On 23–24 February, the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine hosted an English-language online training course entitled ‘International Negotiations’, organised for representatives of central executive bodies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Over the course of two days, participants expanded their knowledge and practised practical negotiation skills, taking into account international and European integration experience. The programme format combined interactive presentations, bilateral negotiation simulations, and in-depth analysis of real-life practical situations.

The trainer was Robert Weibel, founder of the Centre for Experiential Negotiation and Applied Diplomacy (CENAD), who shared his many years of experience working with governments, international organisations and EU diplomatic structures.

As a result of the event, participants:

• improved their approaches to strategic and tactical negotiation management;

• learned tools for effectively resolving complex issues;

• strengthened their communication and confidential interaction skills;

• received practical recommendations for further developing their negotiation skills.

“You have to learn how to read silence. If somebody is not taking the floor – how could we possibly interpret the silence? Maybe, they have no instructions. But another interpretation is – it’s tactical. They want to hear the others first, and then they come in. Maybe, another interpretation would be – someone is doing the talking for them”.