He points to the wall opposite the desk in his study. There, prominently displayed like a piece of art, is a high-tech mountaineering pick-axe. “It was given to me by a Sherpa in Nepal,” he explains, “I keep it above my desk everywhere I go. In many ways it reminds me of my current role, which is to walk ahead, and sometimes to climb mountains, in order to create the right conditions for a great friendship between two countries. It is also an emblem of my career in a broader sense, and of service; of showing the way and clearing a path so that others can travel safely and we can all arrive at the summit.”
Keenly aware of the power of a strong relationship, the philosophical ambassador has a perfect partner in Lila. She is “more enthusiastic, and creative than I am, and perhaps I’m more diplomatic and more organized,” he says, “but she brings her energy, and her great taste to us, and we complement each other in so many ways.”