In the crowded theatre of Middle Eastern diplomacy, unlikely stages often prove the most effective. Right now that stage might be Islamabad. Over the past two weeks, Pakistan has been quietly positioning itself as a potential mediator between the US and Iran. A high-level US delegation’s visit to the Pakistani capital, which included talks with army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, signals that Washington is, at the very least, exploring an off-ramp from a conflict that risks spiralling beyond its current contours.

This is not diplomacy for diplomacy’s sake. Pakistan’s offer to host talks between Washington and Tehran – contingent on both sides agreeing – has already been publicly floated and amplified by US president Donald Trump. On Wednesday 25 March, Iran received a 15-point proposal from the US, delivered via Pakistan, outlining a potential path to a ceasefire. For some observers, Islamabad’s role might appear unexpected. But as Michael Kugelman, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, puts it, Pakistan holds a “rare status”, as one of the few countries maintaining a relationship with both Washington and Tehran. That, Kugelman argues, gives the country a degree of access that traditional mediators currently lack. 

Geography is the obvious starting point. Pakistan shares a long border with Iran and shares deep cultural and sectarian ties, including one of the world’s largest Shia populations. The US administration is also understood to have a degree of confidence in Islamabad’s leadership, particularly in Munir, whose deep understanding of the Islamic Republic has been publicly acknowledged. But proximity or understanding alone does not broker peace – trust does. Or, more precisely, the careful management of its absence: Pakistan is not an active participant in the conflict and does not host US military bases.

But even its advantages have limits. “While Pakistan can act as a conduit – passing messages and proposals between capitals – persuading Washington and Tehran to sit down face to face is a far more difficult task, given the depth of mistrust on both sides,” says Kugelman. Iran’s position, at this time, remains the most significant obstacle and is yet to signal a readiness for talks – and this is where Pakistan’s diplomatic balancing act becomes critical.

Pakistan, moreover, is not operating in a vacuum. Its mediation efforts are increasingly intersecting with the priorities of the Gulf states – Saudi Arabia in particular. This week’s call between Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in which Sharif briefed Riyadh on his country’s diplomatic efforts, underscores just how closely aligned Islamabad’s diplomatic outreach is with the kingdom’s strategic concerns. For Saudi Arabia and its neighbours, negotiation with Iran cannot be limited to nuclear issues alone. Ballistic missiles and drone capabilities are no longer peripheral irritants; they are central to the region’s security calculus.

The Gulf states have, over the past decade, moved from viewing Iran as a contained rival to an unpredictable threat. The ability of Tehran and its proxies to deploy missiles and drones across multiple theatres – from the Gulf to the Red Sea – has fundamentally altered the risk environment. For the region’s economies that are built on stability, trade and investor confidence, this is not an abstract concern but an immediate vulnerability. A settlement that fails to address Iran’s capacity to strike “whenever and wherever” would leave Gulf states exposed and undermine any détente.

Pakistan is therefore not merely attempting to convene a bilateral dialogue but a multi-layered negotiation that reflects the realities of today’s Middle East: one where Gulf capital, Iranian deterrence and US security guarantees are deeply intertwined. 

From Islamabad’s perspective, the calculus is pragmatic. As one senior Pakistani official put it, the country has been working “at all relevant levels” to mitigate not only the humanitarian toll on Iran but also the economic fallout for the Gulf and, crucially, the global economy. A prolonged conflict on its border is a risk that Pakistan can ill afford. The urgency is evident for the US as well. Though Trump publicly claims victory, the US’s escalating presence in the region means that Washington faces a familiar challenge: converting military leverage into a durable political outcome. Pakistan offers a potential exit route, allowing the US to pivot towards negotiation without appearing to retreat.

But one more variable continues to loom large: Israel, which might be the most unpredictable actor in this equation. Its willingness to act independently could disrupt any fragile diplomatic progress, and for Iran, this is a central concern further eroding already thin margins of trust. Pakistan, then, is not merely mediating between two adversaries but navigating a fragmented strategic landscape in which regional powers are increasingly assertive about their own red lines.

