As we had opined early in the life of the APNU+AFC administration (SN, June 2, 2015), the appointment of Carl Greenidge as the country’s Foreign Minister was a clear signal by the new government of “a serious readiness to place economic diplomacy on its diplomatic front burner.” Mr Greenidge himself has, since assuming office, spoken of the need to “re-tool” the foreign ministry and develop the professional skills of its staff, whilst also trying to recruit the best available skills to fill critical posts. Since then, rumour and speculation have been rife with regard to the identification of new heads of mission to replace the mainly political appointees favoured by successive PPP/C administrations. But, apart from the naming of veteran diplomat Cheryl Miles as Ambassador-designate to the hot seat in Caracas, nothing else is known of the government’s plans.
Understandably, the unwanted and unwarranted attentions of our western neighbour must have thrown President David Granger and Minister Greenidge off their stride somewhat, disrupting their timeline for implementing change at Takuba Lodge, rebuilding the foreign service and enhancing and, in many respects, repairing Guyana’s image overseas. On the other hand, Venezuela’s antics will have had the salutary effect of reminding the President and Foreign Minister of the pressing need for a strong foreign service to defend and advance our national interests – a strategic objective which this newspaper had consistently advocated during the PPP/C years and which we continue to endorse.
We therefore welcome President Granger’s assertion, following his maiden address to the United Nations General Assembly in September, that he is looking to appoint diplomats to solidify the gains made at the General Assembly and “to propel our economic diplomacy much more quickly than it is being propelled currently.” And, whilst we await news of just who these diplomats will be, we note the implicit acknowledgment that a balance has to be found between economic diplomacy and traditional diplomacy (or “political diplomacy” as Mr Greenidge has called it).
As is well known, foreign policy is usually a reflection of domestic policy. In this respect, for Guyana to be taken seriously abroad, we must endeavour to project ourselves as a credible nation, as diverse yet unified, one in which differences exist but consensus is the order of the day in the interest of achieving common goals, which is pretty much the way of diplomacy. As such, our domestic policy must be rooted in the rule of law, good governance and the construction of a socially cohesive, equitable and mutually respectful society, values that we would seek to support and advance in the international arena.
Diplomacy is about making friends and influencing people across the world. Guyana needs as many friends as possible to counter the Venezuelan threat to our territorial integrity. Every bilateral and multilateral avenue must therefore be explored to reinforce mutual political confidence and cooperation with traditional allies and to build stronger links with those who, for various reasons, are not so close. For a small country like ours, regional groupings like Caricom and multilateral fora like the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the whole alphabet soup of international organisations, are particularly important for building such alliances.
We therefore have to invest in our foreign service, to attract the right mix of skills, knowledge and competence. Whether it be attracting foreign and diasporic investment, developing new trade links, helping to identify new economic and business opportunities, contributing to resolving the major international challenges of our times such as climate change, global security and energy security, protecting the rights of our citizens abroad, or preserving our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we need to find a balance between generalists and specialists and we need to identify and develop imaginative, flexible and innovative diplomats who can be credible and coherent, as they build bridges, networks and partnerships, across different sectors and cultures, in an increasingly diverse world.
Re-professionalising the foreign service and giving our diplomats the wherewithal to advance our national interests is a no-brainer. Happily, the government is aware of the necessity to breathe new life into the foreign service, as Mr Greenidge has publicly acknowledged. But this is obviously taking some time and will no doubt take more time. In the meantime, we look forward to hearing more about next steps.
