Ambassador Leigh Turner in conversation with Andrew Monaghan Lessons in Diplomacy

About

This talk is based on the book which was described as fascinating and well-informed by Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal President of Austria. Its author Leigh Turner is defined by Roger Glover of the internationally acclaimed rock band Deep Purple as someone who rocks!Is a diplomats life really as glamorous as a royal visit, or as dramatic as a coup dtat in Turkey? Leigh Turner is a former British ambassador who led posts in Ukraine, Turkey and Austria. In this witty globe-trotting talk about one of the most intriguing careers a person can have, Leigh relates his interactions with royalty of both the aristocratic and celebrity kind, and with the brilliant and extraordinary people he came across.

Offering astute reflections on Brexit, Russias war with Ukraine and the chaos of modern politics, he sheds new light on the intricacies of modern statecraft, including what we all can learn from a good diplomat or ambassador. In this entertaining presentation, youll discover how diplomats really work with spies, how immunity allows killers to escape justice, how Russia broke up the Soviet Union and then nursed its resentment at the consequences -- and how to throw, and be invited to, a great cocktail party.

Leigh Turner is a former British Ambassador to Ukraine. He also held diplomatic posts in Vienna, Moscow and Berlin and was British Consul-General in Istanbul, Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Dr. Andrew Monaghan is a researcher and analyst in the field of international politics. He is a Russianist in the area studies style, with a preference for old-fashioned Kremlinology. His particular interests are Russian domestic politics, strategy and biography, and he has written extensively on Russian Grand Strategy, UK-Russia Relations, and the Euro-Atlantic communitys relationship with Russia, particularly modern deterrence.

A Q&A Session will follow.