I erstwhile heard that military diplomacy has as much in common with diplomacy as military music has with music. There is most likely something in it, but only at first glance. Although military diplomacy is seldom as spectacular as large politics and does not always make headlines, it is behind the scenes that trust is built, tensions are eased and the ground is prepared for decisions of strategical importance. These are talks between the military, contacts between commands, joint exercises, delegation visits and negotiations, the effects of which are not always immediately visible, but the absence of which can make itself felt very quickly.
