Courtesy call

Did You Know?

• The American Great White Fleet paid a series of courtesy calls to ports around the world in a show of American naval strength in 1907–1909.
• United States Navy regulations require that an officer must make a courtesy call to his new commanding officer or commandant within 48 hours after joining a new ship or station.

Diplomacy

In diplomacy, a courtesy call is a formal visit made by a diplomat, representative, or prominent national figure to a head of state or a state official as a gesture of respect. These visits can be conducted by another head of state, a prime minister, a government minister, or a diplomat. The meeting is primarily symbolic and typically avoids deep discussion of policy matters. When a new head of mission takes up their post, they generally pay a courtesy call to the host country’s foreign minister, head of government, and often to other local dignitaries like the mayor. It is also standard practice for the new head of mission to visit other heads of mission in the capital and to receive similar return visits. Failing to call on the missions of smaller nations can cause resentment. When a head of mission leaves their post, another series of courtesy calls is usually required. This protocol can be very time-consuming; one diplomat reported that completing the rounds in Washington, D.C. took five months. By convention, a courtesy call lasts about twenty minutes, which can feel too long, leaving both parties scrambling for conversation topics—some ambassadors even consult an encyclopedia beforehand for talking points. However, if the participants have shared business to discuss, a call may stretch to an hour or two. Diplomats are divided on the usefulness of these meetings: some view them as a waste of time, while others consider them a valuable way to make an important connection. Occasionally, a visiting diplomat can arrange a joint call by meeting with a senior ambassador who, by prior agreement, gathers colleagues from the region. Calls to cabinet members and parliamentarians are significant and can build the groundwork for an ongoing relationship. In Western democracies, ambassadors also call on leaders of both major and minor opposition parties, since a change in government may happen later. These visits are delicate, requiring the ambassador to engage with the opposition without upsetting the current officeholders. Additionally, courtesy calls are made to civic leaders of major cities, newspaper editors, and trade union representatives.