There are still reasons to remain cautiously optimistic. Pakistan’s neutrality and its geographic proximity give it advantages that many mediators lack. Its recent diplomatic activity suggests co-ordination and intent that go beyond opportunism. But mediation ultimately requires a convergence of political will – and that remains uncertain.

If talks do materialise in Islamabad, it would mark a significant diplomatic moment not just for Pakistan but for a region in urgent need of de-escalation. If they do not, Pakistan’s efforts will still have underscored a broader shift: that influence in Middle Eastern diplomacy is no longer confined to its immediate geography and increasingly shaped by those able to bridge it. The task appears daunting because it is – but if there’s one country that could play the part, it’s Pakistan. 

Further reading?
– Rising rhetoric and deepening Gulf tensions push the Middle East to the brink

– Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader?

– The view from the Strait of Hormuz: Ground zero for Iran’s war on global commerce

If you’re in Hong Kong for the latest edition of its Art Basel, the city’s retail landscape is well worth factoring into your itinerary between programmes and openings. You can read Monocle’s Hong Kong City Guide here.

Beyond the usual luxury shopping, there is a network of independent labels operating at a smaller scale but prioritising experimentation and unorthodox designs. Together they offer a different perspective on the city’s fashion scene. Here are 12 to visit.

1.
Matt Hui
Less than a year since his debut, Matt Hui’s first collection has already attracted the attention of shoppers through textured knits, bold patterns and confident play with proportions. Designed with layering in mind, Hui’s pieces favour relaxed silhouettes. The blue pullover, featuring an oversized spread collar, stripe sleeves and check-patterned front, showcases the founder’s ability to craft designs that move easily between casual and more refined settings. 
For more from Hui, click here.

2.
Meilan 
Michael Cheung, founder of Meilan, pays homage to his mother’s impeccable style with a collection that draws on East Asian craftsmanship. Beaded jadeite bracelets, gold pendants and lacquered rings make up a tightly edited collection that favours quality over excess, while pieces such as the printed pure-silk Crown of Thorns shirt show off material and workmanship.
meilanjewels.com

3.
Kinyan Lam 
Kinyan Lam’s eponymous label and his atelier, Genau Studio, focus on the preservation and reinterpretation of natural-dyeing techniques. Pigments are extracted from traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, such as chestnut husks, persimmon and sappanwood, lending depth to pleated trousers and relaxed button-down shirts. Now in his third year, Lam has already attracted recognition from LVMH for his approach to fabrication. Look out for his embroidered jackets, which are versatile all-season pieces.
Click here for more from Lam.

4.
Pabe Pabe
Accessories brand Pabe Pabe reworks everyday objects into playful details on its leather bags. The label’s designs demonstrate how hardware can double as fashion accessories, such as the aged-ox-leather Knob bag, which is secured with a door-knob clasp. The result is quirky but considered: satchels made to carry daily essentials while echoing the objects that inspired them.
pabepabeofficial.com

5.
Arto
Womenswear label Arto uses silhouette and colour to give knitwear a more expressive edge. Founded by Arto Wong, the designer shows a deep understanding of her materials, including how to color and shape yarn while keeping it comfortable against the skin. Pieces such as the Unlimited Energy Bubble dress in blue-and-green jacquard are offered alongside pleated skirts and textured cardigans.
artoofficial.com

6.
Pye
Pye has been perfecting the classic shirt since 1984. After being revitalised by Dee Poon, the label operates a vertically integrated seed-to-shirt process, from cotton cultivation to final construction. Expect styles for any occasion, made with the highest-quality twill, poplin and natural fibre blends, such as the Liu tailored shirt fashioned with a mandarin collar.
pyeshirts.com

