Date: 16 October 2006

CONSULATE OF ICELAND IN BIRMINGHAM

36 Bennetts Hill, Birmingham, B2 5SN, the offices of Buller Jeffries, is also the address of the Consulate of Iceland in Birmingham, and the Consul is Nigel Dace, Solicitor.

The history of the beautiful country of Iceland is long, its population is 300,000, and Icelanders are people of proud tradition, such that Nigel considers it a great pleasure to be its Consul.

Icelandic people known to the consulate live in and around Birmingham and in other parts of the West Midlands; and also in the East Midlands, particularly the Nottingham area.  University students from Iceland are also here to study.

The roles of the Consulate include:

• Providing support to Icelanders, whether part of the Icelandic community in the UK or in Iceland, and to Icelandic (and related) business; and

• Promoting external knowledge of Iceland.

Over 100,000 Icelanders are employed outside Iceland, a figure which continues to increase.  This reflects Iceland having over recent years become evermore “international” on the world stage.

The Sixth Conference of Consuls of Iceland worldwide took place in Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik in May 2006, organised splendidly, and with great care and efficiency, by the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs.  168 consuls from all around the world attended, many accompanied by spouses.  The Icelandic Ambassador in London, Mr Sverrir Haukur Gunnlaugsson also attended the conference, together with a number of other Icelandic Ambassadors, who had travelled from far afield, including Toyko.

This Sixth Consular Conference received presentations from many distinguished Icelanders including :

• Geir H Haarde – then Foreign Minister, now Prime Minister of Iceland
• The Minister of Fisheries
• The President and CEO, Icelandic Stock Exchange
• The Executive Chairman, Kaupthing Bank
• The Managing Director, Invest in Iceland Agency www.invest.is
• The Managing Director, Trade Council of Iceland www.icetrade.is
• The President and CEO, Icelandair (also Chairman, Icelandic Travel Industry Association)
• The Permanent Secretary of State
• Other speakers – including from the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Justice.

As Consul of Iceland and accordingly an active member of the Birmingham Consular Association, Nigel Dace meets regularly with Consuls from other countries, leading to liaison (among others) also with civic authorities and West Midlands police.

On 6th June 2006, Nigel was delighted to welcome – personally and on behalf of the Icelandic Embassy in London – Korinn, the choir of senior citizens from Reykjavik, which performed at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford upon Avon (Shakespeare’s Church).  It was a delightful recital.

Nigel Dace