Recently, a person shared a story about how he called a local consulate with a trade inquiry relating to the country that the consul represents. When he was surprised over the helpful advice he got I told him about commercial activities being a major part of consular functions. As long as there have been consuls in existence (we’re talking more than 2,000 years here!), these foreign officials have provided business leads and responded to trade inquiries.

What consuls do is actually a frequently asked question, particularly if they are honorary. Commercial activities are only one of the many functions of consuls. Please share your own experience with these matters.