7.
Rhyzem
Founded in 2023, Rhyzem favours relaxed tailoring over rigidity. Pieces are inspired by everything from murals and pottery to calligraphy, including the brand’s sloping, collarless jacket. Silk, organza and merino wool help to keep the construction light. The result is a softened silhouette that moves naturally with the body.
rhyzem.com

8.
A Society
Those in search of premium eyewear might consider A Society, a label producing contemporary alternatives to traditional specs. Founded in 2018 by Kenny Kwok, Victor Chu and Dee Lam, the brand draws inspiration from Asia’s underground cultural scene. The angular Kowloon frames in titanium fitted with blue-light-blocking lenses – made in collaboration with Universal Works – exemplify the label’s futuristic yet wearable approach.
asociety.com

9.
Ponderer
Launched in 2019, Ponderer is known for its unisex styles and experimental approach to textiles. Founders Alex Po and Derek Cheng apply smocking, digital printing and hand-dyeing techniques across fabrics ranging from silk organza to denim. The pieces are as tactile as they are visually distinctive, such as the Tide denim shirt with smocked detailing. References to Hong Kong’s streets – bamboo scaffolding, floor tiling and weathered posters – surface in workwear and urban-leaning designs.
ponder-er.com

10.
Yama Guest
Lifestyle brand Yama Guest takes its name from the Japanese word for mountain, yama, a reminder that we are only visitors in nature. The label approaches design through functionality, producing technical camping shirts, trench coats and lightweight outwear. The light-green breathable shirt with an adjustable zipper reflects the brand’s focus on utility for both city and nature.
Click here for more from Yama Guest.

11.
Still House
On Causeway Bay’s Pak Sha Road, Still House has upheld its locally made ethos since its opening in 2015. Designed by Miu Chan and Liz Yuen, collections are produced in a nearby factory in Tsuen Wan where classic shapes are revisited with small but considered tweaks. Shoppers come for elevated staples, including the collarless Tinker’s jacket, as well as sharply tailored trousers.
stillhouse-store.com

12.
Femance
Childhood friends Angel Tam and Celia Ng launched Femance in 2019, crafting sculptural handbags designed for Asian proportions. The structured calfskin Lympia shoulder bag in umber captures the brand’s mix of practicality and polish, perfect for the office or weekend outings.
femance-official.com

Greg Girard’s images have helped to define how the world sees Hong Kong and Tokyo. From the labyrinthine alleys of Kowloon Walled City to the electric sprawl of Shinjuku at night, the Canadian photographer has shaped the collective imagination of some of Asia’s most mythologised urban centres. He’ll tell you that he was simply in the right place at the right time – but a career like his is rarely accidental. 

Ahead of the 2026 edition of Art Basel Hong Kong, Monocle sat down with Girard at the opening of his latest exhibition, HKG-TYO 1974-2023, at WKM Gallery in Wong Chuk Hang. He discusses his special relationship with the two cities and how seeing the world as an outsider became his greatest gift.

Why did you choose to pair Hong Kong and Tokyo for this exhibition?
I have always wanted to. I spent the late 1970s in Tokyo, before Blade Runner looked at Asian cities as some kind of near-future dystopia. I moved to Hong Kong in 1982, during what people now look back on as a golden age. Both cities have been perceived as bigger than themselves, like myths. But this show looks at life in both places on a personal, ordinary street level. No bigger narrative is needed.

Your work often challenges pre-existing narratives. Where does that perspective come from?
Being an outsider allowed me to break the patterns of given places and get into less glamorous ones. Kowloon Walled City, for example, felt like a myth to many local Hong Kongers. It was thought of for crime, gangs and chaos, and it had only been [photographed] in black and white, perpetuating this notion of danger, poverty and otherness. But not growing up surrounded by these preconceptions, I allowed myself to get lost in it and discover its life and colours. That motivated me to set the record straight [for the people who lived there] but also to not shy away from how completely insane it was.

