in addition to the three main themes we deal with continuous current political and social issues - such as extremism, radicalization, refugee crisis and now integration as a result of the refugee crisis. What is the future for the Nordic co-operation? Now our reformation of the Nordic Council is nearing completion. It has taken a few years. But we now have a more efficient system that will hopefully create even more focus on the political work and our political members. It will also create more visibility in the media and among the public and thus provide the member countries and the politicians an even greater obligation in relation to the work of the Nordic Council and the implementation in the national parliaments. Visibility commits.
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Interview with The Head of the Trade Representation of the Russian Federation This year, the Trade Representation of Russia in Denmark will celebrate it’s 70th anniversary. We ask Tatiana Lvovna Volozhinskaya about the diplomatic relations with Denmark throughout the years and how the trade mission has coped after the implementation of sanctions from both the EU and Russia. Tatiana Lvovna Volozhinskaya is the Head of the Russian Trade Mission in Denmark since 2012. She has been active in the biomedical business sector in Russia, within which she had her own company that made DNA blood tests. Subsequently, she engaged in politics and became a member of the Liberal-Democratic Party headed by Mr. Zhirinovskiy (opposition in Russia) in the Russian Parliament and later became a representative for the Russian federation in the European Council. We do that by setting up different events; some we do by ourselves and some we do together with the Danish embassy. We set up business missions where Danish business men travel to Russia and Russian business men travel to Denmark (in order for them to meet first hand with potential business partners. Every visit has its special theme and the most active branches now are agriculture, the energy sector and the machinery sector.
1. How would you describe the Russian-Danish partnership throughout the years? Throughout history, there have been no conflicts between Denmark and Russia. If we start with our long term relationship, it goes back to the history of our two royal families. The Danish princess Dagmar was the mother of the last Russian emperor, Nicolas II, and wife of Alexander III. Russians’ attitude towards Danes is very respectful and you may even say tender. If you take into consideration the modern period there will be 70 years of trade relations, dating back to 1946, and Russia and Denmark have been very good trade partners ever since. Trade is the most important connecting link between businesses from both countries, and on average Russia has been between the top 10th and 15th trade partner of Denmark. While the economic situation was at its best, between 2008 and 2012, the turnover was around 4 billion dollars and it was approximately 2 for import and 2 for exports, so I think that our mutual interest in trade is very high.
3. To what extent, would you say, do these events enhance cooperation? Setting up a manufacturing plant, for instance, is very time consuming but during the last 5-6 years of close cooperation, Danish businesses, like Carlsberg, have built up factories and breweries, Novo Nordisk has opened a factory last year, Rockwool have 4 plants, and companies like Danfoss and Grundfoss all have their manufacturing facilities in Russia. In total, about 160 companies have their own offices in Russia and 30 have their own manufacturing facilities.
2. What kind of guidance and assistance do you offer Danish entrepreneurs interested in doing business in Russia? Our main task as the Russian Trade Representation is to facilitate business activities of Russian businesses in Denmark and Danish companies in Russia. We act as a connecting link for Russian businesses who are interested in Denmark, we track new technology investment, and also help Russian exporters find potential Danish partners who will buy their goods.
4. Do you reach out to the smaller companies in Denmark as well? We also work with smaller companies; they might not open an office in Russia but they do export to Russia. If we receive a request from a Danish company to find a producer for a certain product or to find good quality product, we help them find relevant contacts and our guidance is all for free. That is what sets us apart from the Danish embassy in Moscow; our services are free of charge both for Danish and
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Russian companies. We are financed from the federal budget and the position of our government is that we should be helping for free within the area of our expertise. Even the smallest companies that cannot pay for consulting services should be able to find a partner in another country, and any company interested in doing business in Russia can set up a private meeting and get guidance for free. 5. Which industries in Russia have the most potential at the moment and why? At the moment there is a high level of tension in trade between the EU and Russia. The EU has enforced sanctions and Russia has enforced counter-sanctions, and unfortunately we have to work within this framework. But even with this tense relationship, there are certain conditions that help create a good climate for foreign companies in Russia. This is especially in the agricultural sector, production of pharmaceuticals and equipment, and machinery development. We cooperate closely with the Danish Agriculture and Food Council and with Danish pharmaceutical companies that are very well-known and very welcomed in the Russian market. Health care and especially pharma is a very important sector because Denmark is a leading pharmaceutical nation, and in Russia there are special import substitution programs within the pharmaceutical