Guest speech: Ambassador of Netherlands, H.E. Justus J. de Visser

At the occasion of current EU Presidency that shifted from Ireland (by 30 June) to the Netherlands (by 01 VII), the IMC Export Department (under the auspices of Chair for Intl. Law and Global Political Studies) invited the Netherlands Ambassador accredited to Austria. H.E. Justus J. de Visser, Resident Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Austria and IOs in Vienna paid the visit to IMC and delivered a lecture on 29^th September, followed by one and half hour of talks with students and small reception.

The IMC fellow professors and students had the opportunity to learn about the priorities of the Netherlands presidency as well as to hear thoughtful and inspiring answers on series of their questions (Enlargement, EU Constitution, EU institutional reform and new Commission, NNP, foreign policy and security issues, EU Youth programmes, R&D, EU Energy policy), at the time when the Union is passing its most dramatic horizontal (further accessions) and vertical (October signing of the Constitution) expansion unrecorded in Europe’s history.

Extraordinarily eloquent diplomat of impressive career, Mr. de Visser was serving his respective country Kingdom of the Netherlands at many key destinations like, Paris, Moscow, UNESCO (as Ambassador), Warsaw, Minsk and Vienna (OSCE). Prior to his appointment to Austria, he served as Director of the European Integration Department of the Dutch Foreign Ministry.

Summing up at the end of this content-intensive and extremely valuable event, Excellency de Visser stated that he was impressed by interest, commitment and knowledge of our students as demonstrated throughout the questions and discussion with him, and promised to return to our University for lecturing in a due time again.

Text: Mr. Bajrektarevic