Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke on Thursday about the NAFTA trade deal and agreed there was an opportunity to update the accord to the mutual benefit of all signatories, the Mexican government said. [...] "Finally, they agreed to remain in close contact to ensure the process of (NAFTA) modernization is successful for the benefit of both nations," Pena Nieto's office said.

Tags: nafta, mexico, enrique pena nieto, canada, justin trudeau, united states

“Vision 2030” shows that Saudi Arabia is conscious about the necessity to reform the country’s economy. Its cut in social spending, the plan to introduce a tax on expenses by 2018, and –more importantly- its plan to privatise the state oil company Saudi Aramco are very positive. [...] The success of Saudi Arabia’s economic reforms is crucial to the West, who needs a stable Saudi Arabia in an already chaotic Middle East.

Tags: saudi arabia, middle east, geopolitics, economic diplomacy, national economy, saudisation

According to state media, the last high-level North Korean delegation to visit Algeria was led by then Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong who attended a conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in mid-2014. But since then North Korea and Algeria have stepped up bilateral cooperation. In November 2016 the two countries signed a cultural exchange agreement and an agreement on friendly relations between North Korea’s Kim Il Sung University and Algeria’s University of El-Djezair No. 1.

Tags: north korea, algeria, foreign affairs, international cooperation, cultural exchange, bilateral cooperation

Northeast students from different universities, colleges of the region gathered to witness the fusion of northeast diversified culture with the rich culture of Punjab. Besides, promoting the culture, traditional dresses and designs etc of the northeast region, the event also aimed at unifying students through cultural exchange.

Tags: punjab, Cultural Diplomacy, cultural exchange, northeast fiesta, art exhibition, student exchange

The nonprofit develops and delivers lifesaving technologies, from fortified rice to vaccines, that help at least 150 million people around the world every year. [...] PATH’s local partners include Seattle Children’s Hospital, the University of Washington and Tableau, the Fremont-based software company now helping PATH with its effort to reduce and eventually eliminate malaria in Zambia.

Tags: global health, foreign aid, global aid & development, PATH, nonprofit group, soft power

In another step towards diplomacy, Cuba has opened its doors to the outside world by making an agreement with Google. Users in Cuba will now have the GGC to assist in content storage from Google owned services. Cubans can take full advantage of popular services, such as Gmail and YouTube, that can be used on servers owned by ETECSA, the state’s telecommunications company.

Tags: google, cuba, internet access, new technology, communication, global connectivity

“This visit comes where Egyptians are wounded because of what happens, wounded in their hearts and when a Pope comes is to consolidate and give his solidarity to all the people,” said Rafik Grish, Coptic Catholic church spokesman. [...] Pope Francis will visit Cairo’s largest Coptic cathedral to pray for the 28 people killed in a Christmas season blast last year.

Tags: cairo, egypt, pope francis, religious diplomacy, faith diplomacy, muslim, anti-terrorism

Britain may lack hard power, but the soft power of influence and a network of relationships deriving from decades of active and assiduous diplomacy still count for something. [...] Britain is one of the leading supporters of the new style of Chinese economic diplomacy, involving the furthering of solid infrastructural links along which mutually beneficial trade and investment can flow to an increasingly interlinked world.

Tags: uk, britain, uk-china relations, soft power, economic diplomacy, brexit, foreign policy