sector, so we invite Danish companies to work more actively in Russia. Moreover, new technologies that are developed even by the smallest companies do not go unnoticed from our side because we are very interested in new technology for a new kind of production. We would also like to mention aquaculture sector which is a very large sector as well. 6. Which industries in Denmark would benefit the most from investing in Russia and why is it advantageous for these industries to invest now? There are especially good conditions for businesses seeking to invest in the agricultural sector in Russia. Due to the sanction war, Danish farmers, for instance, can’t sell their goods if they are produced in Denmark to Russia, but they can start up production in Russia and become localized Russian producers and at the same time to lower their risks and maybe even cut their expenses this way. For example, Arla Foods cannot sell their milk products to Russia but instead they opened a factory in Voronezh
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with a Russian partner and because of that, they covered their Danish expenses and have actually gained some profit. They were planning to go to their maximum level of production within four years but they have maximized it in the first half year and opened another line because they realised it was very profitable. It is also relevant for pharmaceutical companies to invest because there are import substitution programs organized by the government and if the company localises its production they have beneficial conditions for participation in governmental tenders and governmental procurement. Despite rather difficult economic conditions, we are finding ways to cooperate and develop our connections and there is a high interest from Russian companies who want to sell their goods in Denmark and from Danish companies who would like to work in the Russian market. There are no negative attitudes toward goods produced in Denmark, Germany or the United States. There is a first come first served basis; those who enter the market first have the most advantage. For Russians its not important that it is a Danish company; for them it is already a Russian producer and a locally produced good and for them the most important thing is quality. 7. In the light of the sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU, what efforts have been made in order to reassure potential Danish investors that Russia is still a good place to invest? In this political situation especially, our task is even of more importance. There is no negative attitude from either side and Danish goods are welcome in Russia where they can find their own niche and their own consumers. We are looking for new ideas for cooperation all the time. Two times a year we hold business forums for Danish investors where we talk about the conditions for investment in Russia and we can tell you that it is still of high interest for Danish companies. In April we are going to hold our next event and it is to commemorate the 70th anniversary but also to talk about business, and there is such a high interest from the Danish side that the Danish ambassador in Moscow has agreed to come and represent the Danish view on doing business in Russia. So we can see that there is a lot of interest from Danish investors working in the Russian market because producing in Denmark and selling in Russia does not work anymore due to the high costs right now. Companies have to think about lowering their cost and also producing goods that
can compete on the Russian market. There are probably some companies that don’t want to invest in Russia as a consequence of the sanctions, but these companies do not come to us. We regularly meet with companies who have been working in Russia for a longer period of time and we ask for their opinion on the Russian business market. We work with large companies like LEGO and Carlsberg and also very small companies, and we always ask them about their challenges; if they face corruption or if they have some negative attitudes. We are always interested in what kinds of problems they are facing. All the businessmen that we meet say that it is not more difficult to do business in Russia than it is in any other country but It is very important to find a lawyer who knows Russian law and to find a credible partner. As for investments, Russian investment law is within OECD norms and standards so the investor should not have any concerns about their money if nothing happens on the global level. 8. Many academics believe that there is a positive correlation between the amount of foreign investments and the number of foreign tourist visiting a country. Has there been a focus on further developing the tourism industry in Russia in this context? We would like to see more Danish tourists in Russia but they love the sun and Russia is not always very sunny. Most of the Danish tourists go to St. Petersburg are interested in history and in the relationship between the two royal families but Russia is a huge country. Business men that we talk to who have visited our far east region have said that it is a very interesting area. We can offer warm and cold sees, mountains and the caucuses in Sochi where the Olympics were held. We would like Danish tourists to pay attention to all those places as well. There are a lot of beautiful places in Russia. We have the so called Golden Ring, which is several smaller towns but with great historic value where there are ancient buildings like churches and monasteries, and there are organised tours to all of those small towns. It is in the canter of Russia so in one week you can visit all the 6 towns. We have the lake Baikal which is the largest and the deepest fresh water lake in the world, some even call it a sea. Also, we have Caucuses which are mountains with sub tropical climate where you can ski in the mountains and swim when you are near the see.
