Courtesy call

A courtesy call is a call or visit made out of politeness. It is usually done between two parties of high position such as a government official to meet and briefly discuss about important or concerning matters.

Diplomacy

In diplomacy, a courtesy call is a formal meeting in which a diplomat or representative or a famous person of a nation pays a visit out of courtesy to a head of state or state office holder. Courtesy calls may be paid by another head of state, a prime minister, a minister (Government), or a diplomat. The meeting is usually of symbolic value and rarely involves a detailed discussion of issues.

A newly appointed head of mission will usually make a courtesy call to the receiving foreign minister, head of government, and often other dignitaries such as the local mayor. It is also customary for a new head of mission to make courtesy calls to other heads of missions in the capital and often to receive return courtesy calls. Neglecting to pay a courtesy call to missions of smaller countries may result in them resenting the newly arrived mission head. Upon the departure of a head of mission, an additional round of courtesy calls is often expected. Fulfilling this protocol obligation is a time consuming task, with one diplomat noting it took him five months to complete a round in Washington DC.

Diplomatic convention states courtesy calls last 20 minutes, which is some cases is excessive with both sides searching frantically for what to say, though some ambassadors consult an encyclopedia prior to the call to prepare talking points.