New Dutch envoy wants to boost ties with RI<\/p>\n
Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Netherlands's new Ambassador to Indonesia, Nikolaos van Dam,
\nis passionate about his job despite having lived in some of the
\nworld's hottest spots before being transferred to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"My residence in Beirut came under attack from Israeli tanks.
\nLuckily, I escaped but my belongings were destroyed. Still I keep
\none book -- which has a hole in it from a piece of shrapnel --
\nwith me as a memory,\" van Dam, who submitted his credentials to
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Sept. 8, 2005, told The
\nJakarta Post recently.<\/p>\n
\"I love my vocation, despite all its risks, challenges and
\ndangers.\"<\/p>\n
Most people equate a diplomat's vocation with the good life; a
\nlittle public speaking, a few rounds of golf, being seen at
\ncocktail parties; that sort of thing.<\/p>\n
But while van Dam admits the life of an ambassador is a
\nprivileged one, his own diplomatic career has hardly been an easy
\nride -- and he prefers it that way.<\/p>\n
An academic-turned-career diplomat, he has served in places
\nlike Beirut, Baghdad, Tripoli, the Palestinian occupied
\nterritories and Ankara under difficult circumstances. He likes
\nbirds and mountaineering, but does not play golf.<\/p>\n
Fascinated by the Middle East, after first studying Arabic at
\nhigh school, the 60-year old van Dam is a life-long student of
\nArabic studies, with a Ph.D degree in political science,
\nspecializing in Middle Eastern affairs. He now writes
\nprolifically in Dutch, Arabic, German and English -- with half a
\ndozen books and numerous published articles -- and also speaks
\nFrench.<\/p>\n
With a love for Islamic history, culture, especially Syrian
\naffairs, van Dam wrote a Ph.D thesis: \"The Role of Sectarianism,
\nRegionalism and Tribalism in the Struggle for Political Power in
\nSyria (1961-1976)\" and a book The Struggle for Power in Syria,
\nPolitics and Society under Asad and the Ba'th Party, which was
\npublished in English, Arabic and Turkish.<\/p>\n
\"The English version of my book is being used as a text book
\nin universities. My book was even banned by the Syrian
\ngovernment,\" he says.<\/p>\n
Van Dam's academic career began with a teaching job at the
\nUniversity of Amsterdam in 1970 and he joined the foreign service
\nin 1975.<\/p>\n
\"By accident, I became a diplomat. Actually, I wanted to
\npursue my academic career. But I ended up as a diplomat. It was a
\ngood opportunity to see the things as they are in the field.\"<\/p>\n
His first overseas posting was in Beirut (1980-1983) as First
\nSecretary. \"It was a good, as well as a bad experience. At the
\ntime of the Israeli attack on Beirut, I was the Charge
\nd'Affaires. I evacuated Dutch citizens and I stayed there until
\nthe last moment. I learned my first lessons in the art of
\ndiplomacy,\" van Dam said.<\/p>\n
After serving as Charge d'Affaires in Tripoli from 1983 to
\n1985 and deputy director for African and Middle Eastern Affairs
\n(1985-1988) at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, van
\nDam became Ambassador and was posted to another trouble spot,
\nBaghdad, in 1988.<\/p>\n
\"I witnessed the end of the Iran-Iraq war and the beginning of
\nthe First Gulf War in 1991. I dealt with the hostage crisis in
\nwhich several Dutch citizens were taken as hostages. My
\nexperiences in war zones were useful as background to my later
\npostings in Cairo (1991-1996) and Turkey.\"<\/p>\n
This dangerous work did not go unrecognized, with van Dam
\nbecoming a Knight in the Order of Orange Nassau in 1983 and
\nOfficer in the Order of Orange Nassau in 1991 for his
\nachievements in Lebanon and Iraq.<\/p>\n
More recognition came when in 1999, the Dutch government
\nappointed him as an Ambassador to Germany.<\/p>\n
With Asia set to become a major political and economic hub,
\nthe Dutch government has recently been stepping up efforts to
\nstrengthen its centuries-old relationship with Indonesia, with
\nDutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, who was born in Batavia,
\nvisiting Jakarta four times in the past 11 months.<\/p>\n
Bot is said to have wanted an adept diplomat and an expert on
\nIslamic affairs as the Dutch ambassador in Jakarta, and van Dam
\nmore than fits the bill.<\/p>\n
Currently hard at work learning Indonesian, when he was asked
\nabout his main mission in Indonesia, van Dam said he would
\nconcentrate on boosting economic, political and cultural ties.<\/p>\n
\"My main mission will be to give momentum to the improving
\nties between the Netherlands and Indonesia. We will extend our
\ncooperation to all future aspects of the relationship between the
\ntwo countries.\"<\/p>\n
He had also not ruled out writing a book on Indonesia, but
\nsaid it was too early to make any promises yet.<\/p>\n
\"I have to know more about Indonesia in all its aspects.
\nThat's why I am learning the Indonesian language. Later, I will
\nthink about it.\"<\/p>",
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