More recently this mentality took me to Sakura [a common name for snack bars] that are found all over Japan. They’re not fashionable and they’re not even on Google Maps because they’re not interested in attracting new clientele. The project [Snack Sakura], now a published book, took me to places where there was no reason to go. I had to work my way in but maybe being a foreigner with a camera helped. That’s the gift of not belonging.

How have external pressures from magazines to social media shaped your work?
When I started [my career], magazines were one of the only accessible entry points for someone like me. But after 20 years of working for them, I hit a limit. I bought a different camera and told myself: when I’m using this, I’m only doing it for me. I do my best work when I do it for myself. Not getting attention turned out to be a really good thing for developing my craft. But it’s true that these days, that’s a luxury. With social media, everybody is a public personality – something that used to require skill.

More than ever, shooting for yourself rather than a platform is a very conscious choice, and one I welcome photographers to make more often. We all have a different way of understanding craft and our purpose. We all have something to bring, regardless of the platforms existing today.

For example there are pictures in this exhibition, such as ‘Cathay Pacific 747 with Lion Rock and Kowloon Walled City’, that didn’t make it into the magazines [when] I shot them in 1989. But here they are.

What keeps you grounded in your craft after all these years?
Photography is a way of not being overwhelmed. It’s a chance to get out of myself – to not be locked in my head. It’s my way of existing in the world. And it’s something that is completely open and endless. There’s nothing you can’t photograph. There’s no such thing as bad weather. There’s no such thing as something not being attractive enough. There’s no such thing as something not being worthy. It’s infinite.

1.
‘Threading Inwards’
CHAT, The Mills
Hong Kong was once home to a thriving rag trade and the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT) explores this history from a repurposed cotton mill in Tsuen Wan. In this flagship show, 14 artists and four curators from across Asia examine spirituality and the role that rugs, carpets and other textiles play in rituals and ceremonies. Don’t miss Marcos Kueh’s monumental new work, The Spirit of Labour: Zhinü, the latest in his ongoing textile series that draws on Industrial Revolution-era union banners.
‘Threading Inwards’ is on at CHAT until 28 June.

2.
‘Certainly’
Gold by Serakai Studio
The industrial-turned-artsy neighbourhood of Wong Chuk Hang has a new resident: a salon and exhibition space called Gold. Its inaugural show, Certainly, is inspired by artist-composer La Monte Young’s 1960 event score “Draw a straight line and follow it” and invites artists to meditate on the condition of uncertainty. For Serakai Studio co-founder and curatorial director Tobias Berger, the theme is particularly pertinent to those working in the contemporary art field. “You have to be flexible and you have to like uncertainty,” he says. Berger whisked our culture editor around Wong Chuk Hang for our newspaper, The Hong Kong Correspondent – see it here.
‘Certainly’ is on at Serakai Studio’s Gold until 3 May.

3.
‘Site-seeing’
Para Site
Alternative art institution Para Site has turned 30 and it’s marking the milestone with a year of exhibitions. Launching the line-up is Site-seeing – a showcase referencing a group show from 1996, giving artists from the region another opportunity to examine city life. Expect barbed-wire curtains, unmanned surveillance stations and lots of screens. Thai artist Nawin Nuthong’s digital triptych is a highlight.
‘Site-seeing’ is on at Para Site until 14 June.

4.
‘HKG-TYO 1974-2023’ 
WKM Gallery
Wong Chuk Hang’s WKM Gallery is on a mission to elevate photography in the Asian art scene and this solo exhibition by Canadian artist Greg Girard (read our interview with the photographer here) could be just the ticket. The show features shots of Tokyo and Hong Kong taken in the 1970s to the present day, contrasting with scenes from the cities’ various neighbourhoods. “We started talking about doing an exhibition around a year ago,” says WKM director William Kayne Mukai. “We wanted to create something special and unique, and through our conversations we realised that we both have strong links with Hong Kong and Tokyo.” 
‘HKG-TYO 1974-2023’ is on at WKM Gallery until 23 May. 

