Alphabetic Index : A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W
X Y Z A diplomat is a person appointed by a country to conduct
diplomacy with another state or international organization. The
main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation
and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending
state, as well as the promotion of information and friendly
relations. Diplomats are the oldest form of any of the foreign
policy institutions of the state, predating by centuries foreign
ministers and ministerial offices. The word is derived from the
Greek διπλωμάτης, diplōmátēs, the holder of a diploma (a folded
paper, literally a "folding"), referring in this case not to an
educational certificate but to a diplomat's letters of
accreditation, which enable him or her to carry out duties on
behalf of one country or institution within the jurisdiction of
another country or institution.Terminology Main article:
Diplomatic rank Diplomats can be contrasted with consuls,
attachés, who represent their sta