The ties between newly elected U.S. President Donald J. Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may be headed for an up-and-down rollercoaster ride in the months ahead over such issues as Moscow’s intrepid territorial advances in Ukraine, economic sanctions and the use of cyber-hacking by the Kremlin.
But while political tensions may simmer as the two men face-off on these and other matters, what neither leader should forget is that this year marks the 210th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations between the two countries.
And it is on the foundation of those two centuries of binational diplomacy that any frictions that might arise between the two political superpowers can and must be ironed out through peaceful dialogue and mediation.
On Feb. 10, Russian Ambassador to Mexico Eduard Rubénovich Malayán underscored precisely the importance of diplomacy in promoting pragmatic, mutually beneficial cooperation as the basis of global stability and security when he celebrated his nation’s official Diplomats Day with a generous reception at his embassy for colleagues and friends.
Decked out in full diplomatic regalia (Russia is one of the few countries that still maintains an official ambassadorial uniform — a holdover from the glory days of pompous protocol and circumstantial diplomatic courtesies), Malayán pointed out that while many politicians around the globe today see diplomacy as little more than an antiquated exercise in “hand-shaking, smiles, glamour and champagne,” the tragic assassination of Andrei Karlov, Moscow’s ambassador to Ankara, last Dec. 19, was clear evidence that the job can also entail grave danger and serious responsibilities.
“We assume our roles as diplomats fully understanding that our duty is to help guarantee stability and the world order,” Malayán explained, obviously moved by the memory of the death of Karlov, who he said was a close personal friend.
“I am not going to overstate the issue, but we all sincerely put forth our best efforts to defend the interests of our countries and, in so doing, make the world as more peaceful place.”
Citing a message to him and his staff from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commemorating the Russian holiday — which marks the 1549 founding of the Russian Diplomatic Service (Posolskiy Prikaz) — Malayán went on to say that Russia has always maintained a policy of respect for the sovereignty and right to self-determination of other nations.
Malayán said that the key objective of diplomacy — the art of the possible — is to develop mutually beneficial interests and to defuse tensions resulting from disagreements through peaceful negotiation and moderation.
With these principles in mind, he said, all diplomats strive to consolidate common values within the international arena and to develop processes of integration, while resolving conflicts and crises in accordance with the United Nations Charter.
Malayán was right.
Peacekeeping, peacemaking and the building and maintenance of security have always been and will always be the core objective of the wider diplomatic and political exercise.
In a world where terrorism threatens virtually every nook and corner of human existence, diplomacy now involves diplomatic skills and new methods of approach, as well as the adoption of innovative strategies to achieve the ultimate objective of peace, something that can best be described as preventive diplomacy.
In today’s world, even the concept of peace has been redefined to mean more than just the traditional notion of absence of war.
It is the ability to create pathways for alternative solutions to military actions.
As Malayán so judiciously put it: “When diplomats fall silent, cannons begin to thunder.”
Granted, the character and style of diplomacy has evolved over the last half-century.
During the Cold War era, with its sharply demarcated ideological barriers and rigid strategic concerns, diplomats were constrained by imposed political limitations and restricted inside the confines of a bipolar world.
But when the Soviet Union collapsed in the late 1980s and former enemies became uncertain allies, new opportunities — and hurdles — developed for the erstwhile diplomat.
Many ambassadors adopted new roles, becoming cultural envoys, business promoters and public relations faux pas-menders.
Diplomacy, once a discrete profession practiced in seclusion behind closed doors, is today scrutinized by the media, and every word uttered or action taken by a diplomat becomes public fodder for debate.
Diplomacy today is under constant scrutiny and criticism, which only makes the art of finding amiable solutions to unamiable conflicts all the more difficult.
But at the core, a diplomat’s job is the same as it ever was: to find peaceful resolutions to differences in order to avoid military escalation of political or territorial disputes.
Using words instead of weapons, diplomats can help to weave the fabric of global understanding and cooperation.
And as long as there is dialogue, there is hope for a peaceful resolution.
Talk may be cheap, but it is a much better option than gunboats.
Despite all the changes that diplomacy has undergone in recent years, it is still a slow and tedious process.
But as Malayán so astutely noted, diplomacy is the only way viable alternative to military solutions to conflict.
Thérèse Margolis can be reached at [email protected].
