PEOPLE & EVENT
PEOPLE & EVENT
Algeria hosts 59th
Revolution anniversary reception
Ambassador and Mrs. Hocine Sarraiyu of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria in Seoul hosted a reception at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Oct. 30, 2013 to celebrate the 59th anniversary of the Algerian Revolution of the 1st of November 1954.
It was a well-attended party with many Korean and international guests attending. They included Vice Minister Yeo Hyung-Koo of Land, Infrastructure & Transport, Mayor Kim Young-Bae of Seongbuk District, Ambassador Dato Harun Ismail of Brunei Darussalam (dean of the Seoul Diplomatic Corps) and Major General Cherif Abderrezak of Algerian Army.
It was a unique party which exhibited a warm friendship and close cooperation between the ambassadors of Algeria and Brunei Darussalam as dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the fact that the former spared time with the latter for the introduction of new ambassadors accredited to Korea in 2013 (see details toward the end of this report).
Speaking to guests, Ambassador Sarraiyu of Algeria said, “Celebration of the first of November 1954, the date of the outbreak of our independence war, has a meaning for all Algerian citizens, as well as officials, that goes well beyond the formal act of protocol.”
“This anniversary date,” he said, “is celebrated with fervor because it was at this precise moment that the whole Algerian people decided to exist, after almost a century and half of colonial domination characterized by injustice, deprivation of the elementary rights and denial of identity.” Then he said, “After seven and half years of a terrible war and one million and half victims, the contemporary Algeria was born.”
Ambassador Ismail of Brunei Darussalam, in his capacity as the dean of the SDC, thanked Ambassador Sahraoui of Algeria for the opportunity to introduce the new ambassadors.
He said:
“First and foremost, may I take this opportunity to congratulate the Embassy of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria for its Revolution Day Anniversary. May the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria prosper and excel well in its economic development for its people and nation. May I take this auspicious occasion to thank humbly His Excellency Hocine Sahraoui, Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria for allowing the Committee of the Diplomatic Corps to participate in the meaningful event of the Revolution Day Anniversary of Algeria this evening and at the same time, to give us a precious moment to introduce our new incoming ambassadors who have recently arrived in the Republic of Korea to assume their diplomatic missions."
“This is the first time that this event is held for our new incoming ambassadors and consequently, it will be a tradition and practice to hold similar reception to introduce our new friends to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps in future.”
Ambassador Ismail then introduced each new ambassador present and also not present at the reception. Here are their names with their date of accreditation to Korea in the parantheses:
Ambassadors Jasen Mohamed Albudaiwi of Kuwait, Herbani Coelho da Silva of Timor-Leste, Hany Moawad Selim Labib of Egypt, Dato Haji Harun Ismail of Brunei Darussalam of Brunei Darussalam (dean of the Seoul Diplomatic Corps), Ceferino Adrian Valdez Peralta of Paraguay, Mohamed Ali Nafti of Tunisia, Jorge Jose Alberto Roballo of Argentina, Elisabeth Bertagnoli (Lady Ambassador) of Austria, Dato’ Rohana Ramli (Lady Ambassador) of Malaysia and Hustavo Adolfo Lopez Calderon of Guatemala.
Other newly accredited mission chiefs (not in the photo) were Ambassadors Jerome Pasquier of France, Ganbold Baasanjav of Mongolia, William Paterson PSM of Australia, Jose Luis Bernal Rodriguez of Mexico, Aingeal O’ Donoghue of Ireland, Gabor Csaba of Hungary and Phan Huu Chi of Vietnam.