Singapore’s ‘minister mentor’ feted; EU Commission’s ambassador departs for ‘greener’ pastures.

By Gail Scott

Statesman Lee Kuan Yew greets Esther Coopersmith as Ambassador of Singapore Chan Heng-Chee and Sen. Jim Webb look on. (Photo courtesy US-ASEAN Business Council)

VISIONARY LEADER

The US-ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Business Council presented its first Lifetime Achievement Award to Singapore’s legendary first prime minister and now its “minister mentor,” Lee Kuan Yew, at a high- powered black-tie celebration of its 25th anniversary at the Mandarin Oriental on Oct. 25. Luminaries gathered from the foreign policy, government, academic, and business establishments included ASEAN ambassadors, former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George P. Shultz; United Technologies Chairman George David; Sen. Jim Webb (chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs), and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt M. Campbell. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush added their congratulations via video.

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The Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan is a classically elegant mix of East and West with an long history and detailed design

By Ernesto M. Santalla AIA, LEED AP
Photos by Piers Lamb

The exterior of the Uzbekistan Embassy. (Photo by Piers Lamb)

Before well-known local banker and horseman Clarence Moore died tragically in thesinking of the Titanic in 1912, he had Jules Henri de Sibour, an Ecole des Beaux Arts trained architect and a descendant of King Louis XVI of France, design a stately mansion for him at 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW. After it’s completion in 1909, Moore and his wife Mabelle lived there until Clarence’s untimely death. Mabelle Moore remained in possession of the house until 1927, when it was sold to the Canadian government.

British Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald names his favorite places in DC.

Sir Nigel Sheinwald in the British Embassay Library

I have a great affection for Washington, D.C. We first lived here in the 1980s when I was a young diplomat in the British Embassy, with a house in the Fort Sumner area northwest of the city. Our two eldest boys were born here – at Sibley Hospital – so it’s always been a special place for us.

Coming back two decades later – this time as the British ambassador – I was struck by how much has changed: the regeneration of downtown and the emergence of a vibrant, diverse, and sophisticated social and cultural scene. Washington remains the most important political city in the world.

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Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure comes to the Middle East.

Egyptian Ambassador Sameh Shoukry and Ambassador Nancy Brinker stand before a work from her extensive collection of Hungarian Art. (Photo by Joseph Allen)

Nancy Brinker’s last promise to her sister, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 1980, was that she would continue to fight against the potentially life-threatening disease. Two years later, Brinker founded Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which has raised over $1 billion in 27 years and has become the largest source of nonprofit funds devoted to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

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Contributing Editor and Diplomatic Dance columnist Gail Scott on the tightly-knit Embassy Row community.

Gail Scott with Ichiro Fujisaki

This fall is different and we all seem more like “family.” Washington’s new political atmosphere has spread to Embassy Row: fresh, young diplomatic families bringing their high energy and hopes to their residences and chanceries, just the way the Obamas have filled the White House, the Oval Office, and the South Lawn with their new ideas and lifestyle choices. Veteran envoys of all races, religions, and cultures seem happier to be here. Never have so many non-Muslims celebrated breaking the Ramadan fast at sundown with their diplomatic Arab colleagues. British Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald and Lady Sheinwald, among many other ambassadorial couples representing Muslim-minority countries, welcomed their diplomatic colleagues from Muslim-majority countries into their official homes. “This was a first for us,” said Sir Nigel. “An experiment, you might say, but we would like to continue this new tradition each year to show goodwill to our Muslim friends.”

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By Kareen Kakouris

Tatiana Chirtoaca, student at Language ETC and wife of the Ambassador of Moldova with Kareen Kakouris, teacher at Language ETC and wife of the Ambassador of Cyprus. (Photo by Tony Powell)

Growing up in New Jersey, I remember my mother telling me how she and my father, along with my grandparents, immigrated to America. They came from Hamburg, Germany and didn’t speak a word of English. My mother arrived first and not long after married my father, a Scotsman whom she had met in Germany. When my grandparents came to the United States a couple of years later, my mother’s English was so good she was able to help her own father on job interviews.

