Heads of Foundation’s International
Departments Visit Manila
Harald Klein, head of the FNF's international department with
Bettina Solinger, head of the department for Asia and Latin
America |
In order to
maintain close linkages between the
Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF)'s
headquarters
and the Philippine office, Harald Klein, head of FNF’s
international department, and Betting Solinger, head of the department
for Asia and Latin America, visited Manila from 9-11 October 2007.
Although the visit to the Philippines was brief, Klein and Solinger
were able to meet representatives of all the partners of the Foundation
for intensive discussions. They learned firsthand from the Working
Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism about the developments
in the process to include a provision for a creation of a human
rights body in the ASEAN Charter.
They also had a chance to learn about the political trends
and developments in the Philippines in meetings with
liberal political leaders and intellectuals associated with the
National Institute for Policy Studies.
Klein and Solinger also received briefings on the regional cooperation
between Liberal parties in meetings with the
Council
of Asian Liberals and Democrats and the
Young
Liberals and Democrats of Asia.
“We’re very grateful that Harald Klein and Bettina
Solinger took the time to visit Manila,” FNF Resident Representative
Siegfried Herzog commented. FNF works in a very decentralized
manner around the globe. This makes regular communication and
exchange between the head office and the offices abroad all the
more vital,” he added.
“Moreover, the Philippines is not high on the radar screen
in Germany, but it is quite important as far as FNF is
concerned,” Herzog said. “It has the strongest
liberal political tradition in Asia, a vibrant organized
liberalism, and its open and democratic political culture
have made it the preferred choice for the secretariats
of our regional partners. The visit has enabled them to get a
first-hand impression of this,” he concluded.
