Christina Spencer on 15 Years of Canadian Diplomacy November–December 2004 Mexican Evolution Ten Years of Free Trade Maria Teresa Garcia de Madero, Ambassador of Mexico Allan Thompson critiques the Foreign Policy Review process The trouble with Jeremy Rifkin Democracy for export: To impose or lead by example? And introducing Margaret Dickensen, gourmet goddess Nov/Dec 2004 CDN $5.95 PM 40957514 Volume 15, Number 6 PUBLISHER Our 15th anniversary issue Lezlee Cribb EDITOR Jennifer Campbell CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Table of Daniel Drolet CULTURE EDITOR Margo Roston CONTENTS COPY EDITOR Roger Bird EDITOR EMERITUS DIPLOMATICA| Bhupinder S. Liddar Happy birthday to us . .4 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS News and Culture . .5 George Abraham Roger Bird Envoy’s Photo Album . 8 Laura Bonikowsky Cleaning up the Carribean . .10 Thomas D’Aquino Diplo-dates . .11 Margaret Dickensen Recent Arrivals . .12 Joe Geurts Canadian Appointments . .14 Gurprit Kindra David Long Carlos Miranda DISPATCHES| Christina Spencer Diplomacy over this magazine’s lifespan Allan Thompson Christina Spencer looks back on 15 years . .15 Philémon Yang Dating diplomacy: A chronological countdown . 19 COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Jana Chytilova Democracy to go CONTRIBUTING ARTIST Differing diplomatic approaches to freedom . .20 Hilary Ashby The Canadian Parliamentary Centre advocates the subtle approach . .24 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Sam Garcia After NAFTA OFFICE ASSISTANT Trade Winds: Mexico’s ambassador talks trade . .25 Colin Anderson NAFTA by the numbers . .27 OTTAWA ADVERTISING SALES Lezlee Cribb (613) 789-6890 DELIGHTS| NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES Entertaining: Margaret Dickensen’s memories of the Soviet Union . .29 On the Go: Margo Roston on the sounds of a Russian symphony . .32 (613) 234-8468, ext. 245 The Art of Diplomacy: El Salvador’s artsy ambassador . .34 SUBSCRIPTIONS Book Review: Seeing Europe through Jeremy Rifkin’s eyes . .35 Diplomat & International Canada is published six times Book Review: Colombia’s sad story, told by a Canadian diplomat . .36 a year. Subscription rates: individual, one year $35.70. Wine: Stephen Beckta breaks down the bubbly . .37 For Canadian orders add 7% GST. U.S. orders please This Capital: War Museum CEO dons a hard hat . .39 add $15 for postage. All other orders please add $25. The roots of Canadian peacekeeping in Canadiana . .40 Diplomat & International Canada welcomes submissions. Contact Jennifer Campbell, editor, DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS . .41 at 231-8476 or [email protected]. DIPLOMAT & INTERNATIONAL CANADA P.O Box 1173, Station B DEBATE| Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1P 5R2 Allan Thompson has the last word on the federal Foreign Policy Review . .46 Phone: (613) 789-6890 Fax: (613) 789-9313 E-mail: [email protected] www.diplomatcanada.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. The views Published by Ganlin Media Inc. expressed in the articles are those of the authors. © 2004 Publication Mail # 40957514. Return undeliverable Canadian copies to: Diplomat Magazine, P.O. Box 1173, Station B, Ottawa, ON K1P 5R2 DIPLOMATICA|DIPLOMAT CELEBRATES 15 YEARS Our first 15 years Canada’s foreign policy is no stranger to Ottawa’s diplomatic and the way this country community. A home economist, she ifteen years ago this has wielded its diplomatic is married to retired diplomat Larry Fmonth, the Berlin Wall ideas and influence. Dickensen. The two spent 20 years came down. With its fall, Award-winning writer abroad. In each issue, she will intro- the Cold War came to Christina Spencer assesses duce us to the culinary delights she an abrupt end, creating Canada’s performance, encountered in her postings. This dramatic changes interna- looking at recent history time, readers will discover the tionally. It was an exciting through the eyes of both treasures she found in the former Jennifer Campbell time to be launching a optimists and cynics. Soviet Union. diplomatic magazine in Ottawa. Up front, we celebrate the Before I sign off to try one of Diplomat has changed a lot in magazine’s birthday with comments Mr. Beckta’s sparkling recommenda- 15 years, no more so than in the past from Diplomat’s founding editor and tions, let me invite you to review 12 months when it was purchased Cameroon High Commissioner our list of diplomatic milestones from its founder and significantly Philémon Yang. on page 19. Be sure to let us know transformed. Over the last year, the In Delights, wine columnist if there are any you think should be magazine has been given a new look, Stephen Beckta gives a primer on the included. We look forward to hear- more content and national newstand best beverage for toasting purposes. ing from you. distribution. Speaking of toasts, here’s to our With this issue, we celebrate the new columnist, award-winning Visit www.diplomatcanada.com to read magazine’s first 15 years. We look cookbook