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MACEDONIA
JOINT OF HISTORICAL HERITAGE AND URBAN LIVING Starting from March this year, direct flight is established from Copenhagen to Skopje! Skopje is the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. Starting from March this year, Skopje will be connected via direct flight with Copenhagen, connection that will ease and fulfill the expectations for all the travelers from Denmark wishing to visit Macedonia. River Vardar is dividing the city in two parts, modern and traditional. The old part of the town dates from pre-antique period. During that time it was called Scupi and its location had strategic importance as one of the main political, cultural and economic centers. Things have not changed a lot since then in terms of importance, as this town today is capital town of the country offering nature, culture, architecture, history and many exciting stories. Examples from the Ottoman architecture can be seen in the Old Bazaar, while medieval structural design is visible at the Fortress Kale. Trough the years Skopje has been host to significant events and festivals. All of them combined with vast offer for eno-gastro enjoyment presented by the numerous restaurants, launch bars and the typical allday traditional eateries, called “kafana” in Macedonian language. The By Hugo Horwood
nightlife is extraordinary and various Macedonian and International beverages could be on your list for tasting, such as the famous vine and beer selection. It is important to start the day in Macedonia with burek, as the most delicious and traditional puff pastry that will fulfill your relationship with carbs. Due to the warm climate and excellent conditions for agriculture, organic vegetables and fruits can be easily found all over the country… but Ohrid trout, only in Ohrid – the main touristic destination in Macedonia. With glass of traditional white wine and Ohrid trout, guests in the town which is under double cultural and natural protection of UNESCO, can enjoy on the Ohrid lake’s shore until late evening hours. Ohrid is the citymuseum where you can visit 365 beautiful monasteries and churches along graceful hill surrounded by National Park and beaches. All of it makes the town “Jerusalem of the Balkans”. The lake is one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe that with its calmness gives inner peace to the soul. Threat Yourself – Discover Macedonia, You are always Welcome!
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Tourism and Development
Opportunities and Challenges
Importance of tourism in promoting economic growth and attracting investments in a country
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velopment. Demand side developments including needs for products and quality standards previously unavailable in host country markets create incentives for local companies and entrepreneurs to diversify and innovate. This process has spill over effects for domestic markets, resulting in long-term socio-economic improvements in the host economy.
The global Travel & Tourism industry is a hugely significant element of international trade. The sector accounts for 9.5% of global GDP, and is the world’s fourth largest export sector, generating US$1.5 trillion in 2015. Global Travel & Tourism is responsible for supporting the employment of over 284 million people who directly or indirectly interact with over 1.1 billion tourists each year. In 2015, total contribution of Travel & Tourism to global GDP growth outdid the economy average at +3.5%, and was accompanied by rapid 4.1% growth in Travel & Tourism related investment. The sector shows no signs of slowing, as the Travel & Tourism industry’s contribution to global GDP is forecast at +3.6%, and the number of international tourists expected to reach 1.8 billion. As well as being of enormous global significance, the industry is profoundly important for local developing economies. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes, “…tourism can help drive economic growth and alleviate poverty. In fact, tourism has proved to be one of the leading ways for least developed countries to increase their participation in the global economy”. Many developing countries strongly rely on Travel & Tourism and foreign investment in the sector as a means to buoy GDP levels and create sustainable, long-term economic growth. Specific benefits of Travel & Tourism include direct and indirect employment via interaction with tourists or supply chain activities respectively. Additionally, the industry provides an important opportunity for developing economies’ diversification and technological de-
The Tourism and Travel industry is crucial in stimulating foreign direct investment in national economies. Statistical analysis from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) shows that a strong positive relationship exists between the intensity of investment in infrastructure quality and capacity and demand levels in the industry. This has important implications for public investment. The WTTC implores that governments should invest in ‘tourism specific’ infrastructure (equipment, land, buildings) as well as ‘tourism supporting’ infrastructure (air and road transport, hospitals, utilities), and if unable to do so, should promote and encourage private investment in these areas. By expanding capacity and enhancing infrastructure through public and private investment, host economies engage a virtuous cycle of demand stimulation and foreign investment which yields profound socio-economic benefits over the long term. It is important to note, however, that the Travel & Tourism industry, if mismanaged, can have opposite, detrimental effects on a host society. This is particularly pertinent when we observe the relationship between Tourism and the natural environment. Tourism often puts enormous strain on an economy’s local resources, with seasonal fluctuations in demand resulting in depletion of water, energy, food and raw materials for the local population. Additionally, investment in infrastructure often means the degradation of local habitats. The resulting destabilisation of these ecosystems can mean a loss of biological diversity and amount of natural resources. The United Nations Environmental Programme argues that given these possibilities, it is crucial that governments regulate their Travel and Tourism industries, and channel foreign invested capital into conservation programs and activities.
