WEB-directory of the world’s embassies
and consulates - websites, addresses, satellite information
This WEB-site gives you the information on embassies and consulates of the
various countries of the world. We are glad to help all wishing by the information
which is placed on the WEB-site. We are assured, that our resource will be useful
to all visitors of the site. We are grateful for all offers, remarks and specifications.
We do not provide visa support and not advise on issues of
immigration and the like.
Diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one nation state present
in another nation state to represent the sending state in the receiving
State. In practice, a diplomatic mission usually denotes the permanent
mission, namely the office of a country’s diplomatic representatives
in the capital city of another country. Under international law, diplomatic
missions enjoy an extraterritorial status and thus, although remaining
part of the host country’s territory, they are exempt from local
law and in almost all respects treated as being part of the territory
of the home country.
Naming
A permanent diplomatic mission is usually known as an embassy, and the
head of the mission is known as an ambassador. Missions between Commonwealth
countries are known as High Commissions and their heads are High Commissioners.
All missions to the United Nations are known simply as Permanent Missions,
and the head of such a mission is typically both a Permanent Representative
and an ambassador. Some countries have more idiosyncratic naming for their
missions and staff: a Vatican mission is headed by a Nuncio and consequently
known as an Apostolic Nunciature, while Libya’s missions were for
a long time known as People’s Bureaus and the head of the mission
was a Secretary. (Libya has since switched back to standard nomenclature.)
In the past a diplomatic mission headed by a lower ranking official (i.e.
envoy or minister resident) was known as a legation. Since the ranks of
envoy and minister resident are effectively obsolete, the designation
of legation is no longer used today. In cases of dispute, it is not uncommon
for a country to recall its head of mission as a sign of its displeasure.
This is less drastic than cutting diplomatic relations completely, and
the mission will still continue operating more or less normally, but it
will now be headed by a charge d’affaires who may have limited powers.
Note that for the period of succession between two heads of missions,
a charge d’affaires per interim may be appointed as caretaker; this
does not imply any hostility to the host country. A Consulate is also
a diplomatic office, but undertakes a more restricted range of duties
as defined by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The term "embassy"
is often used to refer to the building or compound housing an ambassador’s
offices and staff. Technically, "embassy" refers to the diplomatic delegation
itself, while the office building in which they work is known as a chancery,
but this distinction is rarely used in practice. Ambassadors reside in
ambassadorial residences, which enjoy the same rights as missions.
The role of such a mission is to protect in the receiving State
the interests of the sending State and of its nationals, within
the limits permitted by international law; negotiating with the
Government of the receiving State as directed by the sending State;
ascertaining by lawful means conditions and developments in the
receiving State, and reporting thereon to the Government of the
sending State; promoting friendly relations between the sending
State and the receiving State, and developing their economic, cultural
and scientific relations. Between members of the Commonwealth of
Nations embassies sometimes have an additional role. It is generally
expected that an embassy of a Commonwealth country in a non-Commonwealth
country will do its best to provide diplomatic services to citizens
from other Commonwealth countries if the citizen’s country does
not have a embassy in that country. (eg. If a South African citizen
found him/herself in need of the services of an embassy in Thailand,
it is generally understood that he/she could go to the Canadian
Embassy and be provided with some help in obtaining the necessary
services.) The rights and immunities (such as diplomatic immunity)
of diplomatic missions are codified in the Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations.