New Dutch envoy wants to boost ties with RI

New Dutch envoy wants to boost ties with RI

Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Netherlands's new Ambassador to Indonesia, Nikolaos van Dam,
is passionate about his job despite having lived in some of the
world's hottest spots before being transferred to Indonesia.

"My residence in Beirut came under attack from Israeli tanks.
Luckily, I escaped but my belongings were destroyed. Still I keep
one book -- which has a hole in it from a piece of shrapnel --
with me as a memory," van Dam, who submitted his credentials to
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Sept. 8, 2005, told The
Jakarta Post recently.

"I love my vocation, despite all its risks, challenges and
dangers."

Most people equate a diplomat's vocation with the good life; a
little public speaking, a few rounds of golf, being seen at
cocktail parties; that sort of thing.

But while van Dam admits the life of an ambassador is a
privileged one, his own diplomatic career has hardly been an easy
ride -- and he prefers it that way.

An academic-turned-career diplomat, he has served in places
like Beirut, Baghdad, Tripoli, the Palestinian occupied
territories and Ankara under difficult circumstances. He likes
birds and mountaineering, but does not play golf.

Fascinated by the Middle East, after first studying Arabic at
high school, the 60-year old van Dam is a life-long student of
Arabic studies, with a Ph.D degree in political science,
specializing in Middle Eastern affairs. He now writes
prolifically in Dutch, Arabic, German and English -- with half a
dozen books and numerous published articles -- and also speaks
French.

With a love for Islamic history, culture, especially Syrian
affairs, van Dam wrote a Ph.D thesis: "The Role of Sectarianism,
Regionalism and Tribalism in the Struggle for Political Power in
Syria (1961-1976)" and a book The Struggle for Power in Syria,
Politics and Society under Asad and the Ba'th Party, which was
published in English, Arabic and Turkish.

"The English version of my book is being used as a text book
in universities. My book was even banned by the Syrian
government," he says.

Van Dam's academic career began with a teaching job at the
University of Amsterdam in 1970 and he joined the foreign service
in 1975.

"By accident, I became a diplomat. Actually, I wanted to
pursue my academic career. But I ended up as a diplomat. It was a
good opportunity to see the things as they are in the field."

His first overseas posting was in Beirut (1980-1983) as First
Secretary. "It was a good, as well as a bad experience. At the
time of the Israeli attack on Beirut, I was the Charge
d'Affaires. I evacuated Dutch citizens and I stayed there until
the last moment. I learned my first lessons in the art of
diplomacy," van Dam said.

After serving as Charge d'Affaires in Tripoli from 1983 to
1985 and deputy director for African and Middle Eastern Affairs
(1985-1988) at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, van
Dam became Ambassador and was posted to another trouble spot,
Baghdad, in 1988.

"I witnessed the end of the Iran-Iraq war and the beginning of
the First Gulf War in 1991. I dealt with the hostage crisis in
which several Dutch citizens were taken as hostages. My
experiences in war zones were useful as background to my later
postings in Cairo (1991-1996) and Turkey."

This dangerous work did not go unrecognized, with van Dam
becoming a Knight in the Order of Orange Nassau in 1983 and
Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau in 1991 for his
achievements in Lebanon and Iraq.

More recognition came when in 1999, the Dutch government
appointed him as an Ambassador to Germany.

With Asia set to become a major political and economic hub,
the Dutch government has recently been stepping up efforts to
strengthen its centuries-old relationship with Indonesia, with
Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, who was born in Batavia,
visiting Jakarta four times in the past 11 months.

Bot is said to have wanted an adept diplomat and an expert on
Islamic affairs as the Dutch ambassador in Jakarta, and van Dam
more than fits the bill.

Currently hard at work learning Indonesian, when he was asked
about his main mission in Indonesia, van Dam said he would
concentrate on boosting economic, political and cultural ties.

"My main mission will be to give momentum to the improving
ties between the Netherlands and Indonesia. We will extend our
cooperation to all future aspects of the relationship between the
two countries."

He had also not ruled out writing a book on Indonesia, but
said it was too early to make any promises yet.

"I have to know more about Indonesia in all its aspects.
That's why I am learning the Indonesian language. Later, I will
think about it."