On Friday, May 29th, the Louisiana Consular Corps convened for an exceptional lunch meeting at the Windsor Court Hotel featuring a notable guest speaker, His Excellency Ambassador Jonas Wendel, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC. We were also honored by the presence of Col. Anders Akermark, Naval Attaché, from the Embassy of Sweden, by Lt. General Leonard F. Anderson, IV (USMC), the Honorable Susan Harper, Consul General of Canada in Dallas, Texas, and by the Honorable Odette Noufe Som, Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of Cote d’Ivoire in Washington, DC. Ambassador Wendel’s illustrious diplomatic career encompasses posts as Swedish Ambassador to North Korea, Counselor at the Swedish Embassy in Paris, and Deputy Chief of Mission at Swedish Embassies in Finland and in Morrocco, amongst other key diplomatic assignments.
The presentation covered many interesting subjects concerning the current geopolitical environment, highlighting surprising transatlantic insights, including Sweden’s position as the 9th largest investor in the U.S., and that Sweden was one of the first countries to recognize the U.S. as an independent nation in 1783. Sweden’s first diplomatic post in New Orleans in 1797 marked one of the New Orleans’s earliest official diplomatic designations. Since the first Swedes arrived in the U.S. in 1638, establishing the colony of New Sweden, Swedish entrepreneurship has been an integral part of the U.S. economy.
On May 27th, Commander David Schreuder, the Commanding Officer of HNLMS Friesland, extended an invitation to the Louisiana Consular Corps to a reception on board the ship during a visit to New Orleans. This event was held in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Lieutenant F.B. Vogel and Lisette den Breems, the Dutch Consul General in Miami, along with Deirdre McGlinchey, the Honorary Consul of the Netherlands in New Orleans, treated us to an evening of music, camaraderie and refreshments as we gathered to commemorate this special occasion.
Guests included among others: Conny Willems, former Honorary Consul of the Netherlands inNew Orleans, Calvin Fayard, Honorary Consul of Monaco, Joanne Mantis, Honorary Consul of Cyprus, Jim McKay, Honorary Consul of Ireland, Franco Valobra, Honorary Consul of Italy, Maria Page, Honorary Consul of Spain, Robert Romero, Honorary Consul of the Philippines, Andrea Zsombak, Honorary Consul of Hungary.
On May 18, members of the Consular Corps of Louisiana were honored to visit with DCMs from 15 different European Union Embassies at the residence of the French Consul General.
The group engaged in discussions with members of the Louisiana Legislature, including senators, and representatives from Louisiana Economic Development in Baton Rouge. These discussions focused on the importance of international cooperation. Louisiana boasts a diverse range of industries, including LNG production, advanced manufacturing, ports, aerospace, and emerging technologies designed for scale, execution, and long-term investment. In New Orleans, they had the opportunity to meet with the Port of New Orleans and Greater New Orleans, Inc. to explore regional economic development and the potential for global partnerships. Additionally, they delved into Louisiana’s expanding role in global energy, manufacturing, logistics, innovation and trade.
On April 30th, the Consul-General of the Republic of Georgia, Maia Bartaia, was our guest speaker. Consul-General Bartaia was accompanied by Georgian Counsellor Tengo Kvashilava posted to the Georgian Consulate-General in New York City.
For the past three years, Consul-General Bartaia has been posted to the Georgian Consulate General in New York City, and she also serves as President of the New York Consular Corps. In addition, we also welcomed two visiting Japanese diplomats, Deputy Consul-General Matsutaro YAMASAKI, and his Chief of Staff, Yuri MATSUTARO. Mr. Sean Coppinger, Special Agent-in-Charge in New Orleans of the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, also attended our lunch meeting.
Consul-General Bartaia spoke eloquently about how Georgia’s ports are essential for international trade offering direct connections to European and Asian markets. Also, the Consul-General surprised the audience with the ancient history of wine making in Georgia, where, according to Consul-General Bartaia, wine was first made. Wine and other alcoholic beverages are significant exports of Georgia. The country is famous for its ancient Qvevri* method, which is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
*Underground aging: Being buried keeps the wine at a naturally cool, stable temperature throughout the months of aging.