5.
‘Ted Gahl: Roam’ 
Villepin 
Villepin recently celebrated its five-year anniversary. During those years, the two-storey gallery on Hollywood Road has held ambitious and imaginative exhibitions for the likes of Zao Wou-Ki and Myonghi Kang. Gallerist and founder Arthur de Villepin has a personal connection with the work of Ted Gahl, having first started to collect the American painter’s abstract pieces in 2021. Now, Villepin has dedicated an entire exhibition to the artist’s work. Once you’ve revelled in the calming, colourful pieces, take a peek at the gallery’s newly renovated library. 
‘Ted Gahl: Roam’ is on at Villepin until 7 May. 

Monocle’s outposts around the world act as embassies for our business. Our offices, shops and cafés are places where you can enter our domain and leave the rest of the world behind. If, for example, you push open the door of our shop in Merano, South Tyrol, its manager, Linda Egger, will immediately set about making you feel at home. She’ll dispense useful information about the town, suggest where you might have supper and hopefully entice you to make a small trade deal for a Monocle product or two. She’s a Monocle ambassador who represents the brand and can talk with passion and knowledge about our history.

We are blessed to have lots of people in our business – from editors to baristas – who are good at this diplomatic work. Some are cultural attachés; others sit in the commercial section of the mission. One or two occasionally need to adopt a military attaché’s mantle when world events demand nimble manoeuvres. And it all works rather nicely.

While some might question the role of actual national embassies at a time when diplomacy can occasionally seem irrelevant, the best of them still do vital work. They take care of their country’s diaspora, build bridges with their host nations, manage moments of tension and use soft power to make friends. They host parties at which political differences are forgotten as guests sample wine from the home country.

It’s why, for this issue, we asked our foreign editor, Alexis Self, to put together The Good Embassy Guide, celebrating missions that do their nations proud. In those pages, you’ll see how five Nordic nations came together on one site in Berlin in a display of their shared histories. We’ll take you to the Italian embassy in London to explore how it has become a showcase for the national brand and look at how the Peruvians use food to make friends in Washington. It’s a story about why physical space matters. Let’s not pretend that laptop diplomacy is a substitute.

It was also an embassy that hosted our editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, and Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, for their interview in this issue. They sat down together at the Canadian mission in Tokyo to discuss how middle-sized powers can become less dependent on the US, forge new trade ties that aren’t jolted by fluctuating tariffs and better defend themselves. And it’s a fascinating conversation about national brands and considered diplomacy too.

This issue is also our Style Special. As well as guiding you to some new retail outposts and selecting brands that you should know, it includes some illuminating interviews. One of these is with Olivier Bron, the CEO of US department store Bloomingdale’s. He has been in position for two years and is tasked with revitalising the company – and not just what’s on sale. “Getting the merchandise right isn’t enough,” he tells our reporter Rosemary Feitelberg. “You need to have the right marketing, the right campaigns and the right store design.” And it seems to be working. But what makes the story so fascinating is that he’s delivering this turnaround at a time when Saks Global has filed for bankruptcy and many analysts have been predicting the end of the US department store.

And there are many more stories in the issue that show how you can create your own path and move beyond the conventional narrative. In our Business pages, for example, we spotlight the Japanese shops rethinking retail (from football to convenience stores). In Culture, we meet Martin Krasnik, the editor of Danish long-reads newspaper Weekendavisen, which is widely read in print. And in our Expo, we present dealers who have allowed their passion and heart to guide their successful businesses.

But it’s the idea of us all finding our inner ambassador that stayed with me most while reading the proof pages for this issue: how being a good representative, taking care to explain your stance and even looking the part matter. And that embassy party, of course. If you would like to drop me a diplomatically worded note, you can always find me at at@monocle.com.

Subscribers can read everything from our April issue, here.

If your only exposure to embassies is through the Madeline series of children’s books or adverts for Ferrero Rocher, you might think that these buildings’ sole use is as the backdrop to glamorous black-tie events. While this is a notable (and noble) aspect of their role, modern embassies play a unique and multi-faceted part in 21st-century statecraft. 

