Ambassador Dimitri Alexandrakis speaking at the event.

Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) recently hosted a public lecture by former Greek Ambassador Dimitri Alexandrakis, who is currently the university’s Distinguished Diplomat in Residence.

The event, titled What makes a good diplomat? provided an in-depth look at the key qualities and experiences that define effective diplomacy and allowed students, faculty, and the public to engage with the insights of a seasoned diplomat.

Introduced by GU-Q Dean Safwan Masri, Alexandrakis drew on his 42-year diplomatic career, including his recent tenure as Greek ambassador to Iran from 2017 to 2022, a period marked by significant challenges regional and the Covid-19 pandemic. .

He highlighted the humanitarian side of diplomacy, recounting his role in facilitating one of Greece’s first vaccine donations to the Iranian Red Crescent, thus highlighting diplomacy’s ability to have a positive impact, even in a context of political complexities.

Alexandrakis described the role of an ambassador as a “24-hour commitment” that requires constant engagement and a deep understanding of the culture and social dynamics of the host country. He also emphasized that humor can be a valuable asset in diplomatic interactions, often helping to ease tensions and foster goodwill.

With examples drawn from experiences ranging from embassies in Brazil and Zimbabwe, to serving as Greece’s Permanent Representative to the UN and within the NATO delegation, the Ambassador shared lessons learned from his career.

Reflecting on broader global diplomatic relations involving the United States, Iran, Russia and China, he stressed that the success of diplomacy depends on creating the “necessary political space” for people-to-people relations.

In his concluding remarks, he asserted that “global peace depends on more dialogue and discussion,” emphasizing the need for sustained communication and cooperation between countries.

In a question-and-answer session that followed the lecture, GU-Q students and the audience had the opportunity to further engage with the Ambassador on a variety of current affairs topics, as well as the art and subtleties of diplomacy.

Launched in fall 2023 as a special Dean’s initiative, the Distinguished Diplomat-in-Residence program is designed to enrich the academic experience by providing meaningful opportunities to engage and learn from distinguished practitioners of diplomacy.