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Up and coming event Charity Concert
INVITATION
Copenhagen International Rotary Club
Copenhagen International Rotary Club have the pleasure of inviting you to a Charity Concert with acclaimed Italian pianist Francesco Attesti to support the Danish Red Cross and its „Smid Tøjet” campaign.
When: Saturday April 16th, 2016 at 19:30 Where: Old Fellow Pallæet, Bredgade 28, Copenhagen
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Program: 19:30 - 20:00 Welcome drink 20:00 - 20:45 Mr. Jacques Radinson Tenor, Opera Singer Mr. Borce Naumoski, Classic Music Guitar player 20:45 - 21:15 Break Including Wine and Food 21:15 - 22:00 Mr. Francesco Attesti, Pianist 22:00 - 22:30 Lottery Winners and Auction During two hours of concert in one of Copenhagen’s finest venues you will hear Mr. Francesco Attesti performing piano works by Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin and Johannes Brahms. Also, Mr. Borce Naumoski will perform compositions by besides others Mauro Giuliani and Mr. Jacques Radinson will sing from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Rigoletto and a mix of Italian Neapolitan songs.
About the Musicians: Francesco Attesti
Francesco Attesti (*1975) is an Italian pianist of international acclaim. Among his generation of musicians, he is considered one of the finest interpreters of the Romantic and early Twentieth Century Repertoire.
Jacques will perform the first two areas of ”La donna e mobile” from the opera Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi and a mix of Italian Napolitan vocals as well as perform parts of other Italian Operas.
Currently, Francesco Attesti performs regularly in internationally prestigious concert halls like: Philharmonia Hall of Saint Petersburg, Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow, Mozarteum of Salzburg as well as the Conservatory ”G. Verdi” in Milan.
About Red Cross Denmark and its „Smid Tøjet” campaign: Røde Kors is the Danish section of The Red Cross with its annual „Smid Tøjet” (Drop the Clothes) campaign, which starts in April, it wants to raise awareness about and help the many people living in poverty. All over Denmark used clean clothes can be donated and a show at broadcaster TV2 will raise money for the cause. And so do we. All income from the concert tickets after cost will be donated to the Danish Red Cross.
On this very special evening he will honour Copenhagen with his appearance and will be giving a piano solo recital with works of Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin and Johannes Brahms
Borce Naumoski
Borce Naumoski is a classic music guitar player and university professor at the State University ”St. Cyril and Methodius”, The Faculty of Music Arts in Skopje, Macedonia and will be performing compositions of Mauro Giuliani, Francisco Tárrega and Joaquín Rodrigo.
Jacques Radison
Jacques Radison has worked as a soloist at the Belgrad Opera. He was engaged at the Royal Opera in Stockholm for 15 years. He has also a career internationally within renaissance and baroque music.
The event is fully supported by H.E Mr. Henk Swarttouw The Ambassador of The Kingdom of The Netherlands to the Kingdom of Denmark. More info (in Danish) can be found here: https://www.rodekors.dk/det-goer-vi/genbrug/smid-toejet
Be sure to get your tickets, listen to good music and help! Sign up now on the following link Copenhagen International Rotary Club Charity Concert For more information, please write to charity@circ.dk
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Event Gallery Advantage Austria
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Event Gallery Concert arranged by the Portugeuse Embassy
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Event Gallery Concert at the Romainan Embassy
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Event Gallery Launch of Ogoni Magazine
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Event Gallery National day of Bulgaria
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Event Gallery Visit to Amager Resource Center
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www.dkdiplomat.dk +45 52 88 73 92 business@dkdiplomat.dk
DIPLOMAT BUSINESS
Assists embassies and their consular, economic, cultural, investment and commercial sections. As well as trade-invest agencies and trade representations in identifying, selecting, contacting: Relevant partners, Sub-supplier, New potential partners, Distributors, Customers, Agents, Supplier, Whole salers etc.
Who we are
Diplomat Business is the strong voice of Embassies and TradeInvest agencies. Diplomat Business is the ”Embassy to Business” consulting branch of DK Diplomat.
What we do
We work hard to provide the most relevant information and networking opportunities for you and the companies you work with.
Why we do it
Organization such as DI or Dansk Erhverv offers very little to none help to embassies. As stated in our mission statement we will do anything in our power to assist you in fulfilling your needs the best way possible.
Services “Using Diplomat Business you’ll be able to spend more time on the most important tasks”
For more information or for signing up contact us at business@dkdiplomat.dk or +45 52 88 73 92.
Export/import analysis, Counseling, Market/industry analysis, Partner identification, Competitor analysis, Conference/ trade fairs, Company visits, Networking events, etc.