We invite you to another conversation from the Book Talks series.

Our guest is Lady Catherine Ashton, a member of the British House of Lords. From 2009 to 2014, she served as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and she will talk about her book “And Then What”.

In her book, she writes about how contemporary diplomacy works and what qualities an outstanding diplomat should possess. She talks about her role in EU institutions, the diplomatic conversations she had with various individuals, including dictators and war criminals. She witnessed the consequences of natural disasters, military actions, and political instability. Collaborating with American politicians, such as John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Burns, she negotiated historic agreements like the nuclear deal with Iran. Lady Ashton offers an interesting insight into how contemporary diplomacy operates, exploring the tools needed to navigate the geopolitical chaos in which we find ourselves now.

The conversation was conducted by Dr. Małgorzata Bonikowska, the president of THINKTANK and the Center for International Relations.