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By Jaroslava Kolárová, Wife of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic
Photos by Abby Greenawalt

Eva Hafström , Wife of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden. Photo by Abby Greenawalt.

The “Spouses of the Ambassadors of the EU Diplomatic Missions to the US” exhibition hosted at the Embassy of the Czech Republic focused on the spouses, who support their loved ones in their diplomatic careers by assuming special roles themselves in order to represent their respective European Union (EU) member states. As their dedication to building partnerships among nations is not always visible at first sight, the exhibition recognized the essential role these spouses serve within the diplomatic community.
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Connecting to a global audience one tweet at a time.

By Mark Drapeau

Tero Ojanperäwants to rule the world. Well, perhaps the September cover of geeky Fast Company magazine goes a little too far with that pronouncement. But despite all the media buzz about Apple’s iPhone and the fact that nearly everyone in Washington has a Blackberry attached to their thumbs, those two devices combined account for only three percent of the global phone market. Nokia, on the other hand – the company that Tero Ojanperä  is the Executive Vice President of Entertainment and Communities for – owns nearly 40%. If he who controls the medium controls the message, Nokia might very well control the future of mobile text, video, music, and other things you want to have on-the-go. And this in turn may affect international diplomacy.

But such global ambitions do not happen without good public relations and influencer outreach. Fast Company describes Ojanperä as a Warhol-meets-Bond-villain businessman wooing music industry executives at a fashionable Tribeca hotel. But this kind of public-outreach-meets-global-domination is certainly not unique to corporations. In fact, governments and empires havehad the lead on that score for centuries as they fight for and strive to maintain influence in the world, and Finland is no exception. Thanks to a new “sister city” marriage of Washington and Helsinki, a program called Invitation to Helsinki brought some District influencers to meet counterparts and exchange knowledge. With backing from Finland’s U.S. Ambassador, this brainchild of the Finnish Embassy’s cultural counselor Pekka Hako blossomed into a collection of relationships that may last far beyond the week-long trip that people like Government 2.0 Club co-founder Peter Corbett, Georgetown student body president Patrick Dowd, and political communications expert Blake Zeff took.

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We proudly present our 2009-2010 Washington Life Diplomatic List. Here you will find spouses’ names, many diplomatic residences, and correct addresses for thank you notes, deans by seniority, and more photos of ambassadors than ever before during this big year of change.

Amb. Roy Ferguson and Don Ferguson (New Zealand), Amb. Michael Louis (St. Lucia), Amb. Vaino Reinhart (Estonia), Amb. Claudia Fritsche (Luxembourg), Amb. Maria de Fatima da Veiga (Cape Verde), Amb. Heng Chan Chee (Singapore), Amb. Latchezar Petkov and Doryana Petkova (Bulgaria).

Our Diplomatic Family

Contributing Editor and Diplomatic Dance columnist Gail Scott on the tightly-knit Embassy Row community.

This fall is different and we all seem more like “family.” Washington’s new political atmosphere has spread to Embassy Row: fresh, young diplomatic families bringing their high energy and hopes to their residences and chanceries, just the way the Obamas have filled the White House, the Oval Office, and the South Lawn with their new ideas and lifestyle choices. Veteran envoys of all races, religions, and cultures seem happier to be here. Never have so many non-Muslims celebrated breaking the Ramadan fast at sundown with their diplomatic Arab colleagues. British Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald and Lady Sheinwald, among many other ambassadorial couples representing Muslim-minority countries, welcomed their diplomatic colleagues from Muslim-majority countries into their official homes. “This was a first for us,” said Sir Nigel. “An experiment, you might say, but we would like to continue this new tradition each year to show goodwill to our Muslim friends.”

Our new Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and her new Chief of Protocol Capricia Marshall continue the very recent tradition of women at the top of our foreign ministry. Capricia, in particular, represents the increasing pride of top appointees with mixed heritage. During her festive Seventh Floor swearing in, Capricia celebrated her Croatian and Mexican heritage (38 family members were there) and her long friendship with the Clintons (Chelsea included).

