And if an ambassador is summoned, it sounds very serious. But according to a former ambassador to Ukraine, Russia and China, things are not so bad. “It’s also fraught in some ways,” says Keller. ‘As an ambassador you communicate daily with the authorities and the parts of the country where you are a guest. And if you are summoned, there is a special way of communicating».
Keller says confidential communication will make way for public communication at that time. “When an ambassador is summoned, dissatisfaction is really made public,” he says. “The country is apparently angry or has a grumpy attitude, and then the pleasant exchange of information suddenly becomes a little bit nasty and sour.”
reproach
According to Keller, it happens almost exclusively when there’s really friction or when a scolding is needed. “It is clear that, in principle, both ambassadors and host country authorities have an interest in the confidentiality of communications,” she continues. ‘So you can trade the most with each other, and that’s essential to being a good ambassador. But the moment a country makes it public that it will convene someone, it is clear that there is no more communication. Then it’s about making a statement, to the fans or to other countries. So you need to take a conversation like that more seriously.”
Keller is supported by fellow former ambassador Kees van Rij, who has worked in Turkey, Greece, Spain and Brazil. “When confidentiality is violated and becomes public, it’s a different form of communication,” he says. “Ambassadors are usually there to send or receive messages. This is being done on a confidential basis, but has been made public.”
Hans Teeuwen
Van Rij himself was once summoned from Turkey over statements by cabaret artist Hans Teeuwen about Turkey’s head of state. “I then explained that this is a private position and that the Dutch government obviously did not support it,” he continues. “I emphasized that it is part of freedom of expression and that we are in favor of treating people with respect. On the other hand, it is true that you receive a message to pass it on to the authorities, but that is often the case.’