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March 27, 2010

Australia's Diplomacy in Ruins

Oliver & Shearer, The Australian

AP Photo

JUST over a year ago the Lowy Institute released a report by a panel of experts calling for increased investment in diplomacy to resuscitate Australia's ailing diplomatic infrastructure. As the panel pointed out, Australia has the fifth lowest number of embassies and missions of all 30 nations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Australia is a geographically remote, trade-dependent country. It is not a natural member of a grouping such as the European Union and is in one of the world's most dynamic regions. Yet it has fewer overseas missions than Finland (population five million and, by coincidence, a competitor with Australia for a UN Security Council seat), Iceland (population 300,000) and Denmark (population five million). The only OECD countries...

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TAGGED: Australia, India, USD, diplomatic infrastructure, UN security council, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Lowy Institute, European Union, Kevin Rudd

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