Tariq Fatemi stresses need for greater diplomacy

ISLAMABAD, March 17 (APP): Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Syed Tariq Fatemi Friday highlighting the crucial role and challenges faced by the diplomats in the 21st century, stressed the need for greater public diplomacy.
“It is public diplomacy which reaches out to people in other countries,” he said addressing the Passing-out Ceremony of the 25th Advance Diplomatic Course held at the Foreign Services Academy (FSA) here.
The Course was held from February 6 to March 17. A group of 28 diplomats from 25 friendly countries hailing from five continents of the world attended the course.
A large number of foreign ambassadors based in Islamabad, senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), members of the diplomatic corps, eminent scholars, and educationists as well as the faculty members of the academy attended the event.
Speaking to the graduating diplomats, Syed Tariq Fatemi hoped that the training opportunity at the FSA had been helpful flagging the ever-changing concepts and scope of modern day diplomacy and that the participants were able to also get a deeper understanding of the Pakistan Culture and its ethos.
Country’s institutions were being strengthened by the representative and elected government. Pakistan was on path of progress and prosperity and the country wanted to live in peace and harmony with all of its neighboring countries, he added.
He said the people of Pakistan were committed to promote democracy and democratic institutions.
He said the improvement in growth rate and addition of 9000 MW electricity to the national grid system showed that the country was on the path of prosperity and economic stability.
Director General FSA Ambassador Iftekhar Aziz, spoke about the training philosophy, methodology and innovations employed by the academy.
He highlighted the activities during the course and appreciated the zeal and interest of the participants of the course.
The FSA is the training arm of the MoFA and since its establishment in September 1981, has been imparting diplomatic training to both Pakistani as well as foreign diplomats from friendly countries.
The entire diplomatic corps of Pakistan is a graduate of the FSA. The number of its international alumni, many of them serving in responsible positions in their respective countries, stands at 1277 from 106 countries.
Ambassador Badi on behalf of the diplomats expressed his gratitude to the people of Pakistan and the FSA for providing them the unique opportunity of diplomatic training.
He said, “We shall be the ambassadors of Pakistan in our own countries.”
At the end, Tariq Fatemi distributed certificates among the participants of the 25th Advance Diplomatic Course.