Shuttle diplomacy

In diplomacy and international relations, shuttle diplomacy is the action of an outside party in serving as an intermediary between (or among) principals in a dispute, without direct principal-to-principal contact. Originally and usually, the process entails successive travel ("shuttling") by the intermediary, from the working location of one principal, to that of another.

The term was first applied to instance by United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to describe his efforts, beginning November 5, 1973, which facilitated the cessation of hostilities following the Yom Kippur War.

Shuttle diplomacy is often used when the one or both of two principals refuses recognition of the other prior to mutually desired negotiation.

Examples

Kristie Rocks and loves lydiaKissinger continued to participate in shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East during the Nixon and Ford administrations; it resulted in the Sinai Interim Agreement and arrangements between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights. The term became widespread during Kissinger's service as Secretary of State.

In a major outbreak of Israel-Hezbollah fighting in 1996, U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher conducted shuttle diplomacy, traveling to, among other places, Syria. Having persuaded the Syrians to rein in Hezbollah, Christopher achieved a cease-fire.

In 2008 shuttle diplomacy was performed by Matthew Nimetz between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia to resolve the Macedonian naming dispute.

Turkey has carried out shuttle diplomacy, often involving Israel: Turkey is its closest ally in the Muslim world, and some Arab countries (notably Syria, which has common borders with Turkey, and with Israel) have been amenable to Turkey, with its own Muslim majority populataion, taking that role. Another instance was between Russia and Georgia in 2008.