Excellencies,
Dear Honourable Colleagues,
For almost 2 years, we are facing a terrible pandemic, which is quite an unexpected disaster for most of us worldwide and, unfortunately, we lost these 2 years in our too short life.
We got fatal consequences, like the lost of beloved ones and friends, but also an economic crisis causing the lost of too many jobs.
The Pandemic, Economic crises, Lock downs, Climate changes affected the way of life worldwide, even our evaluation of life.
As you know, the World Congress of Consuls, scheduled to be held in Korea in November 2021, had to be postponed to 2022, because of the travel restrictions not allowing a physical presence of most of the representatives of the Consular Associations. We will keep you duly informed of the practical details of the World Congress 2022 in due course.
During 2021, we did our best to stay in touch by organizing virtual events like the very successful one with H.E. Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIĆ, Former President of Croatia.
During this period, most FICAC Committees continued to work, mainly virtually, like the Women in Diplomacy Committee, the Committee for the Security and Protection of Consular Privileges, the Climate Change Committee, the Fundraising Committee,… and, of course, the FICAC Board of Directors, which met regularly virtually and even in life in Istanbul, on the 24th of November, 2021.
I also wish to inform you that I am still personally working, together with our Secretary-General, Hon. Nikos Margaropoulos, with the Chairman of the Fundraising Committee, Hon. Purrshottam Bhaggeria, and my Chief of Cabinet, Mr. Patrick Debus, to establish a FICAC Foundation.
I am convinced that we will succeed in achieving this critical step for strengthening our federation and its role to improve the honorary consuls’ status.
May 2022 allow us to come back to a “normal” life, with face-to-face events and friendships gatherings.
I wish you all a happy, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous new year on behalf of all the Members of FICAC Board of Directors.
Aykut Eken
President