Amid all this camaraderie, we face tough choices in a world that is not as safe or as carefree as it used to be. Many of our countries are struggling financially and the worldwide economic questions get priority over everything else but security. We need our diplomatic family to help us navigate these global issues and we welcome our newest diplomatic family members to Washington – still the number one diplomatic posting on the globe.

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The Obamas’ first diplomatic reception, the president’s sister comes to town, and diplomatic nuptials of note
By Gail Scott

President Obama’s sister, Maya Soetoro Ng (center), poses with Indonesian Amb. Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat and his wife Nunungat at an exhibit of batiks collected by Ann Duhnam, Soetoro Ng and Obama’s mother. (Photo by Gail Scott)

What vacation?
The Obamas’ White House reception for Washington’s huge diplomatic corps was a gracious invitation even though the late July “command performance” meant that many envoys and their families had to change much anticipated home leave or summer vacation plans to be there.
Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki and his wife Yoriko were originally leaving for Tokyo on July 27, the date of the first “Diplomatic Do,” but the consummate diplomats changed their flight to the next day in order to join the long line of colleagues waiting to have their pictures taken with Barack and Michele Obama (who was dressed in red, white and … black!).
“We thought it was impressive that the first couple was welcoming each envoy so cordially,” Amb. Fujisaki reported, “Yoriko and I were able to feel the very warm atmosphere of the Obama White House. We both wore traditional Japanese kimono and appreciated delicious Japanese dishes as well. We felt very much at home. Our only hope is that the White House will always remain open and friendly as we experienced it that evening.”

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Perspectives on power and music, plus diplomatic comings and goings.

By Gail Scott

Benny Goodman performs for a young audience in Red Square. Moscow, Soviet Union, 1962 (Courtesy of the Irving S. Gilmore Music Library, Benny Goodman Papers, Yale University)

What’s Power on Embassy Row?
To many, power on Embassy Row means getting instant return calls from the White House. Others count the number of Cabinet secretaries and Supreme Court justices they can attract to a dinner. Some count their Sunday morning talk show appearances as badges of power.

But on the fifth anniversary of the American occupation of his country, Iraqi Ambassador Sameer Shaker Sumaidaie wishes he had less “power.”“I don’t see myself as ‘powerful,’ he said recently. “In the old days, when communication was so different, ambassadors wielded the influence of their nation in the host country. The British ambassador in a small country projected the power of the whole empire. Today, communication is much more direct between heads of state.”

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British elegance, the gift of music, and a global fight to cure cancer

By Gail Scott

The Hon. Edwina Sandys Kaplan and Brendan Gleeson. Photo by Gail Scott.

Embassy Row Glitters
Anyone who thinks major embassy dinners are a relic of a bygone era should have been at the British Embassy on June 1st when Sir Nigel and Lady Sheinwald feted Librarian of Congress James H. Billington on his 80th birthday along with such stellar and eclectic guests as Justice Samuel Alito, Donald Graham, Marta Istomin, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and the Russian, French, and Danish ambassadors. Former Rep. Jim Leach (whose nomination as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities was announced the following day) joined Sir Nigel in praising the honoree’s many outstanding qualities and achievements (Rhodes scholar, Harvard and Princeton history professor, author of numerous books on Russia), and most especially his 22-year tenure at the library, where he has overseen the placement of more than eight million items on-line that are free-of-charge to users.

Other recent all-star evenings hosted by the British include the launch of HBO’s “Into The Storm,” with Irishman Brendan Gleeson playing Sir Winston Churchill. In attendance: the legendary prime minister’s granddaughter, the Hon. Edwina Sandys Kaplan, who praised the production – but with one exception. “My grandfather never wore PJ’s,” she told guests, “he always wore a white nightshirt.” In mid-June, heralding the Royal Ballet’s week-long Kennedy Center engagement, the Brits once again gathered social and media luminaries to celebrate the company’s dancers, including departing American star Alexandra Ansanelli.

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High honors, tireless diplomacy, and open houses all over town

By Gail Scott

Tom Pickering with Singaporean Amb. Chan Heng-Chee. Photo by Gail Scott.

