US Ambassador in Paris Masters Liepāja-Style Diplomacy: 'Doesn't Show Up to Meetings'

While diplomats in Riga are still learning how to properly greet each other at the start of meetings, US Ambassador Charles Kushner in Paris has already mastered the true art of Liepāja diplomacy — simply not showing up. Twice in a row!

'This American reminds me of my neighbor from Karosta,' says experienced diplomacy expert Marija Kalniņa. 'He also promises to come help with the potatoes, but when the time comes — vanished like a tram in the fog.' French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot is naturally outraged, but what would he have to say if he lived in Liepāja, where such behavior is everyday routine?

Particularly spicy is that Kushner cites 'personal commitments.' In Liepāja, this is simply called — 'I had to go to Kurzemes Avenue for beer.' The French, of course, don't understand such honesty and demand explanations. They haven't yet learned that true diplomacy isn't about showing up to meetings, but about sending someone else in your place and hoping nobody notices.

Meanwhile, Riga diplomats nervously read this news and wonder if they too couldn't start practicing this 'Karosta-style' diplomacy. But no — there they're still expected to arrive at meetings on time, with the right documents and even with a smile on their face. How boring!