I believe one of the greatest tasks of ASEAN lies in people to people. We are all agreed that a 21st century ASEAN, to be dynamic and relevant, must be people-centered and people-driven. For the first time, and in contrast to just four decades ago...

The Foreign Relations Authorization Act for fiscal 2012, would repeal a 1960 law that established the center for cultural and technical interchange between East and West. U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono said she has asked that language to repeal the law be removed from the bill.

Food diplomacy is growing in popularity. China has been levering its cuisine and chefs as a means of building goodwill in Latin America in what has been dubbed “chopstick diplomacy”, the Asian face of gastrodiplomacy. The most popular foods, like sushi and spaghetti have exploded in popularity...

South Korea, one of the strong trading partners of Qatar, is seeking enhanced cultural exchange with Doha as part of its foreign policy to better understand the region and its ethos.
As part of helping youths to grow as global citizens, six middle school students from the Asian country are now on a week-long visit to Qatar...

Israel Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Danny Ayalon released a new media video describing the historical facts of the Israel Palestinian conflict in a concise, easy to follow video on YouTube. The video explains where the terms "West Bank", "Occupied territories" and "1967 Borders" originated and how they are incorrectly used and applied.

Last year, the State Department said it needed 1,250 more positions to handle work in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Middle East, besides expanding public diplomacy and increasing foreign language training. But in this year's budget belatedly approved in April, lawmakers only provided enough money to fill jobs left vacant by attrition.

During Clinton’s visit, there were some disturbing developments as well. By the time the conditions were ripe for “nearly perfect” public diplomacy, the Turkish media was forced to focus on another issue, which unfortunately made Clinton’s “smiles” and “blue-pant suit” of secondary importance.

Ms. McHale emphasized the importance of engaging with Muslim nations, especially now during the anti-government upheaval in the Arab world. “In Egypt or Tunisia or in other places in the Middle East right now, they are not focused on al Qaeda. They are focused on the transition of their countries,” she said.