European Union Ambassador Dr Riina Kionka pays tribute to Pakistan

Celina Ali

Islamabad: European Union Ambassador Dr. Riina Kionka this week extended congratulations to Pakistanis on their 77th Independence Day and honoured the country’s “vibrant diversity in the spirit of respect, unity, and inclusion envisioned by its founder, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.”

At a special event on the premises of the European Union Delegation to Pakistan here, Dr. Riina joined Pakistani musicians to perform a unique trumpet rendition of the national anthem as a gesture of honour. She wished Pakistanis a happy Independence Day and reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting the country’s sustainable socioeconomic development.

The ceremony was sponsored by the EU mission with its national flag and aired on a Pakistani television channel. The people in Pakistan and abroad appreciated it profusely as she started her work on trumpet at the outer gate of her mission and concluded it in the balcony of the building.

Kionka is ambassador of the EU, political and economic union of 27 member states, located in Europe. She has vast experience of diplomacy in various countries with important positions. She hails from Estonia where she had worked as career diplomat in the ministry of foreign affairs.