Continual entry of complex and technical issues in the international dialogue. Doubt if the general diplomatist remains relevant. Heads of State and Governments the world over are autonomous players in external affairs, frequently bypassing own MFA structures. Today, thanks to functional specialization, only a limited amount of negotiation is handled by either the Ambassador of the MFA, though they remain powerful advisers and catalysts. Not Endangered A disconnect between academic scholars of diplomacy and the much larger tribe of practitioners is an old, even if sorry, tradition.
Embassies remain large, despite strong national budget pressures.
During the 1998-2000 capital shift to Berlin, countries faced a hard choice on size of chancery buildings. Almost all have opted for larger representation that they had earlier maintained in Bonn. No bureau or division or set of desk officers can keep track of multiple contacts of official agencies and the non-State actors in particular countries. The alert Mission has the nearest approximation of this. Modern communications and Intranets work in his favor, giving him easy access to policy formulators, gauging likely responses and trying out new approaches in a manner far easier than before.