“A Diplomat’s Nonconformist Notes” launched at the MFA
In the framework of the “Publishing Landmarks” programme, the volume A Diplomat’s Nonconformist Notes by Ambassador Vasile Dan was launched on 12 January at the MFA.
In attendance at the event were representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Bucharest, director George Potra of the Nicolae Titulescu European Foundation, Ambassador Florin Angelo Florian, former career ambassadors Ion Flororiu, George Apostoiu and Vasile Macovei, as well as young diplomats.
A Diplomat’s Nonconformist Notes stands for an overview of Ambassador Vasile Dan’s diplomatic activity. A connoisseur of the Iberian-American space, the author describes his experiences in Spain, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Referring to the new aspects the book brings forward, Ambassador Florin Angelo Florian said it represented “not only a moment of literary delight, but also a very useful tool helping one to acquire information and discover a world we still do not know well enough, which is Latin America.”
Ambassador Vasile Dan set out to present to his readers his 40-year activity as a diplomat and a journalist, but then also the historical context and memorable encounters with personalities of the time.
“My book is an invitation, both to connoisseurs and to lay readers, to grasp the fascination of diplomacy and journalism, an invitation to get to know the truly wonderful world of Ibero-America (…) a heartfelt invitation to defend the quintessence of diplomacy (…) to defend the national interest,” the author stated.
The element of the highest interest described in the book is the author’s appointment, in April 1990, as head of mission in Madrid, at a time of profound domestic and international changes. The following diplomatic assignments, to Chile, Mexico, and countries of Central America, are described from the vantage point of bilateral relations with Romania, while the author also pinpoints the remarkable cultural and archaeological heritage of Latin America.
