Diplomacy

Ministerial handing over ceremony- At The Foreign Office

The handing over ceremony between an outgoing minister and the new minister is an important news event.In most cases,the attention is on prestigious departments such as finance,internal affairs,justice,defence and foreign affairs.Curiously,on friday May 20 2022,the focus was on professor Pap Ndiaye,the new minister of education.A media coverage that made Paris-based diplomats to ask questions on  the reasons behind the media blank on the appointment of the new minister for Europe and Foreign affairs as disclosed by the government.

A typical example of feminine diplomacy

In reality,it was the next day that the news of the handing over event between Jean-Yves Le Drian,the minister for Europe and Foreign affairs and Catherine Colonna,the incoming minister became a news item that reminded the public of the Quai d'Orsay of the years of Maurice Couve de Murville-a great admirer of Britain.Jean-Yves Le Drain had under his belt 10 years of executive council work and he opened the  handing over press conference by saying that he was delighted to hand over to a diplomat that epitomizes feminine diplomacy in every sense of the word.

In the footsteps of Maurice Couve de Murville

This is a department,where you take action all the time,where you are faced with the challenges of Brexit,that you know very well,the outgoing minister continued.There is a wag,in the community of foreign policy professionals that every foreign affairs minister has his style and method.Laurent Fabius,the predecessor of Yves Le Drian and the author of 37,Quai d'Orsay,Diplomatie Française 2012-2016 was reputed for his written instructions with his signature on his letter head.

For the first time, in his work as a senior foreign policy maker,Yves Le Drian,on that saturday of May 21 2022 revealed his diplomatic method, the exchange of views with all,clarity in actions and in speaking.A style that he applied instantly by saying that is okay for me...,I am very pleased to hear that... in reference to the electoral defeat of Scott Morrison,the prime minister of Australia who repealed a defence contract with France.

A department of 3 major players

In her reply,the incoming minister focused on two points:By declaring that I was your ambassador,I am very grateful to you and I hold you in very high esteem.We appreciated the way you managed this department,especially your decision to create the multilateral alliance and the way you defended the budget of this ministry. Her second point was this message to diplomats world wide Our message is clear,you can count on my support,because I never forgot whom I am and where I came from. On that saturday,one common element in the speeches of the two ministers were references and thanks to the secretary general of the department.Who is the second most important official after the minister and who oversees foreign policy formulation process, as defined by the director in that geographical zone of policy making.

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