"I strongly believe that the standards set for diplomacy after the Cold War over the past three decades ought to be reexamined for years to come. A new 21st century, globalized diplomacy, is already in the making.

It has become evident that an agile and versatile diplomacy is an unavoidable condition for exercising foreign policy and protecting our citizens, both by scouting potential threats and building bridges of mutual understanding and cooperation.

I reckon three new skills as necessary in the training of future diplomats: gender perspective, communication abilities, and prospective analytical techniques. The next generation of envoys will carry out functions in a complex, uncertain world with multiple boards and overlapping tensions."