Fellows’ impressions of The Hague meetings
On 10 and 11 October, the EUCAM fellows visited various institutions in The Hague discussing their research and Central Asia developments as well as getting an insight into Dutch institutions. These were their impressions:
Sabrinisso Valdosh: ‘The checking point at the entrance gives the impression that it is difficult to reach government officials, but in fact, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ representatives were accessible and open for discussion. The team responsible for Central Asia was interested in our research and views. It was amazing to see that the MFA officials were so straightforward in their way of asking questions and sharing opinions, which is not common among most of the government officials and diplomats from Central Asian countries.’
Anastasiya Ten: ‘The informative discussion with the representatives of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities provided us with an extensive overview of their work in the promotion of multi-cultural and multi-lingual education in the Central Asian region. We mostly discussed Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan that both harbour several minority groups. In order to ensure the rights of different communities, inclusive educational methods are important to consider, including teaching in minority languages.’
Gulnura Chekirova: “65 percent of the Netherlands’ GDP is made up by export, whilst Kyrgyzstan’s export contributes only 24 per cent to its GDP. What is the secret of these magical Dutch export numbers? Part of the answer lies in the smart regulation and comprehensive support by the government through the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). RVO is the brainchild of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy. It supports Dutch businesses through consultancy, mentorship, networking, troubleshooting, research and analysis. Meanwhile, Dutch Embassies all around the world are committed to domestic export promotion through setting up business networks and arranging export opportunities for Dutch companies. The RVO visit made me realise how far Kyrgyzstan has to go in becoming a successful exporter and especially what possibilities there are in reaching this objective.’
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