Collaborating to share diplomatic best practice across the region

During February and March 2023, the Diplomatic Academy was pleased to meet with three visiting delegations from Tonga, Cambodia and Mexico.

The Tongan delegation was led by His Royal Highness Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala, the Crown Prince of Tonga, and included senior officials from the Tongan Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs who were in Canberra as part of the Canberra Fellowships Program. The visit to the Diplomatic Academy was a homecoming of sorts for the Crown Prince, who had participated in DFAT’s International Graduate Program (IGP) in 2014. Two other members of their delegation were also alumni of the IGP and its predecessor program.

The President of Cambodia’s National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations (NIDIR), His Excellency Ambassador Cheuy Vichet, led a delegation to Australia to meet with educational institutions and think tanks. Our meetings were an important milestone in developing the Diplomatic Academy’s relationships with partner organisations in Southeast Asia.

Diplomatic training was also the focus of a meeting with Mr Fernando Gonzalez Saiffe, Director-General of Asia-Pacific Affairs, of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation which runs Mexico’s diplomatic academy, the Matais Romero Institute (IMR).

Diplomatic Academy Executive Director, Andrea Faulkner, welcomed the visits.

“While countries’ institutions and programs vary, we all have the same objective, which is to equip our people with the capabilities required to engage in modern diplomacy,” said Ms Faulkner. 

“High level visits such as these are invaluable opportunities to discuss practical ways in which we can collaborate and share our ideas and experiences”.

Main photo: His Royal Highness Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala, the Crown Prince of Tonga (5^th from the right) and his delegation met with the Diplomatic Academy team.

Secondary photo: L-R David Ear, Tom Davis and Andrea Faulkner from the Diplomatic Academy welcome His Excellency Ambassador Cheuy Vichet, Mr Kong Aphiwath and Dr Phon Sokpanya from Cambodia’s National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations.