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International Relations & Diplomacy vocabulary · Diplomacy & Embassies

Attaché

Meaning in international relations & diplomacy, with examples

/əˈtæʃeɪ/nounCommon term

In international relations & diplomacy, attaché means: A member of an embassy's staff who specialises in a particular area, such as defence, trade, culture or press; in many foreign services also the most junior diplomatic rank.

In Turkish: ataşe

How it is used

Usually named with a field: military or defence attaché, commercial attaché, press attaché, cultural attaché. Specialist attachés often come from other ministries. The spelling 'attache' without the accent is also common.

Example sentences

  1. The commercial attaché organised meetings with local importers.

  2. She was posted abroad as a cultural attaché for three years.

  3. The defence attaché attended the military exercise as an observer.

Common collocations

  • military attaché
  • commercial attaché
  • press attaché
  • cultural attaché
  • defence attaché
  • embassyThe main official mission of one country in another country's capital, led by an ambassador; also the building where this mission works.
  • diplomatAn official who represents their country abroad or in international organisations, handling relations, negotiations and the protection of their country's interests and citizens.
  • economic diplomacyThe use of diplomatic tools and networks to support a country's economic interests, such as trade, investment, energy deals and access to foreign markets.
  • public diplomacyEfforts by a government to inform and influence people in other countries directly, through media, culture, education and exchanges, not only through other governments.

More terms: Diplomacy & Embassies

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