Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter
K.D. Knight (right), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, chats with (from left) Lithuanian Consul Lois Lake-Sherwood; Chinese Ambassador Zhao Zhenyu and Honorary Consul to Greece, Garth Scott, at a reception for diplomats hosted by the minister on Monday. - PHOTOS BY WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
JAMAICA IS being invaded - by diplomats. In celebration of Diplomats Week (January 23-27), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade opened its arms to visiting heads of missions from across the globe.
Minister K.D. Knight had the first opportunity to formally welcome the ambassadors and high commissioners (especially the non-resident ones) at a reception held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Monday.
Flags adorned the Talk Of The Town suite at every conceivable location as many nations were represented.
Minister Knight, who was in a jovial mood, raised a few eyebrows when he suggested his speech was going to be lengthy. When the gathering realised he was just having fun with them, there were a few sighs of relief.
He did say he was leaving the 'serious' speech for later in the week and so he merely gave a big welcome to his colleagues from around the globe. The welcomes having been made, he left the floor for André Clarke to perform some local classics like My Jamaican Girl and I Can See Clearly Now.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force Band performed from their expansive repertoire for the remainder of the evening.
Guests attending were: Patrick Lynch; Lithuanian Consul Lois Lake-Sherwood, Gerd and Mara Jarchow, Ueli Bangarter, Syringa Marshall-Burnett, Nigerian High Commissioner Modupe Akintola, British High Commissioner Jeremy Cresswell and companion Barbara Munske, Spanish Ambassador Jesus Silva and wife Sara, Russian Ambassador Igor Lebedev and wife Olga Lebedeva, French Ambassador Francis Hurtut, Chilean Ambassador Alfonso Silva and wife Aida, Honorary Consul to Thailand Thalia Lyn, Brazilian Ambassador Cezar Amaral, Honorary Consul to Greece Garth Scott, Iceland Ambassador Hjalmar Hannesson, Honorary Consul of Slovakia Chris Issa, German Ambassador Volker Schlegel and wife Gabriella, Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner Dennis Francis, Belgian Ambassador Herman Portocarero, among others.
