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Export Promotion to Saudi Arabia & Qatar - pre-visit discussion


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The Crown Prince couple and a business delegation are heading to Saudi Arabia - "end of February".

According to BT, the dates are 27th February-4th March.

"The visit is organized in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry and a number of business organizations

such as The Confederation of Danish Enterprise, Danish Industry, Danish Agriculture & Food Council

and the Danish SMEs."

http://politik.tv2.dk/2016-01-20-massiv-kritik-skandaloest-at-sende-kronprinsparret-paa-charmetur-til-diktatur

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=da&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fpolitik.tv2.dk%2F2016-01-20-massiv-kritik-skandaloest-at-sende-kronprinsparret-paa-charmetur-til-diktatur&edit-text=

The planned visit is heavily criticised by Danish political party 'Enhedslisten' (very left wing):

"Enhedslistens foreign affairs spokesman Nicholas Villumsen is appalled by the government's plans.

- I think it is totally outrageous, if it is true that the Crown and the Danish business community is on the way to Saudi Arabia. It is a brutal dictatorship, whipps democracy activists and beheads opponents of the government and leaves the country princes throw millions after the Islamic State and other extremists. It is not a country that the official Denmark should visit, he said to TV 2"

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The Crown Prince couple and a business delegation are heading to Saudi Arabia - "end of February".

According to BT, the dates are 27th February-4th March.

"The visit is organized in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry and a number of business organizations

such as The Confederation of Danish Enterprise, Danish Industry, Danish Agriculture & Food Council

and the Danish SMEs."

http://politik.tv2.dk/2016-01-20-massiv-kritik-skandaloest-at-sende-kronprinsparret-paa-charmetur-til-diktatur

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=da&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fpolitik.tv2.dk%2F2016-01-20-massiv-kritik-skandaloest-at-sende-kronprinsparret-paa-charmetur-til-diktatur&edit-text=

The planned visit is heavily criticised by Danish political party 'Enhedslisten' (very left wing):

"Enhedslistens foreign affairs spokesman Nicholas Villumsen is appalled by the government's plans.

- I think it is totally outrageous, if it is true that the Crown and the Danish business community is on the way to Saudi Arabia. It is a brutal dictatorship, whipps democracy activists and beheads opponents of the government and leaves the country princes throw millions after the Islamic State and other extremists. It is not a country that the official Denmark should visit, he said to TV 2"

It's now indirectly confirmed by the Foreign Minister

Minister: I take care of critical dialogue with Saudi Arabia

I wish the Foreign Ministry would try to leave out the Royal Family, when organising a visit to such a Country. It puts the Royals in a difficult in a position, because they can't be political and therefore are forced to smile and be polite all through the visit. The Foreign Ministry should know that this would get heavy criticism and the Royals will be the butt of it all.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Crown Prince Couple participate in export promotion to Saudi Arabia and Qatar

(28 February - 1 March and 2-3 March)

Kronprinsparret deltager i eksportfremstød til Saudi-Arabien og Qatar

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess participate 28 February - 1 March 2016 in a Danish business delegation to Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh. Royal Couple then travel to Qatar's capital Doha on March 2 to 3 2016.

The Crown Prince Couple will during the visit to Saudi Arabia be accompanied by Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen, Environment and Food Minister Eva Kjer Hansen, health and elderly minister Sophie Løhde. The Business Delegation consists of 44 companies and several Danish interest organizations, including Danish Industry, Agriculture and Food, Health Care Denmark and the State of Green. During the visit to Qatar the royal couple will be accompanied by business and growth minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

During the visit to Saudi Arabia the Crown Prince Couple will attend a series of business activities that have the primary purpose of strengthening trade within sustainability, health, food, education and design.

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There's an article about the royal visit to Saudi Arabia in the Danish Radio website:

Visit to Saudi Arabia

Translation:

The Crown Prince couple to visit Saudi Arabia in three weeks.

A much debated royal visit to Saudi Arabia will go ahead from the 28th February to the 3rd March according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Attending the visit will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Kristian Jensen, Minister for Food Eva Kjer Hansen, Minister for Health and the Aged Sophie Løhde and Minister for Business and Growth Troels Lund Poulsen. Also participating are a delegation of 44 business companies and NGOs like Danish Industri, Food and Agriculture, Health Care Denmark plus State of Green.

The primary objective is to strengthen trade within sustainability, health, food, education and design.
On the first day of the day the royal couple along with Kristian Jensen will be visiting members of the royal Saudi family. In Qatar, there will be a visit to HRH the emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Both the Social Democrats and the left wing party Enhedslisten have questioned whether the royal couple should head the delegation to a nation accused of denying people their human rights. Also Amnesty International has critisized the visit. However, Minister for Foreign Affairs Kristian Jensen has responded to criticism:
"We do question the executions and abuse of human rights. It is however important not to stay silent when we carry out an international outreach. Instead, we wish to voice our opinion on the matter of human rights, an area in which also Saudi Arabia should make reforms."
--------

I do understand the critical voices, however, if one wishes to change things, one does not do it by staying away. I'd imagine CPM will give it a thought how best to support women's rights in Saudi Arabia.

Also, it's a bit odd that the Social Democrats are among those who critisize the visit. Had the SD been in government, they would have approved the visit.

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I wish the Foreign Ministry would try to leave out the Royal Family, when organising a visit to such a Country. It puts the Royals in a difficult in a position, because they can't be political and therefore are forced to smile and be polite all through the visit.

DR article from last week:

http://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/ekspert-kronprinsparret-skal-ogsaa-besoege-udemokratiske-lande

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=da&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dr.dk%2Fnyheder%2Findland%2Fekspert-kronprinsparret-skal-ogsaa-besoege-udemokratiske-lande&edit-text=

"According to Lars Hovbakke, who is a lecturer at Copenhagen University specializing in the royal family's

history, the royal family because of their apolitical position can not choose where they want to go.

- No matter how bad it looks in the country, it would be an expression of the royal couple beginning to

meddle in politics in a way that there is a tradition for."

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  • 3 weeks later...

Saturday evening. At the hotel perhaps? Or the airport.

"Nice welcome to the Crown Prince Couple, Kristian Jensen, Troels Lund Poulsen and Sophie Løhde

in Saudi Arabia this evening"

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CcQHeWmUcAAiURh.jpg:large

"Crown Prince Couple in front on arrival at the business delegation to Saudi Arabia"

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CcQBj62UYAA_0Ap.jpg:large

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