We Need Embassies In Difficult Countries

One of the complicating factors surrounding the deaths of 57 Canadians in Iran is that we have no embassy there. Martin Regg Cohn writes:

We closed our embassy in Tehran with good reason after then-ambassador Ken Taylor put himself in harm’s way by helping to “exfiltrate” American diplomats during the 1979 hostage crisis. But bear in mind that we never severed formal diplomatic relations, nor did we prevent Iranian diplomats from using their embassy in Ottawa in the years that followed.

Keeping that formal bilateral channel open helped us reopen our embassy a decade later in Tehran, which in turn opened the door to a flood of talented Iranian immigrants to Canada numbering 300,000 people today.

But, in 2012, Stephen Harper once again closed our embassy in Tehran:

Stephen Harper’s Conservative government cited a grab-bag of concerns, from human rights violations to its nuclear program and security concerns that politicized the issues.

And, even though Justin Trudeau promised to reverse that decision, he didn't:

The Harper government boxed him in with legislation that permitted potentially enormous lawsuits against Iran — a roadblock to re-establishing bilateral ties, and a delicate matter for Trudeau to reverse.

But it's precisely in times like these when we need an embassy in Iran:

Now we are more isolated than most. Germany and Sweden also suffered casualties in the crash, but their diplomats on the ground were able to move in swiftly to protect consular and humanitarian interests.

Others understand that diplomatic relations are never an endorsement of international lawlessness, merely an instrument to protect national interests and defend dual nationals. We cannot afford to cut ourselves off for years at a time, no matter how frustrated.

All of this is worth keeping in mind as we deal with China.

Image: michaelgeist.ca