Salisbury Diplomatic Society and German Society The German Ambassador on diplomacy today
The Salisbury Diplomatic Society and the German Society were privileged to have the German Ambassador to London, His Excellency Herr Georg Boomgaarden, come to speak about the role of diplomacy today. In an eloquent talk vividly illustrated with examples, His Excellency put the case that the diplomat’s principal task in the present day was one of communication, enabling governments to work together and to understand each other. Additionally, Herr Boomgaarden argued that diplomats retain important roles in representing their country abroad (even if this role has been diminished by the rise in direct conferences between politicians) and in public service for the good of their own nation.
His Excellency’s speech was followed by a considerable number of thoughtful questions on matters ranging from the effect of the WikiLeaks scandal on diplomacy to the future of the Eurozone and the issue of whether further British integration into the European Union was advisable. Both societies are grateful to His Excellency for being able to offer the valuable insights of a serving ambassador from one of Britain’s principal trading partners, and to the Provost and Lady Waldegrave for kindly hosting the evening.
Ralph Morley KS
