Competing newspapers were already writing the story: the attacks would forever damage the relations between Jews and Arabs in the historically peaceful village.
KRG President Masoud Barzani said that "the terrorists will not be able to damage the relations between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and its Arab brothers" during an August meeting with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
"We will not tolerate such incidents in Portsmouth that seek to damage the good relations we have with all sections of our diverse community".
The British ambassador to Tripoli, Richard Northern, is understood to have made clear to senior Libyan government officials that any public events honouring Megrahi could damage the flourishing relations between the two countries.
Few in Ukraine believe that the damage to the relations can be repaired quickly.
In an SCS document cited by Der Spiegel, exposure of the "not legally registered spying branch" in the US embassy in Berlin would lead to "grave damage for the relations of the United States to another government".
May had previously ruled out an inquiry on the grounds it might damage the UK's relations with Moscow.
With the international standing of both Russia and Georgia damaged, the public relations battle has been intensive.
The N.L.D. in particular seems worried about damaging the good relations between Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Thein Sein.
