Ambassador Gamal Bayoumi writes
* Seretary General at AIU (Arab Investors Union)
* Former Secretary General at Ministry of International Co-operation
* Former Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs at the ministry of Foreign Affairs
Being considered as one of the most remarkable Egyptian and Arab diplomacy figures, we are extremely thoughtful to Mr ambassador Gamal Bayoumi as his excellency agreed to quote from his Facebook posts to publish in our website and of course it’s so honorable to us..
How to be an intelligent diplomat, Mr Bayoumi gives his tips as follows:
One of the most important skills of a negotiator is to take his time and not react quickly to what he hears, especially if he does not like the talk at all, because in the second place there is safety in preparing a “crushing and devastating” response that will control things.
When I told the Europeans that they import 280 thousand tons of oranges from our neighbors, compared to only nine tons from Egypt, the British negotiator offered to increase our share by 3% annually until we reach the share of the neighbors. I decided to “show” his disappointment. I told him that I would respond to him in the next meeting.
In the next meeting, I had prepared myself well and he asked me about my opinion of his offer. I said that I did not think about his offer because I thought he was joking. Then he got angry and said, “We are not joking here, we are negotiating.” I said, but I have the right to consider you “joking” because increasing the share of nine thousand tons by 3% annually will reach the share of the neighbors (280 thousand) after 97 and a half years. And we shall all be dead by then…
The hall erupted with laughter from his colleagues. I added: Did you see that your presentation made your colleagues laugh too?
Then the European side decided to change the negotiator with another from Germany.
