Digressions on Cultural Diplomacy

The narrowing of international relations under multilateralism and globalisation has enabled professional diplomacy, carried out by state bodies, to broaden its scope. We are witnessing a significant change in the understanding, presence and visibility of other forms of diplomatic intervention, which in the past were rather neglected. Cultural diplomacy is one of the stars of this paradigm shift. The aim of this chapter is to present a few digressions on concepts that are commonly seen as synonymous but which are different in nature. To this end, we will show how cultural diplomacy has been re-appropriated as an important tool for bringing peoples and governments closer together.