It’s no accident that Ard Van der Vorst picked mid-November for an interview focused on the Netherlands’ relationship with the Southeast U.S. The Dutch consul general in Atlanta was keen to build on the momentum around Dutch-American Heritage Day, which each year marks the ties linking the nations across the centuries. The Nov. 16 date […]
Consulate Lobbies for Deeper Georgia Presence in India
Atlanta’s Indian Consulate General set down roots in 2012 and has since firmly entrenched itself in the city’s diplomatic community and political sphere. Local officials from Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul to (more recently) Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts have made trips to the country, nods to both India’s economic potential and the political imperatives implied by […]
Indonesia Seeks Deep, Sustained Educational Exchange With Georgia, U.S.
After 9/11, the backlash was swift. Faced with tense security measures, visa denials and perceived xenophobia, many travelers and students from the Muslim world no longer felt welcome in the United States. Yet for most countries, the wound healed relatively quickly. Iran, not exactly an ally of the U.S., continued to send scholars to institutions […]
Diplomat: Brazil’s Maturing Institutions Key to Economic Reforms, Turnaround
Passage of a pension reform bill this month in Brazil’s lower house of Congress would come as no surprise to attendees of a Global Atlanta Consular Conversation in late June. During the luncheon interview hosted at Miller & Martin PLLC’s Midtown office, Consul General Carlos Henrique Moojen de Abreu e Silva was immovable in his […]
Consul General: Despite Trade Challenges, U.S.-Canada Ties ‘Too Big to Fail’
President Trump’s approach to trade may have strained the U.S.-Canada relationship, but these “best friends and allies” are in no danger of breaking up, according to Canada’s top diplomat in the Southeast. Nadia Theodore, a trade expert-turned-consul general, said both countries may be pursuing independent trade priorities, but the primacy of their neighborly relationship has never faded, […]
Belgium and the South: Linked Through a History of Global Trade
The big story out of the Masters at Augusta National this year was the major victory that cemented Tiger Woods’ comeback story. But William De Baets had his mind more on the golf course grounds than the tournament itself. Since his arrival in 2017, the Belgian consul general has undertaken an investigation of historical ties […]
Turkish Consul General: Political Challenges Shouldn’t Derail U.S.-Turkey Business Ties
Looking at the U.S.-Turkey relationship, one doesn’t have to zoom in too far to see the cracks. The NATO allies are currently at odds over Turkey’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft missile defense systems, over and above threats from Washington that the move would endanger future defense collaborations. But the list of irritants is […]
Consul General: ‘Global Ireland’ Gains Steam as Brexit Looms
Ireland has committed itself to global outreach with a newfound zeal now that the country is on the cusp of finding itself the last remaining native-English-speaking country in Europe. With Brexit on the horizon, Ireland is doubling down on the pluralistic values and multilateralism that it has championed as a member of the European Union, said Shane Stephens, the […]
Beyond Brexit: Amid Present Uncertainty, New British Diplomat Builds Bridges to the Future
When taking on a public interview with Global Atlanta shortly into his tenure, new British Consul General Andrew Staunton couldn’t have known the Brexit tumult that would unfold over the ensuing months. But the Glasgow, Scotland-born U.K. diplomat make one obvious pronouncement that has proven especially true over the last few weeks: “We’re breaking new […]
Honduras Consul General: Cutting Off Aid Not the Answer to Illicit Migration
Just as a migrant caravan now numbering in the thousands set out from Central America to the U.S. two weeks ago, Honduras’ top diplomat in Atlanta was discussing the factors driving emigration from her country — and ways the U.S. can help address it. Maria Fernanda Rivera Fiallos spoke with Global Atlanta during an Oct. 16 Consular Conversation, […]
