government public diplomacy

February 16, 2018

Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service Conrad Turner looks at volunteering, active learning and the calling of a public diplomat.

Cuba opens Washington embassy, urges end to embargo

For the first time in 54 years, the U.S. and Cuba reopened their embassies on Monday, marking a return to diplomatic engagement between the two countries.

The government of North Korea has rightfully gained a reputation in the West for isolation and obstinacy, but its diplomatic ventures in Africa have poised it to be significantly more influential on that continent than potentially anywhere else. 

Japan said on Saturday it would extend around $6 billion in development aid to Mekong region countries, as China prepares to launch a new institutional lender seen as encroaching on the regional clout of Tokyo and ally Washington. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam all have strong economic growth potential, and are promising destinations for Japanese exporters.