Meet the Diplomat
Special Edition with James Carey
Meet The Diplomat E2: Experiences of Diplomacy with Colin Heseltine, former Ambassador to the Republic of Korea
Curious about what diplomats actually experience? AIIA Victoria invites you to the next instalment in the Meet the Diplomat series. In it, James Carey interviews former Australian Ambassador, Colin Heseltine.
Colin had a career with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that included numerous senior positions and postings. He has served as Deputy Head of Mission in the Australian embassy in Beijing from 1982 to 1985, and from 1988 to 1992; as director of the Australian Commerce and Industry Office in Taiwan, and as Australia’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2001 to 2005. He was appointed by the Australian government to head the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat in Singapore during Australia’s host APEC year in 2007.
Meet The Diplomat E1: Experiences of Diplomacy with John Richardson, former Ambassador to Brazil
Diplomacy is the most important institution of our society of states. Diplomacy’s main aim is to enable states to secure their foreign policy objectives without resorting to force. Its primary tools are international dialogue and negotiation. Its success for any country is influenced by both the country’s hard and soft power with diplomats playing an important role in the projection of soft power.
Based on a career spent promoting Australia’s interests overseas, John Richardson, former Ambassador to Brazil, discusses with James Carey what it means to conduct diplomacy, what a diplomatic negotiation looks like, and his experience of bridging cultural gaps.