Effective bilateral diplomacy remains central to advancing a state’s external interests in an increasingly complex international environment. It constitutes the core of foreign relations, structuring interactions between states and shaping the conduct, priorities, and outcomes of international engagement.
Grounded in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, this course examines the organisation and practice of diplomatic institutions, including ministries of foreign affairs, embassies, and consulates. It explores the four pillars of bilateral diplomacy: political, economic, public, and consular, while situating them within their broader regional and multilateral context.
Offering a practitioner’s view, the course examines how concepts operate in the real world, including the tools used to analyse international affairs through the tradecraft of diplomacy. The course authors are Ambassador Kishan S Rana and Ambassador Asoke Mukerji.