Diplomatic nuances and national interest

Yuba Nath Lamsal

The world has undergone a sea change. The situation that existed twenty years ago is no longer present now. As the global situation has changed dramatically, the psychology of the nations has also changed. The method and modes of handling international relations have also taken a big paradigm shift. Gone are the days of military power to determine the world order and maintain influence as well as protect one’s own national interest. Although there are still some countries that believe in military power to control the world, this is an old concept which is not compatible with the changed international scenario.

The old concept of use of force to settle bilateral and multi-lateral disputes has virtually come to an end. In its place, the art of negotiation, which is called diplomacy, has gained currency in international dispute resolution and shaping new world order. The conduct of diplomacy is a delicate issue that needs sophisticated handling. A slightest mistake makes a big difference in the world of diplomacy. A diplomat has to take into consideration a lot many things in the conduct of diplomacy. The use of word, body language, tone and intonation, dress and facial expression tell a lot which a diplomat must take into serious consideration.

A diplomat must be aware of these diplomatic nuances in order to properly project a nation’s image, protect national interest and get the message through. It is only through the art of successful diplomacy one can boost the image of the country and protect national interest abroad. It is said that what cannot be gained by war can be achieved through the art of diplomacy. In the present complicated yet interconnected world, art of diplomacy plays crucial role in pursing the national interest of a particular country and make one’s presence felt in the international arena in a more visible and meaningful manner. Nations negotiate with one another on a wide array of issues, ranging from serious problems of war, peace, and disarmament to the more ordinary matters of boundary disputes, fishing rights, foreign aid, immigration quotas, and international trade.

In the world of diplomacy, language is crucial factor. A diplomat must not only have good command of international language in general, he or she should be able to understand the language spoken by his or her counterpart in particular. Art of articulation and fluency in language makes the communication better and clear. The knowledge of counterpart’s language helps understand the mind of the other side in negotiation while the fluency in the language of communication makes one’s point clear and position better in negotiation. With the art of articulation and persuasive skill, one definitely keeps his or her position in negotiation better than that of the counterpart. Through his or her eloquence in language and proper etiquette and articulation skill, a diplomat has to persuade, request, argue, warn and protest on issues of negotiation or on issues pertaining to national interest. The body language and facial expression, sitting position and attire also count in diplomacy. Any person responsible for the conduct of diplomacy must need to pay due attention to these factors. The issue of dress code was raised by the Nepalese media during the recent visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to Nepal. While all members of the Chinese delegation had strictly maintained their dress code, Nepalese side including the Prime Minister seemed to be either unaware of the significance and meaning of the dress or they simply ignored it. None of the Nepali officials seemed to have maintained proper dress code.

A good diplomat can boost country’s image and dignity through his or her diplomatic acumen. Diplomacy is the combination of ways and abilities for any state that proves its existence and worthiness in the world and establishes cooperation with other members of international community. A diplomat is someone who wins the war with words. A successful diplomat should possess a combination of ingenuity, wit and common sense. Moreover, diplomats must be highly qualified experts to be able to solve any problem even in an unpredictable situation. On the quality and qualification of a good diplomat, former President of the United States of America Abraham Lincoln once said: “Flexibility is a very important quality of a diplomat”. It is true that a diplomat is required to be flexible but it depends on the situation. As the diplomacy is the game of international power politics and intrigue, one has to be tough and arrogant at certain time if the situation so demands.

The conduct of diplomacy is an art and skill that requires professional acumen. But sometime politician and other people perform better in the conduct of diplomacy than the professional diplomats. At times politicians are chosen for certain diplomatic assignments because the chosen politician may fare better than the professional diplomats. The employees in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are said to be the professional or career diplomats. This is true to a large degree. But this is not wholly true. The staffs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs know many diplomatic nuances but they are more bureaucratic. When it comes to decision making on certain issues they often falter and sometimes miss opportunity to strike the deal for the interest of the country in time. In such a situation, political appointees may fare better. In some important place, high-level politicians are appointed as ambassador. During the tenure of Bill Clinton as President of the Untied States of America, former Vice President Water Mondale was sent to Tokyo as the American Ambassador. Some had even said that a person of such a high stature should not have accepted the junior level position of an ambassador (ambassador is a position of joint-secretary level). But the trade issues and relations between Japan and the USA were highly important and crucial at that time and a person like Walter Mondale was required to deal with Tokyo on such vital issues. In some other countries, too, ambassadors are appointed from outside the foreign ministry staff. In Nepal, diplomatic assignments are something to be given to someone as a reward but not for conducting diplomacy. Nowhere have any of our diplomats fared satisfactorily. Nor could they have their presence felt. This is applied to both careerists as well as political appointees. It has been widely felt that Nepal’s conduct of diplomacy in the international arena has been weak and getting weaker over the last two decades especially after the 1990 political change. Nepal’s diplomats are not conducting diplomacy but officials of other countries or their mission in Kathmandu set the conditions.

Not all the employees in the Foreign Ministry are career diplomats but some may possess excellent qualities of diplomacy. In the same manner, it is not that all outsiders are diplomatic novice. Some political appointees are better than careerists. The Foreign Ministry employees often think that the conduct of diplomacy is their protected domain and rights. This is also not true. The conduct of diplomacy is the job of the government, which is composed of politicians. The job of the bureaucrats and officials in the foreign ministry is to facilitate and assist the politicians in the conduct of diplomacy.

But the demand for appointing careerists (employees in foreign ministry) in the diplomatic mission is gaining currency in Nepal. There should not be any objection to it. Perhaps keeping this demand in mind, the present government headed by Dr Baburam Bhattarai appointed careerists in the half of the total diplomatic appointments. This is praiseworthy step. But the government has appointed the rest from various fields, most of whom do not possess even slightest diplomatic experiences. They are bound to create diplomatic debacle. Similarly, the other issue being raised at present is the inclusiveness in the diplomatic appointments. There should not be any objection if anyone from any ethnic background is appointed as ambassador in any country. But diplomacy is the art of projecting the country and one who is appointed as ambassador should duly project the country and ensure national interest through better negotiation, communication and articulation. In the field of diplomacy, merit should count more than political sharing in the name of inclusiveness.