Womanthismonth.com 74 July 2024 PEOPLE | interview NURTURING TIES WITH BELGIUM The Kingdom of Bahrain and Belgium have enjoyed diƉlomatic relations for over ϰϬ years. Woman This Month met with the ,onorary Consul for elgium in ahrain, Martine ^. <indt, who highlighted the ties between the two countries. Ms. Kindt was appointed as the Honorary Consul for Belgium in Bahrain in March 2023 by Royal Decree in Belgium. “I felt it was a great honour to represent my country abroad and to be of service,” says Ms. Kindt. Since the Honorary Consulate in Bahrain does not issue passports or visas, Ms. Kindt also guides Belgians to the relevant persons and services. “Bahrain falls under the competence of the Belgian Embassy in Kuwait and we have ĂŶ ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶƚ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟŽŶ ĨŽƌ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͕͟ ƐŚĞ ƐƚĂƚĞƐ͘ “As Honorary Consul, my primary responsibility is to assist Belgians in need in Bahrain, be it a resident of the Kingdom or visitor,” she explains. “Secondly, I support my non-resident Ambassador and assist him with all ŶĞĐĞƐƐĂƌLJ ŵĂƩĞƌƐ͕ ǁŚŝůĞ ŵLJ ƚŚŝƌĚ ĚƵƚLJ ŝƐ ƚŽ ƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ ĞůŐŝƵŵ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ŽĨ ŵLJ ĂďŝůŝƟĞƐ ŚĞƌĞ ŝŶ ĂŚƌĂŝŶ͕ Ăƚ ŽĸĐŝĂů ĞǀĞŶƚƐ Žƌ ĂŶLJ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŵĂƩĞƌ͘͟ TƌĂĚĞ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ƚŚĞ ƚǁŽ ĐŽƵŶƚƌŝĞƐ ŚĂǀĞ ŐƌŽǁŶ ĐŽŶƐŝƐƚĞŶƚůLJ ƐŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ ĨŽƌŵĂů ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ĚŝƉůŽŵĂƟĐ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐ ŽŶ ĞĐĞŵďĞƌ Ϯ͕ ϭϵϴϬ͘ “Bahrain is business-friendly which is quite encouraging and I am quite impressed with how well-represented Belgian products here. Belgium mainly exports heavy machinery and parts to Bahrain, with companies like Besix having a strong presence here. Diamonds are also an important part of the exports,” she states. Several world-renowned food brands have been established in Belgium; these brands including mouth-watering Belgian chocolates such as Godiva and Guylian are widely distributed in the Kingdom. “Lotus Speculoos and plant-based products by Alpro are also popular apart from our famous Belgian beverages,” she says. ƵŝůĚŝŶŐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƌŽďƵƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐ͕ DƐ͘ <ŝŶĚƚ ŚĂƐ ƐĞƚ ŚĞƌ ƐŝŐŚƚƐ ŽŶ ĂƐƐŝƐƟŶŐ ĞůŐŝĂŶ ĐŽŵƉĂŶŝĞƐ ǁŚŽ ŚĂǀĞ ĞdžƉƌĞƐƐĞĚ ĂŶ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ ĐƌĞĂƟŶŐ ůƵĐƌĂƟǀĞ ƉĂƌƚŶĞƌƐŚŝƉƐ Žƌ ĞdžƉĂŶĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞŝƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ƚŽ ĂŚƌĂŝŶ͘ I ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƵƌ EĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ AƩĂĐŚĠ͕ HE LĂƵƌĞŶĐĞ HĞLJďůŽŵŵĞ͕ ǁŚŽ ŝƐ ďĂƐĞĚ ŝŶ ŽƵƌ EŵďĂƐƐLJ ŝŶ <ƵǁĂŝƚ͘ ^ŚĞ ŝƐ ŝŶ ĐŚĂƌŐĞ ŽĨ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĂīĂŝƌƐ͕ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ĞůŐŝĂŶ EdžƉŽƌƚ OƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƟŽŶƐ ;&IT͕ AǁĞdž͕ HƵďͿ ĂŶĚ I͛ ŵ ĂƐƐŝƐƟŶŐ ŚĞƌ ĂƐ ŵƵĐŚ ĂƐ ƉŽƐƐŝďůĞ͘ I͛ ŵ ƉƌŽƵĚ ƚŽ ŵĞŶƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ǁĞ ŚĂĚ Ă ĞůŐŝĂŶ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ &ŝŶTĞĐŚ mission in October last year organised by our Belgian Embassy. Several ƉƌĞƐƟŐŝŽƵƐ ĞůŐŝĂŶ ĐŽŵƉĂŶŝĞƐ ǀŝƐŝƚĞĚ ĂŚƌĂŝŶ͕ ĂŚƌĂŝŶ ŽƵƌƐĞ͕ AƌĐĂƉŝƚĂ͕ ĞƚĐ ĂŶĚ ŚĂĚ Ă ǀĞƌLJ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ͕͟ ƐŚĞ ƐƚĂƚĞƐ͘ HŝŐŚůŝŐŚƟŶŐ ƵƉĐŽŵŝŶŐ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟŽŶƐ͕ DƐ͘ <ŝŶĚƚ ƐƚĂƚĞƐ͗ TŚĞ ĚLJŶĂŵŝĐ ĂŚƌĂŝŶŝ AŵďĂƐƐĂĚŽƌ ĂƉƉŽŝŶƚĞĚ ƚŽ ƌƵƐƐĞůƐ͕ HE AďĚƵůůĂŚ ďŝŶ &ĂŝƐĂů bin Jabr Al Doseri and I are exploring how we can enhance exchanges and ĐŽŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶ͕ ďĞŝŶŐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ůĞǀĞů ŽĨ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ͕ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ Žƌ ĞǀĞŶ ƐƉŽƌƚƐ͘ I ĂůƐŽ ǀŝƐŝƚĞĚ ĞƌĂƐĂƚ ŝŶ ĂŚƌĂŝŶ ĂŶĚ ĞdžĐŚĂŶŐĞĚ ǀŝĞǁƐ ŽŶ ƐƵďũĞĐƚƐ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ Žƌ ŐƌĞĞŶ ĞŶĞƌŐŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ǁĂƐ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞůLJ ĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐĞĚ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ƋƵĂůŝƚLJ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶƐƟƚƵƟŽŶ͘͟ OŶ :ƵůLJ Ϯϭ͕ ĞůŐŝƵŵ ǁŝůů ĐĞůĞďƌĂƚĞ ŝƚƐ NĂƟŽŶĂů ĂLJ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ŵŝůŝƚĂƌLJ ĚĠĮůĠ͕ ĨŽůůŽǁĞĚ ďLJ ĮƌĞ ǁŽƌŬƐ͘ OƵƌ ĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ ŝƐ ŐƌĞĂƚ Ăƚ ĐĞůĞďƌĂƟŶŐ ƚŚŝƐ ĚĂLJ ʹ ĞǀĞƌLJ ĐŝƚLJ ŚŽƐƚƐ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ͕ ĮƌĞǁŽƌŬƐ͕ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ĨŽŽĚ ŝƐ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ĞǀĞƌLJǁŚĞƌĞ͘ IŶ ĂŚƌĂŝŶ͕ ǁĞ ĐĞůĞďƌĂƚĞ ŽŶ NŽǀĞŵďĞƌ ϭϱ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ ŽƵƌ ĞůŐŝĂŶ <ŝŶŐ͛ Ɛ ĚĂLJ͘ OĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͕ ǁĞ ĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐĞ ĞƋƵĂůůLJ ĞǀĞƌLJďŽĚLJ ƚŽ ũŽŝŶ ƵƐ ǁŚĞŶ ŽƵƌ ŶĂƟŽŶĂů ĨŽŽƚďĂůů ƚĞĂŵ ŝƐ ƉůĂLJŝŶŐ͕ ƐƵĐŚ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ EƵƌŽ ϮϬϮϰ͕͟ ƐŚĞ ƐĂLJƐ͘ “Being in a wonderful host country, I aim to bring the best experience to ďŽƚŚ͗ ŵLJ ĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ ĂŶĚ ĂŚƌĂŝŶ͕͟ ƐŚĞ ĐŽŶĐůƵĚĞƐ͘
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MTkxMQ==