DISTINGUISHED AWARDEES

Thomas Pickering, undersecretary of state for political affairs during the Clinton years and one of America’s premier diplomats, was honored as a “leading multi-lateralist who personifies the ethos of pragmatic idealism” during the Stimson Center’s tribute at the Embassy of Singapore on April 22. “He’s a diplomat’s diplomat,” Ambassador Chan Heng-Chee said, praising the former Fulbright Scholar and U.S. ambassador to Russia, the UN, Israel, El Salvador, Nigeria, and Jordan.

Former Ambassador to Mexico James Robert “Jim” Jones was honored for his service as chairman of Meridian International Center at its spring garden benefit. It was obvious from the start that the honoree’s wife, Olivia (once his law partner), is just as much a Washington insiders’ favorite. His first love, however, was politics, so it was no surprise to anyone who knew him that, at 28, President Lyndon B. Johnson picked Jones to be his appointments secretary – the position now called chief of staff – making him the youngest person in history to hold that important gate-keeping post. The Oklahoma Democrat later served in Congress for seven terms (and was chairman of the House Budget Committee for four years), then moved on to be chairman and CEO of the American Stock Exchange from 1989-1993. Today, Jones is co-chairman and CEO of Manatt Jones Global Strategies.

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The Poles’ new home, hip Japanese talent, and a Costa Rican trade agreement

Finola Bruton, wife of the European Union’s ambassador, poses near her portrait taken by Washington-based photographer Abby Greenwalt

By Gail Scott

Hillary’s New Neighbors

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s new neighbors, Polish Ambassador Robert Kupiecki, his wife Malgorzata, and their children (Martin, 16, and Magdalena, 6), can’t wait to move into their new residence, art collector Paul Mellon’s former mansion on Whitehaven Street NW, but extensive renovations are keeping the moving vans at bay. The house and its huge back garden (which borders the British ambassador’s residence), was most recently owned by Nicholas F. Brady, who served as secretary of the treasury during the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. This year, Poland has much to celebrate at its May 6 national day at the Corcoran Gallery of Art: 200-plus years of the Polish constitution – Europe’s first (1791), 90 years of diplomatic relations with the U.S., a decade in NATO, and 20 years of non-communist rule.

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The Mondales return, diplomatic moves and a movie queen on Embassy Row

By Gail Scott

Joan and Walter Mondale. Photo by Gail Scott

Mondale: A Crucial Bridge
Buddies from the Carter White House, Congress, and Cleveland Park welcomed Walter Mondale back to Washington when the former senator, vice president, and ambassador to Japan (from 1993 to 1997) was decorated with the highest imperial order Japan bestows upon a foreigner. Mondale and his wife, Joan, are still beloved in Japan.

Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki presented the guest of honor with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers, saying he had “made the difference” in creating an “everlasting bridge” between the two countries.

Now 81 and still involved with Japanese-American interests, Mondale noted the appropriateness of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s choice of Japan for her first foreign visit. “They had wonderful talks … with such a strong partnership, every big problem can be easily solved.”

The receiving line was full of VIPs with favorite Mondale stories. Norwegian Ambassador Wegger Strommen said his famous friend was not only “Norway’s consul general in Minnesota but ‘chief of the tribe’ of six million Norwegian-Americans,” a “great friend” of King Harald V, and “the first person I called here.” Food writer Marian Burros joked, “The first time I met Walter Mondale was at a Pillsbury Bake-Off in Minneapolis and we’ve been close friends ever since.”

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Canadian Ambassador Michael Wilson reflects on our northern neighbor’s commitment to protect a shared environment

Jasper National Park - Athabasca Glacier

As citizens of the world’s second largest country, Canadians act as stewards of vast and diverse ecosystems on behalf of our planet. As neighbors, that stewardship extends to our shared continental environment and is a key part of the deep Canada-U.S. relationship. Canadians and Americans breathe the same air, drink the same water, and share responsibility for ensuring that future generations have a safe, clean, and healthy continent. And that common cause extends to our role as global leaders in protecting our environment.

