Roles of Embassies
The Embassy represents its country and head of state, along with its policies, to a foreign host country of which they retain a governmental residence and their own sovereign territory. An Embassy is headed by an ambassador, who directly represents their countries own head of state who carries and sees out business on their behalf. A president or prime minister appoints their ambassadors who they see fit to properly represent their country, this selection of personnel has a huge role on the position of a country and its embassy’s image. The ambassador has the responsibility to maintain and increase relations with its host country while acquiring key information and reporting back to the country it represents. Ambassadors also have the responsibility of protecting and offering information and help to its country’s citizens abroad.
As previously stated, an embassy provides a representation of its country to its host state. The embassy portrays a friendly and cooperative role within the host state, through interaction with the local states government and various other organizations and independent parties. Depending on how well this is executed, this can either strengthen or weaken a country’s bilateral relations to its host and recipient, hopefully, the former. In hopes to promote a positive image and build friendly relations, embassies regularly involve themselves in work which promotes their countries image and wishes for continued/ increased cooperation and stability. They can go about this through various different mediums. Embassies often provide support for different nongovernmental organizations, businesses, schools, and other organizations they see fit and likable to their embassies mission. By helping in the growth and development of these institutions, the embassy helps supplement positive advancement in the social and economic sectors of the host country. This creates an atmosphere of interdependence and prosperity between states.
An embassy facilitates the means for peaceful cooperation and collaboration between a foreign country and its host state. Embassies serve as a grounds for the host’s state to address the embassy members of their staff with any issues or concerns they have with that country. Ambassadors frequently host “diplomatic and public functions” within their own homes, furthering a sociable atmosphere (U.S. Department of State). This provides a welcoming and convenient space to settle any potential disputes or to negotiate possible deals and challenges either state may be faced with, rather than having to travel borders or overseas to fulfill these same facilitations.
Just as cooperation and communication can promote good relations, misunderstanding and disagreement can lead to deterioration and bad relations as well. In early 2015, both Brazil and the Netherlands withdrew their Ambassadors from Indonesia over an incident of political disagreement (The Guardian). Although the Ambassadors were taken out, the Brazilian and Dutch embassies remain in their host country of Indonesia. The removal of ambassadors does not constitute an automatic severance of relations between states, but it can make further communications and plan difficult, and future relations are more likely to decline if an agreeable solution cannot be met. This shows the utter importance of an ambassador and their presence, or lack of, holds for a state and its host. It is not only a means of carrying out relations but a symbol of cooperation and diplomacy.
Reference
“Brazil and Netherlands Recall Indonesia Ambassador over Drug Executions” The Guardian. N.p., 18 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.
“What is a U.S. Embassy?” U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.
