Reception on the occasion of the Diplomat's Day

On February 07, 2017, the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Karachi gave a Reception on the occasion of the DiplomatХs Day.

The Chief Guest of the Reception was HonХble Mr. Agha Siraj Durrani, Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh. HonХble Mr. Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Senior Minister, Government of Sindh, Mir Hazar Khan Bijrani, Sindh Minister for Planning and Development were Guests of Honour. The function was also attended by members of the Consular corps of Karachi, businessmen, cultural and media personalities.

Address by Oleg N.Avdeev, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Karachi, at the Reception on the occasion of the DiplomatХs Day

The DiplomatХs day, which actually falls on the 10th of February, appeared in the modern Russian calendar in 2002, following a Decree of the President of the Russian Federation. This day was introduced on the occasion of 200th anniversary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. The choice of this date was not random. The Ambassadorial Department, a special service for negotiations with foreign states, which was a forerunner of the Foreign Ministry, was first mentioned on the February 10, way back in 1549. But of course, the recorded history of domestic diplomacy is much older and dates back to the VI-VII centuries.

The Diplomat's Day was established in order to strengthen the Russian Foreign Service, to develop a sense of patriotism and pride for our homeland and its history and also to continue the traditions of Russian diplomacy.

The establishment of this professional holiday contributed to the growth of prestige of national diplomacy and was a powerful stimulus to improve quality of the work of the employees of Russia's MFA and its foreign institutions.

On May 7, 2012 the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, signed a Decree "On Measures to Implement the Foreign Policy Course of the Russian Federation", which formalises the main task of Russia's foreign policy and diplomacy at the current stage. They are aimed at ensuring the national interests of the country on the basis of principles of pragmatism and openness in the international environment which slowly but steadily takes on polycentric dimension.

There are numerous tasks currently faced by the Russian diplomatic service. Russia has secured itself an adequate role on the modern stage, in the resolution of key international problems, striving for the peaceful settlement of conflicts.

In recent years Russian diplomats celebrate their professional holiday during this uneasy and messy period of conflict scenarios in the world. In the midst of growing challenges and threats, it is very important for the international community to act in accordance with the UN Charter and coordinate diplomatic steps within internationally recognised institutes on generally accepted principles of equality and undivided security of all countries.

Today Russian diplomats are required to be at home with the realities of modern foreign policy, to be able to work with mass media and to be able to handle issues of world culture and science. Modern diplomacy has become diverse and dynamic. It requires a wider range of knowledge in various fields. While its methods evolve towards multi-pronged net-working, the main task remains the same Р to secure favorable external conditions for the national development.

During its entire history, Russian diplomacy has been remarkable thanks to its innovative approach. Today the Russian diplomacy plays a significant role within the UN, G20, APEC, and other world and regional forums, promotes ties of friendship and cooperation with other states.

Pakistan is the country which has been recently in the focus of diplomatic efforts of Russia to expand and diversify bilateral cooperation and this Consular mission is assigned to be an important vehicle for making this relationship more profound and enduring. The emphasis is on the future of our relationship Р which is trade, education, technology and people-to-people links. It will enable us to take bilateral relationship to the next level.

Today I reaffirm RussiaХs commitment to build a very solid relationship with Pakistan, which will go beyond the traditional spheres of cooperation to the benefit of the people of both countries.