The term "statesman" is used to refer to diplomats, politicians, and other notable figures of state; whether or not an individual actually is a statesman, is a matter of opinion. The term most frequently refers to individuals associated with a governmental shift from monarchism to republicanism. Geneally, one can use the word as a euphemism for "politician".
Aristotle -- "What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain moralcharacter in his fellow citizens, namely a disposition to virtue and the performance of virtuous actions."