A conversation with Ilana Bet-El

What do agreements, sanctions, trade, business, crises and negotiations have in common? Diplomats. If money makes the world go around, diplomats pave its way: they enable the connections between states, multilateral institutions, leaders and the unfolding realities of the world. And they are especially crucial now, with the world in turmoil. The war in Ukraine and its fallout, the growing US-China rivalry, the bloody conflict in Sudan, the increasing threats of climate change — these are just a few obvious and rapidly unfolding global events, all demanding attention and action. And while it is the media that brings them to us all, the diplomats work behind the scenes to connect the people, the issues and the crisis, as well as to seek and negotiate compromises and solutions.

To better understand the complexities of modern diplomacy, and especially its crucial role in bridging economies, business and international trade, Ilana Bet-El is joined by two eminent ambassadors: Nina Vaskunlahti, Under-Secretary of State for External Economic Relations at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and formerly Ambassador of Finland to India and Turkey; and Dr Ailish Campbell, Ambassador of Canada to the European Union and formerly Chief Trade Commissioner of Canada and Assistant Deputy Minister, leading Global Affairs Canada’s team of Trade Commissioners across the world. This insightful and wide ranging conversation reveals the realities of modern diplomacy, the fallout of the war in Ukraine, the complexities of sanctions and trade negotiations, and much more.

This episode was recorded on 9 May 2023