Noting that "diplomacy is a metier which is best practiced in the quiet", Vice President Hamid Ansari today said a successful diplomat performs his mandated tasks with discretion and without much visibility.
"Having spent almost 40 years in Indian Foreign Service, I believe that diplomacy is a metier which is best practised in the quite. A successful diplomat is one who performs his mandated tasks with discretion and without much visibility," he said while speaking at the S K Singh award ceremony.
The Vice President presented the "3rd S K Singh Award for Excellence in Indian Foreign Service" to Sibi George, the 1993 batch IFS officer. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid was also present during the function.
"The very nature of the job is such that confidentiality, at times, coupled with geographical distance, makes it difficult for the public at large to appreciate the tremendous work done by diplomats in foreign lands and even at the headquarters. Consequently, accolades or recognition are difficult to come by for most diplomats," Ansari said.
The Vice President said foreign services across the world have many unknown and unsung heroes unlike in the home civil service where quantifying the indicators of achievement is relatively easier.
"This is a constraint which we had to accept. Judging or comparing the work done by members of the diplomatic service becomes all the more difficult as performances had to be evaluated in the context of both time and the situation. Each situation, in a particular time period, is unique," Ansari added.
The Vice President said not only does the award acknowledge the good work by the recipient, it is also meant to inspire others to excel in the line of duty.
Officials said George, who was serving as deputy chief of Mission in Saudi Arabia, dealt with the Nitaqat row admirably by helping Indian workers and also helped strengthen relations between the two countries.
Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said that today's world of shifting issue-based coalition and multiple stakeholders is very different and while it presents many more opportunities, it also presents a lot many challenges.
