Diplomatic missions, even of large and powerful states, can vary markedly in their scale and size. Yet an often-neglected issue in the study of diplomacy is the distinct challenges and opportunities associated with operating small embassies. In this event, two Ambassadors who head such embassies in Canberra will offer their reflections on how to manage such challenges, and how to seize opportunities as they arise.
Join us from 5:30pm for pre-presentation drinks and nibbles!
To contact the ACT Branch, please email act.branch@internationalaffairs.org.au or call us on 0403 932 571.
Agenda
- Drinks and nibbles
- Presentation by guest speakers
Wahidullah Waissi•Sonam Tobgay
Wahidullah Waissi
Ambassador of AfghanistanH.E. Wahidullah Waissi is a career diplomat and has served as Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the Commonwealth of Australia since March 2017. In this position he is also accredited to New Zealand and Fiji. After the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the Ambassador, diplomats, and the Embassy of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Canberra continue in fulfilling diplomatic responsibilities under the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations of 1961, operating outside the realm of Taliban influence. At the Foreign Ministry he served as a Senior Advisor to the Minister on regional cooperation and later as a Director-General for Economic Cooperation for four years, where he was responsible to coordinate and promote regional mega-projects from negotiation to implementation. As part of his diplomatic career, Mr Waissi attended five UN General Assembly sessions from 2012 to 2016; together with the OECD worked on the 2011 Busan High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness as a member of the Asia-Pacific Community of Practice from 2009 to 2012; and participated at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development as a member of the government delegation in 2012. Mr Waissi holds an MA in international Development Economics from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He is also a Visiting Scholar at the Central Asia Caucasus Institute at The Johns Hopkins University.
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Sonam Tobgay
Ambassador of BhutanH.E. Sonam Tobgay was appointed as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the Commonwealth of Australia on 2 July 2021 by His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan. He presented his credentials to the Governor-General on 29 September 2021. Prior to the appointment, he had served as Director of the Bilateral Department from February 2019. He joined the Ministry in 1994 and has served in various capacities, including as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in New Delhi; Consul General and Minister-Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Bhutan to the UN in New York; Chief of the Policy Planning Division; and Chief of International Organizations Division in Thimphu. He also briefly served as Charge d’Affaires at the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Kuwait and as Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Bhutan in Geneva. He received his BA from Delhi University, and holds Masters degrees from The Australian National University and Harvard University.
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- Q + A
