Suomen kunniakonsuli Helga Mensing jää eläkkeelle

Helga Mensing on ollut Suomen kunniakonsulina vuodesta 1985. Hän asuu Curaçaolla, mutta hänen toimivalta-alueenaan on ollut koko Karibian Alankomaille kuuluva alue (Curaçao, Aruba, St Maarten, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustadius). Mensing on aktiivisesti edistänyt Suomen etuja alueella ja tarvittaessa auttanut suurlähetystöä konsuliasioissa. Suurlähetystö on tavannut säännöllisesti Mensingin tämän Euroopan-vierailujen aikana, mikä on antanut meille tilaisuuden keskustella ajankohtaisista kysymyksistä ja kuulla hänen analyysinsä saarien tilanteesta.

Pääministeri Eugene Rhuggenaath (vasemmalla),  Helga Mensing ja protokollapäällikkö Kenneth de Haseth

Mensing on nyt päättänyt jäädä eläkkeelle. Suurlähetystö olisi mielellään jatkanut yhteistyötä hänen  kanssaan, mutta ymmärrämme ja arvostamme hänen päätöstään. Haluamme lämpimästi kiittää Mensingiä hänen työstään ja sitoumuksestaan ja toivottaa hänelle kaikkea hyvää tulevaisuudessa!

Mensing on arvostettu henkilö myös Curaçaolla. Curaçaon pääministeri Eugene Rhuggenaath antoikin tunnustuksen hänen ponnisteluistaan ja työstään konsulikunnan dekaanina 15.1. järjestämällään uuden vuoden vastaanotolla.  Alla Mensingin vastaanotolla pitämä jäähyväispuhe (englanniksi).

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“Your Excellency Prime Minister of Curaçao, Mr Eugene Rhuggenaath and the distinguised members of his Cabinet,

Honorable Director of Directorate of Foreign Relations and her staff members,

Dear fellow members of the Curaçao Consular Corps,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you Prime Minister Rhuggenaath for recognizing my upcoming retirement as Honorary Consul to Finland on the occasion of this New Year’s reception.

It has truly been an honor and pleasure for me to have represented and served Finland in this capacity.

As many of you know, I have held this position since 1985. I took it on following in the footsteps of my father and grandfather and now my niece Helvig van de Laarschot will take it on in my footsteps.

During my tenure as Honorary Consul, I have strived to promote economic and cultural relations between Finland and Curaçao.

I have participated in, supported and co-organized, through The Uniting for Children Foundation, a joint venture between the Directorate of Foreign Relation and our Consular Corp, numerous projects and events that have promoted images of the countries that we represent and that included also Finland here in Curaçao.

One of the my personal highlights was hosting a seminar on the occasion of the celebration of the 100 year independence of Finland. There to I have approached minister Suzanne Camelia-Rõmer of Public Health, Enviremont and Nature for her support. The Minister's response was immediately positive and she found members of government willing to realize my plan.

The seminar’s objective was to build bridges between Finland and Curaçao in the area of clean renewable energy solutions and applications – using Finnish’s research, innovation and investments to assist our beloved Curaçao on our quest to achieve sustainable economic growth.

I truly hope that this seminar opened new doors for economic, trade and environmental collaboration and that there will be a continuing discussion on these issues between Finland and Curaçao.

During my tenure, I also have had the pleasure and honour to guide our Consular Corps as Dean for more than 21 years.

I want to sincerely thank all my fellow consuls, the Directorate of Foreign Relations and all member of government for their collaboration and support as that allowed me to fulfill my respective duties.

I am retiring now with a bit of sadness but also with a sense of accomplishment and gratitude for having had the privilege and opportunity to have held the position of Honorary Consul for so long. It is my pleasure now to invite Prime Minister, Eugene Rhuggenaath, Ms Darrylinn van der Veen, Director of Foreign relations and Mr.Kenneth de Haseth, Chief of Protocol of Foreign relations  to step forward and receive a token of appreciation, a coin which the government of Finland has come up with, on the occasion of  the 100th anniversary of Finland's independence. The coin shows the image of Nature.

I wish all of you the very best for the future and am sure that you will continue to successfully enhance our bilateral relations and friendship with positive enthusiasm and sincerity.

Happy New Year!”