THIS MONTH’S BRILLIANT cover artist Russ Tudor never disappoints. His illustration of Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot refers to former UK Ambassador Charles Crawford’s article on Bad Leaders. In his always entertaining style, Charles outlines the dilemmas and options faced by the international community when faced with these situations. He writes: “As Iraq showed, direct drastic international interventions to topple Bad Leaders are problematic, expensive and have unpleasant unforeseen consequences.” On a more positive note, Diplomat has a fascinating contribution from the founder and chairman of the Brazzaville Foundation, an independent, non-profit organisation that seeks to use informal diplomacy, bridgebuilding and discreet, pragmatic engagement to achieve better understanding between conflicting parties. The author outlines his move from businessman in Africa to his role in freeing 133 Angolan soldiers and 50 SWAPO fighters from Nambia on the tarmac at Maputo airport. He was also responsible for forming the initial relationships that laid the ground for the negotiations that culminated in the Brazzaville Accord in 1988. Also in this issue of Diplomat, we are pleased to publish contributions from the Ambassador of Georgia, who writes on a subject we have not previously covered: gastronomic diplomacy. As Hillary Clinton said when she was Secretary of State: “Showcasing favourite cuisines, ceremonies and values is often an overlooked and powerful tool of diplomacy.” The Ambassador recounts the tradition of the Georgian supra (feast), informing readers of her country’s centuries of winemaking. ‘’It’s no secret,’’ she says, ‘’that wine is Georgia’s finest ambassador.” The Barbados High Commissioner writes as his country prepares to celebrate its Golden Jubilee, and the Press Counsellor at the Zambia High Commission contributes an article following their latest presidential elections. And the Taipei Representative offers some remarks on his country’s 105th National Day. So there’s much to celebrate. I’ve been racing around the capital in an attempt to meet all the new heads of mission who arrived over the summer. As always, Diplomat reviews the Credentials of new heads of mission to the Court of St James’s, this month meeting with the Ambassadors of Indonesia, Latvia, Philippines and Poland, along with the High Commissioners for Guyana and Zambia. In the lifestyle section, Diplomat samples the VIP treatment in the Shangri-La Suite on level 39 of The Shard, and enjoys a taste of the Basque country at Eneko at One Aldwych. Readers with a taste for culture will find valuable advice in our book and arts reviews, including the ‘Beyond Caravaggio’ exhibition at The National Gallery and ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ at the Natural History Museum. Finally, I always want to hear from you, our readers, on article suggestions, new appointments, local news and other embassy events that you would like covered. Please contact me on vvk@diplomatmagazine.com