author Margaret Dickensen. comments from Carlos Miranda, back at the highs and lows of New to these pages, Ms. Dickensen Costa Rica’s ambassador. Back in the early days… From the Dean’s desk Diplomat’s first editor recalls the tribulations of another age Comments By Bhupinder S. Liddar from Philémon Yang, High iplomat & International Canada Obviously, everything is simpler Commissioner Dhas come a long since its now. Articles must no longer be for Cameroon inception in 1989. written in long-hand or tapped and dean of the When I told then Chief of out on a typewriter. Stories and diplomatic corps. Protocol Ted Arcand I planned to photographs now come by e-mail. Mr. Yang gave his launch the magazine but wouldn’t Nowadays an entire issue goes to credentials 20 years be asking for any government the printer on a single CD. ago last month. money, he threw his hands into the air with joy and encouraged iplomat and International me to proceed. “DCanada has constantly Technology has made evolved and progressed with the immense advances gradual ‘internationalization’ since the days of Ottawa, a city which has when text had become more cosmopolitan, to be input and embracing a perceptible film made. Back multiculturalism … Even then, we had to though most diplomats spend cut and paste only a few years in Ottawa, it is columns on art always possible and even advisable boards. God forbid we for such diplomats to become, in should have to make a practical ways, members of the local change. community where they live and We found out early on carry out their duties. That is what that meeting deadlines was may make diplomats citizens of the not easy, a fact driven home world, as they travel around the when our first layout artist globe serving sending states missed a Cuban vacation to get and humankind.” the second issue to the printer. 4 NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2004 NEWS AND CULTURE|DIPLOMATICA Building an even better NAFTA Excerpts from a speech by Thomas North American Security and and Mexico and to develop a realistic d’Aquino, President and Chief Executive Prosperity Initiative (NASPI). In plan for achieving this vision over of the Canadian Council of Chief April of this year, our initial research the next 10 years. In doing so, we Executives, to the Mexico Business led to the publication of a major dis- will focus on five areas: deepening Summit in Veracruz, Mexico, Sept. 2004 cussion paper titled New Frontiers. North American economic inte- Canada's chief executives have gration, encouraging regulatory ore than a decade ago, put a great deal of effort into this convergence, closing the develop- MCanada, Mexico and the initiative and our work has garnered ment gap between Mexico and its United States launched a magnifi- strong support among leading North American partners, enhancing cent experiment. Building on the thinkers in all three countries. Our continental security, and developing historic Canada-United States Free work is far from done, however, flexible new institutions for manag- Trade Agreement of 1989, our three and the cause of building a stronger ing the trilateral relationship. countries signed the North American North America must have many Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). champions. For the complete text of Thomas In the years since, the foresight To this end, we are in the d’Aquino’s speech go to and courage that led to the NAFTA process of working with the Council www.ceocouncil.ca. have produced huge benefits for on Foreign Relations in the United the people of all three countries. States and with the Mexican While these benefits are undeniable, Council on Foreign Relations to Up Front the world has changed during these establish a joint task force of years. As individual nations and as eminent persons from all three exican a continent, we face new threats, countries. This task force will be Mambassador challenges and opportunities. co-chaired by former Canadian Maria Teresa Garcia Given our shared successes of deputy prime minister John Manley, de Madero took the past decade in North America, former governor of the state of time out of her busy the time has come to decide how Massachusetts Bill Weld and former schedule preparing for the visit of best to shape our shared future. We Mexican finance minister Pedro Aspe. Mexican President Vicente Fox to sit need new arrangements that will Dr. Robert Pastor, Ambassador down with columnist Gurprit Kindra strengthen our collective security Andrés Rozental of the Mexican to discuss NAFTA a decade after and that will position our continent Council on Foreign Relations and I its birth. Our photographer, Jana as a more competitive force in the will serve as the vice-chairs. Chytilova, said of the photo shoot: global economy. The mandate of the task force is “She's very warm and welcoming – With this vision in mind, to articulate an ambitious vision for always has a smile and a hug to the Canadian Council of Chief the future of the relationships greet you.” See Trade Winds, Page 25.