Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,

2020 has been a year of tragedies.
For almost a year, we had to face the epidemic, which was an unexpected disaster for all of us worldwide.

We got fatal consequences. As far as I know, due to Covid-19, we’ve lost only The Republic of Benin’s honorary consul in Turkey. He was a very kind and active environmentalist. It is just one case in 1,8 million, which you know, so many loved ones have been lost.
May all families, friends accept our condolences.

The Pandemic, Economic crises, Locke downs, Climate changes affected the way of life worldwide, even our evaluation of life.

This is the lesson of the most challenging year.

As you recall, our memorable activity last year was the visit by a significant number of FICAC members to the Holly Pope Francis in the Vatican in January 2020.
I would especially like to thank H.E. Thomas Antoine for organizing the visit.
Thanks to Stelio Campanale, he arranged a meeting at the Senate in Rome with The PAM.
Our thanks also go to Hon. Asif Chowdhury, for the renewal of an agreement to work together with OAS.

During this period, the Committee for the Security and Protection of Consular Privileges: with the Chairperson Hon. Stelio Campanale, Hon. Orli Naschitz and Hon. Faruk Cengic prepared surveys to gather necessary information on honorary consuls’ status in each country by sending emails to all Heads of Consular Associations and elected Honorary Consuls.
We will share the conclusions with all of you and your Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thanks to Stelio, Orli, and Faruk. A few years ago, dear Colleague Hon. K.L. Ganju has already created a substantial study, but it is now time to update it.

We also held online meetings with the Board of Directors, Regional Presidents, and Committee Chairpersons, and finally with the President’s advisors.

Prof. Dr. Elif Vatanoglu, a member of the President’s Advisory Committee of FICAC, has prepared an “Oxytocin Medicine and Art” report and shared it on the Website FICAC Social Media.

Chairperson of Women in Diplomacy Committee Hon. Gonul Eken and dear committee members Nathalie Meimoun, Binaya Shrestha, Rajaa Agzadi, Katja Gersak and Nisreen Aval have gathered valuable messages from significant women leaders worldwide. They will present this study to the UN’s 17 SDG in No: 5 gender Equality.

I also wish to inform you that I am 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, setting up a FICAC Foundation.
It is not an easy task. 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.

Our Regional Committees are also continuing to recruit new members. I am pleased to inform you that the Executive Board unanimously accepted Mozambique’s application.

Unfortunately, 2020 has been an “Annus Horribilis” for everyone: we have lost almost twelve months of our precious life. Thanks to the invention of vaccines, our life will come back to the usual standards.

As the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic are crises that can only be addressed by everyone together – as part of a transition to an inclusive and sustainable future.
Together, let’s make peace among ourselves and with nature, tackle the climate crisis, stop the spread of COVID-19, and make 2021 a year of healing.”

I wish you all a happy, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous new year from FICAC.

Aykut Eken
President of FICAC