Kevin Rudd Quotes

When leaders choose to burn bridges instead of build them, they sacrifice their ability to do their jobs.

The United States is a strong and ardent ally of Israel. The fact of the matter is that friends can disagree. I think what's important is that world leaders are able to sit down with one another, have frank conversations and move forward.

I can only say that I have good personal relations with all secretaries of state with whom I have a chance to work.

In peace, as there is more time to spare, the leaders are expected to persuade the rank and file, instead of commanding them.

I like Mr. Gorbachev; we can do business together.

If you treat China like a foe, surely she will become one.

I have always believed in dialogue and in nonviolence, and if you look at my background you will see that it has always been my policy to talk to everyone.

It's better to have a dialogue with your enemies than not.

Diplomacy is letting someone else have your way.

A promising process of dialogue can be disrupted by a premature or inadequate involvement of public opinion.

In campaigning, you want to slay your opponent. In governing, you want to make love to your opponent.

The more people talk directly to each other, the better. Dialogue is the way of solving issues.

Whom we wish to talk to is as important as what we say.

For us, it is alright if the talks succeed, and it is alright if they fail.

lot of the uneasiness among Mexican leaders is because of the unknowns. Well those are to be determined and to be discussed and to be negotiated. At the end of the day, our neighborss aren't going anywhere and neigher are we, and we need to find ways to make it work.

What I've learned - after working for, I guess, some time now - is when you're approaching a relationship like that, like, any working relationship, it's good to be open. To know that someone might have a different way of doing things and listen to them. And hopefully, you come to a common understanding.

Diplomacy is listening to what the other guy needs. Preserving your own position, but listening to the other guy. You have to develop relationships with other people so when the tough times come, you can work together.

I think with the beginning of any political administration, you have to build trust, and it takes time.

As much as I love Twitter, Twitter feuds aren't going to work. Actually connecting requires true face-to-face time. I believe with all my heart that it's only after working side by side with another person that you earn the right to speak into that person's life.

When you have that privilege of being able to talk directly with your chairman, like I've had with Daniel Levy, that make things a lot easier. Afterwards, I know what we've said to each other, and we have a relationship built on trust.

It's very dramatic when two people come together to work something out. It's easy to take a gun and annihilate your opposition, but what is really exciting to me is to see people with differing views come together and finally respect each other.

There should be an honest attempt at the reconciliation of differences before resorting to combat.

My career was always about working with people, and understanding issues and problems and helping them to solve those issues and problems. How you deal with people - that's what diplomacy is all about. So while I'm not a career diplomat, many of the skills I had seemed to directly translate into the diplomatic arena.

My mum always told me 95 per cent of success was partnering well.

If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.