The U.S. and Iran have been at odds for decades.... But in Japan, a nation that tries to maintain good relations with both countries, a major exhibition featuring the work of one of America’s most recognizable artists is showing how appreciation for good art can bring even the most intractable foes closer together.

Special Chief Secretary for Tourism, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Chandana Khan suggested that the two countries should focus on enhancing cultural exchange and people to people ties before focusing on trade. She said that “friendly ties should be the foundation to improved relations between the two countries to long-term benefits”.

Cultural exchanges between China and Russia have reached an unprecedented height in recent years," said Yang Song, Europe and Asia division chief of the Liaison Office of the Ministry of Culture...."A series of intercultural events have greatly helped promote mutual understanding, and bring Chinese and Russians closer.

When I hear from people about the relative advantages of cultural diplomacy, they often point to the apparent “neutrality” or “apolitical” basis of, say, cultural exchange. Coming from an anthropological background, this often advanced claim has always puzzled me.

“Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam,” the exhibition at the British Museum that has drawn more than 80,000 visitors since it opened in late January is a remarkable achievement

This post continues my preliminary discussion of the results of a survey I recently conducted, designed to invite practitioners of cultural diplomacy to reflect upon their own practice. Additional discussion of this survey can be found in my February 15th post.

“Many production companies in Korea are recruiting competent talents from foreign countries to enrich the contents of K-pop (Korean music genre) and Zimbabwe’s artists are also candidates for such co-operations,” said Korean Embassy Counsellor, Choi Young-joon.