Climate change shows how leaders are required to deal with issues that have very real, local environmental consequences. For Canada our path forward is clear – addressing climate change by reducing our carbon emissions through domestic, continental, and international action.

To that end, our countries have established a Clean Energy Dialogue to collaborate and innovate, with a view toward advancing technologies and infrastructure that will reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change. Canada has recently committed over $750 million to clean energy research and demonstration projects, including carbon capture and storage. Working together with our provinces, in particular Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada has cumulatively set aside roughly $3 billion for advanced research.

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One envoy says ‘I do;’ another says ‘I don’t’

By Gail Scott

Portuguese Ambassador João de Vallera plants a deft kiss upon the hand of Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Eastern Inaugural ball at Union Station.

Diplomatic Nuptials
Saudi Arabian Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir is a bachelor no longer! While we weren’t watching he got married to beautiful widow Farah Al-Fayez, 27, with whom he is now living (along with her six-year-old twins) in his McLean ambassadorial residence. Everything was below the radar until someone noticed that Al-Jubeir, 47, was smiling a lot more.

Another Arab ambassador who is young and quite handsome may be available again. If you were invited to the March 7 wedding, don’t worry about buying this dashing envoy a gift. The nuptials are off and no one is sure why. His staff is as shocked as the rest of us.

Inaugural Keepsakes
It’s already March, but diplomats are still trading inaugural photos of each other as if they were baseball cards. A special favorite: the one of dapper Portuguese Ambassador João de Vallera kissing the hand of not-yet-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Eastern Ball at Union Station. De Vallera himself captured another “the-world-is-one-place” moment of his Jordanian colleague, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, with his red native head scarf against the gorgeous blue sky.

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Eclectic wardrobes typify Washington’s diplomatic nomads.

By Gail Scott

Chan Heng-Chee

Foreign diplomats and their spouses bring a unique style to Washington that is often more of a mélange from their nomadic life abroad than typical of their homeland. These citizens of the world may add to their wardrobes in Washington and New York, but cherish what they found during former postings and visits to London, Paris, Moscow, Beijing, New Delhi or Kabul.

Shamim Jawad is well known for elegant, colorful Afghan fashions that sparkle, shine, and sometimes even jingle– reminding us of her country’s long history as an important trade route. Iceland’s petite Åsa Baldvinsdóttir loves purple and probably wears the most avant-garde clothing with short skirts and tights topped with hip Icelandic jewelry. Lebanon’s Nicole Chedid is proud of her gowns by Elie Saab, the top Lebanese designer responsible for the luscious red dress Halle Berry wore to accept her Oscar.

Italian-born Maria Felice Mekouar has a great talent for picking gorgeous colors and mixing fashion elements from all over the world. I’ve never seen this champion golfer on the links at the Chevy Chase Club, but she probably looks fabulous there, too. She and her well-dressed husband, Aziz, always look the part and represent Morocco with great style.

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Saudi Arabian Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir

By John Greenya

Adel al-Jubeir doesn’t get the easy jobs. But the apparent ease with which he handles them suggests that the still-new Saudi Arabian ambassador, having shown he can operate in the spotlight, is equally effective and relaxed away from the glare in his new role as his country’s point man in Washington.

When it was learned that 15 of the 19 terrorists responsible for 9/11 were Saudi Arabian nationals, al-Jubeir, then-foreign affairs advisor to the then-Crown Prince, now King Abdullah, had the unenviable job of convincing Americans that their best friends in the Middle East had not turned against them. Almost overnight, he seemed to be everywhere, being interviewed on television by Charlie Rose and then Wolf Blitzer, among others, and giving interviews to the leading print media.

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By Roland Flamini

Renée Jones-Bos, the Netherland’s new ambassador to Washington, hit the ground running. During her first official week on the job she presented her credentials to President George Bush on Wednesday along with other recent arrivals. On Friday, there was a special meeting of EU ambassadors on the situation in Iran, and then later, at the week’s end, Jones-Bos was in New York to help launch next year’s 400th anniversary celebrations of Henry Hudson’s taking possession of Manhattan Island for the Dutch.

