The Foreign Service Academy, Islamabad held its Passing-out Ceremony of the 25th Advance Diplomatic Course held at the Academy from 06 February to 17 March 2017. A group of 28 diplomats' from 25 friendly countries hailing from five continents of the world attended the course. Syed Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, was the Chief Guest on this occasion. A large number of Foreign Ambassadors based in Islamabad, senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of the diplomatic Corps, eminent scholars, and educationists as well as the faculty members of the Academy attended the event. Speaking to the graduating diplomats, Syed Tariq Fatemi, highlighted the crucial role and challenges faced by the diplomats in the 21st century. Referring to the responsibilities of diplomats, he underscored the importance of person to person contact and public diplomacy. He said that the Twenty-first century diplomacy necessitated creativity, connectivity and communication. He hoped that the training opportunity at the Foreign Service Academy had been helpful for the foreign participants in greater understanding of Pakistan, its people and national ethos. The Director General, Foreign Service Academy Ambassador Iftekhar Aziz, spoke about the training philosophy, methodology and innovations employed by the Academy. He highlighted the activities during the course and appreciated the zeal and interest of the participants of the course. The Foreign Service Academy is the training arm of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and since its establishment in September 1981, has been imparting diplomatic training to both Pakistani as well as Foreign Diplomats from friendly countries. The entire diplomatic corps of Pakistan is a graduate of FSA. The number of its international alumni, many of them serving in responsible positions in their respective countries, stands at 1277 from 106 countries. At the end, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs certificates among the participants of the 25th Advance Diplomatic Course.