Pursuit of peace is a diplomat’s most essential task: conference
Skopje, 25 October 2022 (MIA) – Diplomacy at the time of the Congress of Vienna in 1814 is similar to diplomacy today, and aims to present and promote the interests of a country, but a diplomat is no longer only knocking on the door of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is instead required to have broad knowledge in various fields, experience, good judgment, as well as imagination and creativity, EU Ambassador David Geer told Tuesday’s conference “Diplomacy - Bridge Among Nations”, organized by the Faculty of Philosophy and its students on the International Day of Diplomats – October 24.
He quoted famous U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke who said “Peacemaking is like jazz, you have to listen to the other instruments and improvise.”
“There are huge differences between diplomacy then and now. Diplomats have the same motivation and fascination with international relations, the same commitment to hard work in understanding geopolitical trends and extracting those key trends from the mass of information they receive daily. I believe that diplomacy plays a very important role, and it can serve not only the countries and organizations it represents, but it can be a bridge, a point of contact, especially in very difficult times,” said the EU Ambassador, highlighting the specifics of being a representative of an organization like the European Union, which counts 27 members.
According to him, the EU has an important role and part of its mission is to contribute to peace, security, respect for human rights and democracy. The enlargement policy shows how much the Union can contribute to peace in Europe, as has been confirmed when the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012.
As regards Ukraine, he underlined that the EU is very engaged in providing support at multiple levels, at the political level, by imposing sanctions against Russia, with significant economic support that has so far reached EUR 9 billion, also providing military support, as well as other types of aid together with the member states.
“The EU will continue to seek ways to resolve the conflict, to restore the international order and stand behind Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty,” said Geer.
Commenting on the relationship between diplomacy and peace, French Ambassador to North Macedonia Cyrille Baumgartner said that the pursuit of peace is a diplomat’s most essential task, noting however that the relationship can be quite limiting and unclear, and the whole situation with Ukraine reflects modern diplomacy - direct engagement with skillful use of the instruments available and search for an agreed solution.
German Ambassador Anke Holstein said that despite certain disappointments, she is convinced that the EU is the best thing Europe has invented, adding that the role of diplomacy is best seen in the Berlin process.
