Diplomatic and Consular Service

The word diplomat originates from the Ancient Greek word “Diploma” that means a piece of official documentation, instruction, authority and etc. All the ambassadors directed for negotiations had two compatible pieces of wood. When they were handed in stuck as one piece it meant that “diploma” was in place and the carrier was authorized as a legitimate person to negotiate.
In the course of the time (mid of XVII century) the term “diplomatic” turned into effect and linguistic turn-over. The word “diplomat” had yet been used and persons involved in this area of activity were named as “negotiators”.
The notion “diplomatic” was introduced by Leibnits – famous philosopher and mathematician in 1693 and as of then it has been used as the area of the international relations. Further on it was developed by the French ambassador Francois Kalier who created a book “On the Manner of negotiating with Princes”.

The contribution of F.Kalier was pioneering and great that contributed to the formation of diplomatic service as the area of combined elements of science and art. The diplomatic dictionary created by the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs edited by Mr. Gromiko comes up with the following definition: “Diplomacy is the principal activity of the leaders of the states, governments, special authorized bodies and institutions involved in external relations for achieving goals in the foreign policy of the state as well as the protection of the rights and interests of the country abroad”.
What should be mentioned in this respect is the key element of the foreign policy that the objectives should be achieved exclusively by peaceful means.

G.Nikolson suggests that we should follow the definition of diplomacy given in the “Oxford English Dictionary” as conducting of international affairs by means of negotiations regulated by ambassadors the job or art of a diplomat. The forward looking aim is setting up of confidence building measures.
Diplomacy is the combination of science and art with the latter as the priority in this equation in conducting negotiations between the leaders of the States, ministries of foreign affairs, heads of the representations and diplomats with the final goal as the protection of state interests and its citizens.
Priority of art over science comes from the evaluation of personal talents as the key vehicle in achieving the goal. It is usually compared with the skill of a surgeon when two persons can make the same operation with the different outcome.

The Origin of Diplomacy
Diplomacy as the specialized area of activity came out with break-off of tribe social order and formation of states with the boundaries of land cultivation and hunting reservation. With the appearance of identified group of people it gave the rise to the definite interests as well as trade and exchange of wealth. Diplomacy came into being as the response to the conflict of interests which involved violence as the vehicle of resolvement.
Realizing that warfare is not helpful for people and in the end of the day it caused nothing but escalation of violence people took up peaceful means of resolving using the words of the leader of tribe-patriarch.

These were the first steps of reaching some arrangement with no sophisticated means but effective in prevention of destructive wars.
The diplomacy of that time was primitive but in the course of time it got the maturity. The trace of the skilled international arrangement was identified in XV century B.C. in Egypt where the peaceful contract was concluded with the standards close to the ones of our days.
4000 years ago the developed diplomacy was discovered in India with the firm package of obligations created for diplomats as the key factor in solving the intertribal problems. Much was in this respect in China with the elements of the International Law and regulations in International Relations.