F.U.E.C.H. – Managing Board Meeting on 30th September 2016 at Grand Hotel Marriot, Brussels, Belgium
On 30th of September 2016 the F.U.E.C.H.-Board met at Grand Hotel Marriott in Brussels, Kingdom of Belgium. President Hon. Consul General Dr. W. Breitenthaler welcomed the F.U.E.C.H. Board-Members as well as two Presidential Advisors, who travelled from all over Europe to attend this meeting.
The Board officially welcomed the the new Delegate of F.U.E.C.H. to the Consular Corps of Montenegro Hon. Consul General Milan Mrvaljevic as well as decided among others about new local registrations. As Secretary General Mdme. Hon. Consul Karin I. van Royen-Winkelman, Vice-President of the Netherland Consular Corps, had been elected, following the retired Hon. Consul Ben Vos. A special thank and appreciation was made towards Vice-President Hon. Consul Baron J.-J. Haus, who arranged in cooperation with F.U.E.C.H.-Secretariat an excellent side-programm to the F.U.E.C.H. Board Members and the Delegates present.
In the morning of 30.9. the F.U.E.C.H.-Board had a very successful meeting at the Office of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy with Mr. Nicola Delcroix, Head of Division of Consular Crisis Management, European External Action Service (EEAS), and Mr. Michael Curtis, Member of Cabinet of the High Representative. It was confirmed to the Board, that the role of Honorary Consuls will increase in the future in Europe due to ongoing closures of Embassies.
In the European Parliament the F.U.E.C.H.-Board had been informed by Mr. Arnoldas Pranckevicius, Asviser for External Policies in the Cabinet of the President, about present activities of the European Parliament as well as the continuing political problems in Europe caused by illegal immigration from Asia and Africa.
In the evening the F.U.E.C.H.-Board Members and Delegates attended a fabulous reception at Club Warande offered by the Belgian Consular Corps (BCU), all Consuls were welcomed very warmly by BCU-President Willy Deswaef. During the evening European Hon. Consuls could also exchange views with Hon. Consuls accredited overseas, who also held a meeting in Brussels.
On Saturday, 1st of October, the Board-Members as well as the Delegates from member-associations present went to the city of Ghent to get to know the magnificent history of this historical town, the place of birth of Emperor Charles V.. After an exquisite lunch in the premises of Club Falligan, the F.U.E.C.H.-Board-Members and Delegates had been invited to a reception at the Consulate of Lithuania in Ghent.
The Board-Meeting of F.U.E.C.H. in Brussels by the recognition availed to F.U.E.C.H. at the European Parliament as well as at the Office of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy made this meeting an important success for the future work of F.U.E.C.H. to improve the status and working conditions of Honorary Consuls in Europe.
F.U.E.C.H.-Managing Board at European Parliament
Meeting at the Office of the High Representative of the Union
Lunch at Club Falligan in Ghent