As Monocle’s foreign editor, I more than do my part for the hors d’oeuvres industrial complex by attending a great deal of events at embassies and ambassadorial residences. Some recent highlights include: a panel discussion at the Finnish residence about the country’s world-beating media literacy; an exhibition opening at the Italian embassy for a Milan-born, London-based artist; and a Fat Thursday reception at the Polish embassy featuring six different types of doughnut. This short list is fairly illustrative of the public-facing role of embassies but what I don’t see, as someone who lives in the land of their birth, is the workaday functions: the consular services that they offer citizens abroad, from renewing passports to helping co-ordinate journeys home; the economic and commercial ties that they foster; the important information gathering that they do; and, perhaps their most elemental role – a physical sanctuary for people in need. Those that function well and look good reap daily reward for their nations. Monocle’s Good Embassies Guide, which features in our April issue, celebrates those that perform with aplomb.

At a time of fracturing geopolitics, diplomacy is never far from the front pages. And yet its traditional practices are under attack, negatively affecting its chances of success. In common with other leaders, US president Donald Trump is circumventing the usual channels and venues in favour of glitzy set-piece events. Rather than sending secretary of state Marco Rubio to pound the airstairs, the president entrusts Steve Witkoff, a New York real-estate mogul with no prior diplomatic experience, with his most crucial overseas missions. This snubbing of career diplomats is compounded by a paring back of resources. As Henry Rees-Sheridan details here, Rubio announced in April 2025 that the State Department would be shrinking its diplomatic footprint through the closure of 132 offices worldwide. A document leaked shortly afterwards revealed a recommendation to axe a further 10 embassies and 17 consulates. All of this was, as Rubio put it, to secure a better “return on investment” for the US taxpayer. 

When looked at through a 21st-century lens of business optimisation and quick returns, diplomats and embassies might look like a waste of resources – it takes decades to train the former and almost as long to build the latter. This same argument sees both as relics of a time when information travelled glacially and passport applications required such things as pens, paperclips and stamps. Such bloodless assessments are plain wrong. At times of war and geopolitical flux a businessman cannot do a diplomat’s job – and a co-working space on the 15th floor of a glassy tower cannot substitute for an historic and lovingly decorated downtown embassy. 

Bilateral relationships are best managed by those trained in the art of diplomacy. These are people who have immersed themselves in the politics, culture and media of another nation and are able to communicate its idiosyncrasies back to their home capitals. If ambassadors are the literal personifications of their countries’ governments, embassies are those nations’ opportunity to present themselves through a highly persuasive combination of design and hospitality. 

The Good Embassies Guide is an exploration of best practice in this regard. We called correspondents and friends around the world and asked them to nominate their favourite spots. We then sorted the top eight into distinct categories that spoke to what we thought each excelled at: the best embassy for soft-power promotion, the one with the best food, the best use of a historic building, the best shared embassy, the best embassy upgrade, the best nod to local traditions, the best interiors and the best architecture. The final list takes us from London to Singapore and Stockholm via Berlin, Seoul, Rome, Washington and Addis Ababa. These buildings are all special in their own way but they also all share one characteristic: they are excellent advertisements for their nations. If you have your own favourites, please do get in touch – through appropriate diplomatic channels, of course. 
 
Our favourite embassies, celebrated below:

Embassies are back on the geopolitical front line. Though seen by some as relics of a bygone diplomatic age, many missions are becoming increasingly important in terms of security and intelligence gathering. Cold War-era patterns have re-emerged, particularly among Chinese, Russian and US embassies. Diplomatic buildings can also double as intelligence arenas with sprawling compounds and diplomats who often wear two hats. Following political violence directed towards embassies, especially in regions such as the Middle East, features that include setback distances and layered perimeters became de rigueur for diplomatic architecture. Today they’re becoming more pronounced.

