A curated selection of public diplomacy-relevant news from a global cross-section of English-language media outlets, including independent, corporate-owned, and state-sponsored sources. The stories featured don't necessarily represent CPD's views nor have they been verified by CPD.
Mitchell’s mission impossible
The appointment of Senator George Mitchell as special envoy to the Middle East in January 2009 elicited great expectations for progress on the Israeli-Palestinian track, particularly since the new American president, Barack Obama, eloquently communicated his intent to renew peace negotiations and end them successfully within his first term in office. After nine months and many trips to the Middle East, a plethora of meetings with the leaders in the region and even an Obama-Netanyahu-Abbas summit in New York last month, Senator Mitchell seems unable to report success to his boss.
Joint Press Conference with Simon Anholt, Parliament House
Australia is a greatly admired country. In fact the phrases often used about Australia is that it punches above its weight and that's certainly true in image terms. It regularly comes within the top 10 of the most admired nations in my survey, the nations' brands index. Considering that most of the other countries at that level in the index have got substantially larger economies, land areas, political power, economic power and so on and so forth, Australia does remarkably well. There's work to be done of course for a number of reasons.
Romer to practise what Barack Obama preaches
Adhering to US President Barack Obama’s suggestion, American Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer stated that he was not going to confine himself to the four walls of his diplomatic office but would be seen often in public domain. “I will try to shake as many hands as possible. US President Obama has floated the idea of public diplomacy, which I’m going to put into practice,” the US Ambassador said.
Iran, Israel: Avowed enemies allegedly held secret nuclear talks
Reports are surfacing about a meeting that allegedly took place between an Israeli atomic expert and a senior Iranian official in Cairo in September to discuss the possibility of making the Middle East a nuclear-free zone. The talks, vehemently denied by Iranians but confirmed by Israelis, were reportedly held behind closed doors at the Four Seasons Hotel in Cairo under Australian auspices and would be the first direct negotiations between the two archenemies since the ousting of the shah in Iran in 1979.
U.S., Iran move closer to nuclear deal
Deft diplomacy and regional security woes are driving Tehran and Washington toward a deal on Iran's nuclear program, experts say, illustrated by movement Wednesday in talks to transfer most of the Islamic Republic's fissile material abroad to be processed for medical uses. For three decades, Iran and the U.S. have been locked in a frustrating diplomatic flirtation. When one felt strong enough to offer a deal, the other felt too weak to accept. This time may ultimately prove to be no different.
Slovakia hosts a security conference in Bratislava, Afghanistan high on the agenda
Slovakia is poised to host a security conference in Bratislava on October 21 and 22, branded an "informal meeting of Nato defence ministers", Dnevnik daily reported on October 22, 2009. The purpose of the conference is to create a regional high-level forum for examining some of the most critical issues of today’s security environment.
Look to Latin America
The global crisis has taught the Latin Americans the significance of the Asian market. The UN economic commission on Latin America also advised that China and other Asian countries are the remaining hope to fuel the region’s economic development. It appears evident that more Latin American countries are likely to veer toward Asia, resulting in greater Asian influence in the region. The Latin American market, at the same time, serves as a boon for Korean exporters.
World Media Summit Makes Strange Bedfellows in China
The Chinese regime recently pushed their agenda for legitimacy on the world stage during the World Media Summit in Beijing. Xinhua News Agency, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, hosted the event, with co-sponsors such as world media veterans Reuters, AP, Agence France-Presse, Itar-Tass, Kyodo News, News Corporation, U.S. Cable News International, the BBC, and Google. According to Xinhua, over 100 international media and more than 40 domestic media enrolled in the summit.
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