Talleyrand, the consummate 19th century diplomat, would probably not have considered the latter worthy of his attention, but times have changed. A century ago, a diplomat operated according to the rules established by the Congress of Vienna of 1814, which shaped political Europe following the downfall of Napoleon and remained in force with remarkably little change until almost the end of the last century. Today, says Pierre Vimont, France’s dapper, affable ambassador, the diplomat’s horizons have to be much wider. “You have to be knowledgeable about so many issues besides politics; you have to know about financial markets, climate change, terrorism, defense, commerce. You are working in a global environment in which issues, and different decisions on those issues, are all interconnected.”

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Very special national days, diplomatic moves, and a summer barbecue.

By Gail Scott

President Bush and Colombian Ambassador Carolina Barco in the Oval Office.

Oval Office Access
Colombian Ambassador Carolina Barco, the former foreign minister of her country and the daughter of a former Colombian president, enjoys extremely good access at the highest levels of the Bush Administration. It seems that her father, Virgilio Barco, and the President’s father, President George H.W. Bush, held their nation’s presidency simultaneously and enjoyed each other’s company. So, each summer when Colombia’s July 22 national day rolls around, President George W. Bush has hosted a celebration in the White House for Colombia. The first year, 1996, it was Foreign Minister Barco who was there with then-Ambassador Luis Alberto Moreno. This year, Mrs. Barco returned to the Oval Office the very next day as well, with Colombia’s much-in-the-news defense minister, Juan Manuel Santos, who came specifically to thank the U.S. for its assistance in helping with the July 27 release of four political hostages — which included Ingrid Betancourt, the celebrated French-born woman who was running for Colombia’s presidency when she was captured.

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Italian Ambassador Giovanni Castelanetta, Lila Castelanetta, and actor Michael Douglas at Ploughshares’ event. (Photo by Gail Scott)

Change is in the air

By Gail Scott

A Nuclear Weapon-Free World?
There was standing-room only at the newly refurbished Italian Residence to hear Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and Ploughshares board member and actor/producer Michael Douglas discuss the prospects of a nuclear weapon-free world. “I was hoping for a high level discussion, covering some of the big issues,” said the senior senator and author, “We need to get out of the cheap political underbrush…If we squander this opportunity, we won’t have many more.”

Douglas recounted his father, Kirk Douglas’ family background before they made it in Hollywood. “They were from near Chernobyl and today nothing is left,” he said, “I’m so excited to hear this serious discussion. It gives me hope.”

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Former American Ambassador to the Netherlands Howard Wilkins and his wife Rhonda celebrate “America’s longest uninterrupted ally” at the 13th Annual Netherland- America Foundation Awards Dinner by wearing the Dutch national colors. (Photo by Kyle Samperton for The NAF)

Definitions of affluence differ; but red, white, and blue is a charmer.

By Gail Scott

Gross national product, per capita income, oil reserves, and adequate water and food divide the world into “wealthy” and “poor.” Yes, America still has the most billionaires, but to many people, especially those outside the U.S., personal wealth – meaning currency and property – isn’t the only way to measure “wealth.” Some would rather have a royal title and less money. Others cherish their quality of life – in that category, Irish, Swiss, and Norwegians rank highest, but the U.S. is only 13th, just above Canada. Andorra, a tiny country in the Pyrenees, has the longest life expectancy at 83.5 years, with Japan, Macau, San Marino and Singapore close behind.

The Dutch have the shortest work week, and Singapore boasts of its “human” capital. Amsterdam’s the number one Internet hub, but Switzerland has the most computers per person. Do cell-phones make you feel rich and well-connected? The combined 27 nations of the European Union boast 466,000,000 cell phones but China is only five million behind at 461,100,000. The number one environmentally friendly nation is Finland followed by Norway, Uruguay, Sweden, Iceland, Canada and Switzerland. Iceland and Norway take turns being ranked the most peaceful nation. Canada has 40 percent of the world’s water and Uganda has the highest air quality. Australia is the sunniest country in the world but Ethiopia boasts “Thirteen months of sunshine!” – theirs is a 13-month calendar.

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