Security and intelligence-gathering considerations help to explain China’s push to secure a new mission building at London’s Royal Mint Court. But the UK’s approval of the compound is not quite as surprising as some critics suggest. Though the decision sparked protests and legal challenges, it reflects a view that one purpose-built site is easier to monitor and regulate than several scattered offices.

Yet there are important differences from the Cold War era. Today’s embassies are nodes in a data-dense, commercially connected world. Investment, telecommunications, science and technology officers sit alongside those with a political brief. Chancelleries increasingly matter for economic statecraft, overseeing everything from investment screening to sanctions enforcement and technological diplomacy.

At the opposite end of the spectrum to Royal Mint Court are the small resident missions (or “mini-embassies”) central to contemporary competition in the Indo-Pacific region. Under the Biden administration, the US opened embassies in several Pacific Island states, such as Tonga and the Solomon Islands, as part of its outreach efforts with regard to Chinese competition.

Leveraging its Indo-Pacific overseas territories, France has also re-established or expanded its diplomatic footprint, including a new embassy in Samoa last year and a defence mission at its embassy in Fiji in 2023. These modest posts, often led by a resident ambassador supported by a handful of diplomats and local staff, typically manage development programmes and political reporting. While such missions are relatively inexpensive, they signal commitment in ways that non-resident accreditation can’t, anchoring relationships and building trust. The effect is reminiscent of the Cold War scramble for recognition among newly independent states but today the currency is coastguard support, infrastructure finance and climate adaptation funds.

Embassies are again theatres for domestic politics. Reporting on US diplomats’ involvement in fundraising linked to the country’s 250th-anniversary celebrations this year reveals that ambassadors are being encouraged to seek corporate backing for commemorative events, blurring the line between public diplomacy and partisan spectacle. When embassies seem to serve domestic political branding as much as foreign policy, it contradicts statesman Arthur Vandenberg’s maxim, “Politics stops at the water’s edge.” In this new era, the embassy is not fading. It reveals how states understand power, legitimacy and competition in the 21st century.

There aren’t many diplomatic postings where your 06.00 alarm can be replaced by the roar of an F-16 fighter jet but that is how most of my recent mornings in Mogadishu have begun. After this wake-up call, I have a two-minute walk from my armoured pod to the chancery – a stroll under Somalia’s intense sun that feels very different to what I experienced in my previous postings in Paris or Istanbul.

In 2013 the UK became one of the first Western countries to reopen an embassy in Somalia. I have been the British ambassador to Mogadishu for almost a year. We are based between the international airport and the sea. The view over the Indian Ocean helps to clear the mind but swimming is not encouraged because of lurking sharks. The embassy represents the full spectrum of the UK’s international activity, with diplomats, military colleagues and humanitarian experts.

Since opening, we have worked closely with successive Somali governments and international partners to address threats from terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab and Islamic State, combat international piracy and alleviate human suffering. We work with the African Union’s peacekeeping mission and the UN’s logistical support. The sound of the large, white UN helicopters taking off or coming back from the front lines is a near-constant backdrop to our daily lives. There has been real progress but a lot of the gains remain fragile and Somalia is a tough environment in which to work. It is one of the UK diplomatic network’s highest-threat posts and so security for me and the team is the top priority. I have become used to hopping in and out of body armour and armoured vehicles. It’s not always the most comfortable way to work but it enables us to get out and about and do our jobs as diplomats. Mogadishu is our base but I travel around the country.

We also find time for more traditional diplomatic networking. Earlier this year we held a Burns Night celebration. There’s nothing like poetry and a ceilidh for bringing people together, even in a conflict zone. For a moment, I was sure that the Kenyan ambassador’s heart was in the Highlands. Building networks across the country and understanding how to support progress is why we’re here. That is something in the shared interests of Somalia, the UK and the wider international community. I just need to remember to hold on to my ear plugs.

Charles King is the UK ambassador to the Federal Republic of Somalia.

