Opening Remarks by H.E. Mr. Kasit Piromya Minister of Foreign Affairs on the Occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs Vithes Samosorn, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 30 March 2009
Your Excellency Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva,
Excellencies,
Members of the diplomatic corps,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to welcome all of you to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is indeed an honour and privilege for us to have Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva give a special lecture commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs.
The Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs, or DVIFA in short, is the training arm of the Foreign Ministry. As such, it carries a tradition of human resource development that goes back to the establishment of the Ministry itself, more than 120 years ago. Formally established in 1984, the Institute provides both short- and long-term courses for all level of officers, from new recruits to those soon to retire, as well as scholarships for overseas study and training.The scope of work of the Institute has been expanded to include training and services for officers of other Thai government agencies and the wider public.To date, more than 4,000 government officers have sat English placement tests organized by the Institute.It was an auspicious occasion in 2006 when His Majesty the King graciously granted permission for the Ministry to include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Devawongse Varopakarn, the Father of Thai Diplomacy, in the name of the Institute.
As we all recognize, today’s world is highly complex and full of new challenges.With the increasing speed and volume of information flows, high technology and movement of capital and people, it can be a challenge to keep up with the pace of everything and sort the wheat from the chaff. Diplomats, in particular, need to be quick studies. International negotiations are no longer limited to traditional political issues, but encompass economic, social, cultural, developmental and environmental issues, among others. With the rapid changes in the international political landscape, diplomats also have to change in order to remain competitive.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
When I started working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1968, diplomacy was somewhat less complex, and had less sense of urgency, than it is today. We actually had time to think. The tools of our trade back then were typewriters and mimeograph machines. Now we use a Blackberry to instantly communicate with our ambassadors abroad. Instead of waiting for telegrams, we receive breaking news and send instructions through phones. Instant communications have become the new norm in our diplomatic work.
Clearly, the world has changed, for better or for worse, and Thailand has changed along with it. The Thai public’s interest and participation in politics have increased, requiring the government to respond in a more timely and accountable manner. By the same token, public interest in Thai foreign policy and diplomacy has also grown. In the past, Thai foreign policy was formulated and implemented by a few professionals. But the breadth and depth of modern Thailand’s integration with the rest of the world mean that those days are gone.Diplomacy is under ever greater pressure to produce tangible benefits for the people. Diplomacy is by necessity becoming a more open and inclusive process.
For foreign service officers, this means that they have to work with not only their professional foreign counterparts, but with all stakeholders at all levels, be they from the private sector, civil society, academia or the general public. One of the activities of the Ministry is public diplomacy, both within and outside the country. Our foreign service officers, of course, are expected to promote the country’s image and relations with foreign politicians, investors, tourists and the general public. Perhaps more importantly, their reports should provide information and insights that are not available in the press or on the Internet. Good people skills, keen powers of observation and analytical thinking are requisite, more than ever, for Thai diplomatic officers today.
The public aspect of this is that our officers are also expected to reach out and provide information and services to the Thai public. It is important for the Ministry to help the people understand the relevance of the world outside Thailand and its implications for their lives. In return, the officers need to listen to the public and take their needs into account in the formulation and conduct of foreign policy.
Despite the political problems of recent years, Thailand’s foreign policy and diplomatic commitments remain unchanged. We will continue to build on the good relations that we have with our friends and partners. We will also seek to strengthen our reputation as a warm and welcoming country for tourists and investors alike. In short, we intend to restore confidence in Thailand. This task, of course, cannot be accomplished without the Ministry and its highly trained diplomatic officers. And this is why the role of the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs is so crucial to Thai diplomacy. I congratulate the Institute on its first quarter century, and look forward to lending it my strong support for its future capacity building endeavours.
Before concluding my remarks, I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to visit the exhibition outside this room and in Vithes Samosorn III, the room just behind you, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs.The Institute and its staff have done a good job, and they deserve our encouragement and support.
Thank you.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th