Diplomatic Network (Asia) hosted on Monday the DNA October lunch, an exclusive event that brought together three distinguished diplomats and four prominent representatives from various industries.
The luncheon took place at The Cellar, Andaz Singapore.
Central Asia, Europe and South America represented
The diplomatic corps members, all accredited in Singapore, represented three regions of the world. His Excellency Askar Kuttykadam, the ambassador of Kazakhstan, represented Central Asia. HE Georgios Dogoritis, the Greek head of mission, represented the European Mediterranean. The Brazilian ambassador, HE Eugenia Barthelmess, proudly represented South America.
With such diverse representation, the occasion proved to be both engaging and entertaining.
The business sector of Singapore was well-represented across four significant fields: food & beverage, hospitality, interior design, and real estate. Johnson Tay, who is the operations director of SMH Food Group of Companies as well as the vice president of the Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association, was in attendance. Rosmi Amin, the senior sales Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, was also present. William Khoo, the sales designer from interior design firm Dreamvision, was also among the attendees. Aaron Wan, a soon-to-be member of DNA’s network and a Singaporean realtor, completed the quartet of business representatives.
Business with Brazil
A wide array of topics was discussed during the luncheon. Ambassador Barthelmess shared insights about a business delegation from Brazil visiting Singapore, currently participating in Switch, Asia’s leading start-up and innovation event. The Brazilian entrepreneurs were exploring opportunities to collaborate with their Southeast Asian counterparts in joint ventures.
Additionally, Barthelmess highlighted the success of Brazilian poultry and other food commodities imports to Singapore and the surrounding region, while expressing gratitude for the support of SFMA in their trade efforts with the city-state. She emphasized the importance of South-South relations in the 21st century and the positive impact it is making.
Talks on culture
Ambassadors Dogoritis and Kuttykadam also had their share of the discussion, shedding light on their respective countries and cultures. Dogoritis spoke of the global Greek diaspora, while Kuttykadam recommended national dishes to the other guests and was enlightened about a local restaurant in Joo Chiat that serves them.
Both heads of missions shared insights about their countries as travel destinations for Singaporeans.
All three diplomats commended Singapore as a role model for other nations seeking economic and social development or improvement.
Delving into history
Another crucial topic under discussion was how historical events, such as colonialism and foreign invasions, have shaped our present.
The attendees shared the sentiment that we should be taught to forgive but not to forget, to prevent the repetition of our predecessors’ mistakes. Healing is an important process for humanity, strengthening our empathy and resilience values.
The delightful wines served at the luncheon were sponsored by South African Wine Cellar.
