World powers meeting here said on Friday they would develop a package of economic and security incentives in the coming months to push Israel and the Palestinians to make peace, after months of violence that has left officials fearing that the two sides are primed for another full-scale conflict. Top diplomats from 26 nations said they would work to organize an international conference before the end of the year.

Considering cultural exchange one of the most sustainable channels of diplomacy, President Park Geun-hye has been sparing no efforts in touting Korean culture, especially during her overseas trips. This year, marking the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations with France, the South Korean government is determined to create synergy with hallyu, or the Korean Wave, to foster friendly relations with the European country. 

U.S. President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Hiroshima last Friday was the result of careful diplomatic staging by U.S. and Japanese government officials, who had it in mind since Obama’s last visit to the city in 2009. [...] The biggest obstacle was U.S. public opinion. [...] The shift in opinion provided a context for Obama’s Hiroshima visit, the first-ever such trip by a sitting U.S. president.

The concept of ‘soft power’ and its relevance in contemporary politics as an instrument of diplomacy is being increasingly used by nations across the world in conducting their foreign policies. [...] It will try to seek a better understanding of the changing dynamics of soft power in India- South Korea relationship as pertains to Korean television channels in India and the significance of K-pop or popular Korean music especially in the north eastern parts of India.

From visiting mosques and cycling to performing in soap operas, a number of foreign ambassadors in Indonesia have developed their own diplomatic strategies to get closer to the local people. US Ambassador Robert O. Blake Jr. snatched the opportunity to interact with a greater number of Indonesians by appearing in Salam, a new religious soap opera series on the private TV station RCTI. 

They came, they jammed, they danced to Cuban hip-hop, but did they conquer? A group of American cultural officials and a dozen entertainers and other artists returned Thursday from a four-day cultural diplomacy mission to Cuba that was sponsored by the U.S. government and billed as the first of its kind since the thaw in relations between the United States and Cuba.

The latest U.S. delegation planning a Cuba trip since the thaw in relations is a government cultural mission that will include Usher, Smokey Robinson, and Lourdes Lopez, artistic director of the Miami City Ballet. [...] The delegation hopes to identify more opportunities for people-to-people artistic and cultural collaborations.

Pending government approval, a group of 35 doctors and nurses based in Shanghai will soon become the nation’s first medical team to join the World Health Organization’s emergency response system, specializing in disaster relief. [...] Beijing has since maintained its medical assistance to Africa ever since, renewing its commitment last year to send 1,500 medical professionals to the continent.