Switzerland’s embassy in Seoul is a stylish manifestation of the two nations’ diplomatic relationship, which has blossomed in recent years. A Helvetic take on a hanok – a traditional Korean wooden house with no nails or pegs – it is designed in a large horseshoe shape, forming an arc around an open courtyard and connecting the public chancery, offices and residential wings. “It feels incredibly dynamic,” says ambassador Nadine Olivieri Lozano, who was previously posted to the Netherlands and Iran.

The plot is positioned so that visitors in the courtyard can take in the greenery of Gyeonghuigung park, while elements such as geothermal heating and electricity sourced from solar panels give the property a sustainable Swiss spin. “Diplomacy is about connection and trust,” says Olivieri Lozano. “We want Swiss citizens in South Korea to feel supported and our South Korean friends to feel that this is a place for dialogue and exchange.”

The space in which this sense of quietude exists was once much noisier. Songwol-dong was a boisterous neighbourhood before the government razed its dilapidated buildings in the 2010s to erect glassy skyscrapers. Swiss architecture studio Burckhardt endeavoured to make the embassy, which opened in 2019, a tribute to the hanoks that would have once surrounded it. Concrete surfaces required for security reasons have been imprinted to feature an intricate Korean-style façade of wood grain; these invoke construction features found in cities such as Bern, Zürich and Geneva. “The irony is that despite being characteristic of Swiss buildings, this kind of design could never be achieved back home,” says Nicolas Vaucher, the studio’s lead architect. “It would be far too expensive. We could only afford to do this here.”

The embassy regularly hosts events across business, literature and design but the hanok strikes a deeper chord with Seoul residents beyond the varied programme. “The building respects the memory of what stood here before,” says the Swiss ambassador. “It shows that progress and remembrance can coexist, which is an important message in a city that’s constantly reinventing itself.”

In Monocle’s April issue, we profile our selection of the best foreign embassies in the world — this is just one of the establishments featured. See the rest of our favourites here.

Alfredo Ferrero has no problem attracting high-profile guests to functions at the Peruvian embassy in Washington. “They know that they will have good food here,” the ambassador says with a booming laugh, surveying the dishes before him. The five-course feast was prepared by Peruvian chef Michael Ciuffardi, who caters for the embassy’s events. Last July, Ciuffardi won the Embassy Chef Challenge, a contest in which cooks from 34 Washington embassies compete to serve the best diplomatic dish. It was yet another feather in Peruvian cuisine’s cap.

It’s a special year for this embassy, as Peru celebrates 200 years of diplomatic ties with the US. This means plenty of opportunities for Ciuffardi to impress at events on Washington’s “embassy row”. This building was designed in the Italian classicist style in the early 20th century. An on-site art gallery provides an inviting space for showcasing Ciuffardi’s canapés at openings and events. For the most prestigious functions, however, guests head out to Ferrero’s residence in the city’s northwest, a three-storey colonial-revival-style property built in 1928.

As he adds the finishing touches to his ceviche, Ciuffardi – who is also the head chef of Virginia’s Inca Social restaurants – tells Monocle that every plate of Peruvian cuisine tells a different story, reflecting his country’s diverse history and geography. “We have grown because we have respected our ingredients but also absorbed techniques from other countries,” he says. Then there’s the diversity of produce from Peru’s three climate zones, ranging from octopus and mahi-mahi from its coastline to the chillies and grains found on its Andean peaks. When catering for embassy events, the objective is “to represent the coast, the Andes and the Amazon in every dish”, says Ciuffardi.

For ambassador Ferrero, this bounty translates into an abundance of diplomatic opportunities. “It’s a way to sell Peru,” says the gregarious diplomat. “We believe that through gastronomy, we can improve tourism and exports. And it’s also important for diplomacy.” Improved relations with Washington show that the proof is in the ceviche.

In Monocle’s April issue, we profile our selection of the best foreign embassies in the world — this is just one of the establishments featured. See the rest of our favourites here.