Rise of Modern Diplomacy
Granted to ambassadors and embassy staff by the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations are diplomatic immunity and personal safety while living in the host country. In my case it took the Italian government a couple of months to sign my agrimont because of political exigencies such as mid-term elections where the chief-of-staff who receives had not yet been elected. Role of Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy. A highest ranking diplomat formally representing the head of state who is usually accredited to another sovereign state, or to an international organization as the resident representative of his or her own government or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment. An ambassador is a person who says ‘yes’ when he means ‘maybe’ and ‘maybe’ when he means ‘no’. This is of course a caricature of a diplomat. One thing sure, however, is that an ambassador is a shock absorber—he has to defend his government’s policies whether or not he personally believes they are wrong. When his host country is displeased about the actuations of the country he represents, he is the first to know. This is usually in the form of a summons by the foreign office of his post. In its most common use, the term ambassador usually applies to the highest ranking government representative stationed in a foreign country. While in the host country, the ambassador has control of specific territory called an embassy, whose territory, staff and vehicles are afforded diplomatic immunity. 3
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