GIIS Student: As a navy man and politician, do you ever face a conflict in decision-making?
Mr Armitage: Well in strategic matters, the national interest of my country always takes precedence, and as long as I keep that in mind I don’t have conflict in strategic matters. Of course, there are times when I face personal conflict because I am required to deliver a firm message to one of our friends, whom I might personally like a lot; but I still have to. It’s the national interest that matters.

GIIS Student:  Your job has a lot at stake. How important or difficult is it to stick to ethical and moral grounds?
Mr Armitage: I have not found ethics or morality challenging. My training as a naval officer has taught me one thing and that is where principle is involved be deaf to expediency. Very often in politics where expediency is involved you are deaf to principle. But I think if you model your life that way you won’t find ethical considerations.

GIIS Student:  What are the critical requirements for nation building?
Mr Armitage: I have come to the conclusion that two things are of utmost concern. First are the anti-corruption activities. Corruption is killing so many nations and we should be spending on our anti–corruption activities.Second is education, because if you want to nation build you have to have sufficient human capital. Without human capital you can’t govern whether it’s at a local level or regional or provisional level.

GIIS Student:  How do you practice time-management in your busy schedules?
Mr Armitage: Obviously you have to prioritise; you’ve got to make sure that you have composed the essential things. You’ve got to delegate – you can’t do it all yourself.

GIIS Student: What message of inspiration would you give to GIIS students?
Mr Armitage: You may at this stage in your life want to plan out your life. Do the best where you are; live in the moment. And take advantage of your opportunities. Secondly, if you become policy-makers you must not become geeks. You have got to be well rounded persons; you have got to have other interests rather than just policy-making.