Photo credit: Ben Droz
“Thank you Ambassador. I go to a lot of embassies,” said Victor Shiblie, Publisher of The Washington Diplomat. “In Japan they bow to you; in the Middle East they give you a kiss on both cheeks; Ambassador Santos is not afraid to give you a hug. We appreciate that. Ambassador Santos and Ms. Maria, thank you for hosting The Washington Diplomat 25th anniversary party. We really appreciate it. Some of you may not know, Ambassador Santos is not only a politician but he’s also a journalist and strong advocate for free press and that passion led him to be actually kidnapped my Pablo Escobar for eight months. So you’re really a hero to journalism and I want to applaud you, so thank you.”
H.E. The Ambassador of Colombia and Mrs. Santos
“So how do you wrap up 25 years in 90 seconds? I know everybody want’s to eat, and drink, and dance. We started publishing in October, 1994 while Bill Clinton was president and the ensued Washington impeachment trial. We covered development of the newly developed Soviet Satellite States. We watched the evolution of the European Union. We wrote about the negotiations of free trade agreements world-wide. We covered the continued rise of China as a superpower. Sadly too many wars: Balkan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, Libya, Syria, Yemen. And of course Columbia’s hard fought war against drug cartels; FARC rebels just to name a few. We dealt with the tragedy of 9/11; saw how president W. Bush and subsequent administrations have dealt with foreign terror; we’ve covered the elections of America’s first black president, Barack Obama. And perhaps the most intriguing president making history Donald Trump, who we can all agree has at least has kept us on our toes. And we absolutely have come full circle back to the impeachment trials. This has been an amazing journey. We’re proud that you’re still producing unbiased journalism, which is unique. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a party. Merry Christmas, I think Feliz Navidad is more appropriate. Happy New Year’s, so please enjoy, thank you.”
“Qorvis partnered on its annual swashbuckling holiday party this year,” said Executive VP Matt Lauer. “Joining to celebrate The Washington Diplomats’ 25th anniversary party at the Colombian Ambassador’s residence, diplomats, politicians, lobbyists and the media gathered for a bacchanalian festive celebration.”
The Qorvis Team
Ambassadors attending included: HE Carlos W. Veiga of Cabo Verde, Ambassador of Azerbaijan Elin Suleymanov, Ambassador of Kosovo Vlora Çitaku, Ambassador of Bulgaria Tihomir Stoytchev, Ambassador of Liechtenstein Kurt Jaeger, Ambassador of Monaco Maguy Maccario Doyle, Ambassador of Albanian Floreta Faber, Ambassador of Serbia Djerdj Matkovic, Ambassador of the Netherlands André Haspels, Former Ambassador of Iceland Geir H. Haarde (now with the World Bank), Ambassador of Togo Frederic Edes Hegbe, Ambassador of Oman Hunaina Al Mughairy, Ambassador of Mozambique Carlos dos Santos and Deputy Chief of Mission of Croatia Lara Romano.
The Ambassador of Colombia:
Victor Shiblie. Excuse the background noise. Hey, it’s a party!
