Diplomatic talks are a form of inter-state communication, negotiation and conflict resolution aiming to advance national interests and avert armed conflict. The practice of diplomacy includes a wide range of approaches from traditional bilateral dialogue to modern digital outreach, all governed by established protocols and conventions.
Achieving a successful diplomatic outcome requires compromise. The subject of a negotiation, the timing of initial overtures and the diplomatic strategy are typically specified by an ambassador’s foreign ministry (with cabinet involvement). While the object of negotiation is not always to reach agreement, it is often to prevent a crisis from deteriorating further through unproductive or protracted discussion, sanctions or other forms of escalating tensions, and even armed conflict.
The process of negotiation usually involves a series of proposal and counterproposal, inducement and pressure, with intermittent testing of an adversary’s firmness and willingness to reach a deal. Diplomats may use indirection, lulling, bluffing, and other strategic techniques to gain an advantage, though lying is not acceptable. A skilled diplomat can also rely on his reputation for reliability, fairness and a sense of urgency to engender trust, while keeping the other side’s guard up.
Negotiations that achieve a successful result typically produce a formal, written instrument, most often a treaty. Other outcomes can include agreements establishing new cooperative institutions or transferring authority, as in the 1984 Sino-British settlement that restored Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong. Negotiations that fail to make progress or break down completely can exacerbate a crisis, with the consequences being borne not only by the participants but also the global community.