Kenny Benjamin, chairman of the Guardsman Group, sips a beer while conversing with Ambassador Valeriy Kuchinsky, permanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nations during a reception hosted in Stony Hill, St. Andrew, by Kenny Benjamin in honour of the visit by Mr. Kuchinsky.
-Winston Sill photo
Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
YOU KNOW, one would have thought, that in the heights of the 70s the Jamaican State, was at the heights of its international popularity, coming into its own within the ranks of organisations as the non-aligned movement; Socialist International, etc., as well as based on the visible and sometimes advocacy foreign policy of the government of the time!
It seems however, that with the demise of the old political order, and the tensions and political prodigies they created in defining social, political and economic issues, the world has been busy reordering itself away from the political divide that was the status quo of a decade or so, ago to reflect individual national and bilateral interest, as against the polarised hegemonic politics of yesteryear.
CEMENT TIES
To this end, there have been a number of States, that have in more recent times, been moving to further cement their ties and relationships with other independent nation states based on cultural, bilateral and economic ties - all in the interest of further expanding and or exploring bilateral opportunities, in this new era of globalisation! Now, along with the acceptance that has come with the realisation by independent nation states that they need to increase their presence and or representation on the ground, if they are to fully maximise and or explore the potentialities these states represent, is the realisation that indeed, while the establishment of a diplomatic mission would be ideal, in some circumstances, this is not initially practical.
And so, enter the Honorary Consuls and or Honorary Consuls General!
My Dears, as nations states seek an ever expanding and visible role in the international community, the role of the Honorary Consul/Consul General, has been taking on more of an important role in the area of international diplomacy, as this quasi diplomatic office and or officer takes on the role of the non-resident diplomat of the state, in its bid to better service the needs of its own nationals; representation; and or the facilitation of bilateral co-operation between the host state and the guest state.
APPOINTING CONSULS
And so it is, that in recent times, more and more nations have been appointing Honorary Consuls/Consuls General to Kingston.
One such State presently in the process of appointing an Honorary Consul General to Jamaica is the former Communist Republic of the USSR, the Ukraine.
At present, the Ukraine, now an independent State, has as its' representative to Jamaica and the Caribbean, a UN based Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, in the personage of Ambassador Valeriy Kuchinsky, who is visiting the island.
Now, Security conglomateur and businessman Kenny Benjamin, is no stranger along the hallowed halls of power and has long been a non-accredited diplomat in his private capacity as host par-excellence, philanthropist and bon vivant. And so it came as really no surprise, when it emerged recently, that the founding chairman of the Guardsman Empire is indeed, the leading candidate to become the Ukraine's first Honorary Consul General, to Jamaica.
Now, last week saw Ambassador Kuchinsky, on an official visit to Jamaica as part of his itinerary including audiences with leading members of the Government and a courtesy call on his country's potential Consul General.
To officially welcome him to Jamaica and the region at large, the revered Kenny Benjamin, hosted Ambassador Kuchinsky, and Second Secretary Volodymyr Pekarchuk, to a swelleganza of a cocktail reception at his posh Stony Hill estate residence, located in the very exclusive Montgomery neighbourhood of the generally upscale residential community!
Dears, the reception was a social and diplomatic humdinger and then some!
Hosted in the south-east gardens of the fabulously done-up residence, with the Entertainment-Cathedral (a fabulous entertainment area perched way up an on stilts, towering into the sky and with its high stained-glass windows making for a formidable conversation piece), the outing saw a gathering of the moneyed, the celebrated along with members of the diplomatic and consular corps out and sharing felicitations with the visiting dignitaries, in an atmosphere of complete relaxation and merriment!
Indeed, it was quite a beaut of a do, as guests mingled easily, the visiting Ambassador and his deputy a-meeting and a-greeting new found acquaintances and old colleagues as they worked the gathering, while the Carlton James Mento band (usually to be found at the Poolside of the Hilton Kingston), entertained in flawless mode from their repertoire of Jamaican folk songs and general favourites!
A MUSICAL BUFFET
And doves, they were mmm-good and then some! Their musical presentations taking on an international flavour when British Embassy Official Colin Bowskill joined the band on Bongo drums; and he was later joined on Maracas by Sergey Tarasov, Secretary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation- and all played up a musical buffet, much to the delight of guests!
It all made for a wonderfully delightful and smashingly entertaining affaire, with libations flowing like from unto a gushing reservoir and a fare that boasted Indian, Chinese and Jamaican dishes, that had guests mmm-ing and aaah-ing in its delicious fore and aftertaste.
Indeed, it was a night of muted elegance and refreshing splendour! Among those spotted, included: Junior Minister Tourism portfolio Dr. Wykeham McNeil and his fabulously-lovely fiancée Sheila Benjamin-Fernandez; Opposition MP and Finance Spokesman Audley Shaw; Joe Matalon and his fabulous companion Bernadette McKinley Morin; Head of the EU Delegation Ambassador Gerd Jarchow and his companion Mara Mandara; Canadian High Commissioner Claudio Valle and his wife, the lovely Louise Valle; Indian High Commissioner Inder Choper and his elegant wife Nanita Choper; Secretary General of the International Seabed Authority Ambassador Satya Nandan; Cuban Ambassador Jose Piedra Rencurell and his charming wife Mercedes Piedra; Chilean Ambassador Alfonso Silva and his beautiful wife Mrs. Ada Silva; Argentinean Ambassador Gonzalo Fernandez Medrano and wife Mrs. Ines Medrano; Colombian Ambassador Dr. Ken Francis; Venezuelan Ambassador and Mrs. Luis Martinez; Honduran Ambassador Carlos Rivera Matute and his charming wife Rebecca Matute; Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy of Spain Jaume Segura i Socias; Capt. Michael Lyn and his wife, Social Empress and Honorary Consul General of the Kingdom of Thailand, Thalia Lyn; Mrs. Valerie Juggan-Brown; Rae Barrett; the charming Carol Charlton; Capt. Rupert Bent and wife Cindy Breakspeare; Harold Brady; Winston Watson; Howard Mitchell and his lovely wife Linda; Rajiv Bakshi and companion Dorothea Gordon-Smith; R. Christene King; Jim and Marina Gill; Keith Collister and his oh-so fab companion Carol Pessoa; David Delgado and companion Elena Garwood; the charming Nadine Thomas; Iris Molina; the lovely Isabel Mareno; and the lovely Aloima Suarez; plus a number of Ukrainian nationals, resident here.
'Twas however, another beautiful occasion and then some!
And Champagne wishes and fabulous dreams to Dennis and Jane Joslin, who celebrated their wedding anniversary on Friday. Many happy returns y'all!
