Ask the Greek Ambassador in Washington DC

I came across a facebook update from the Greek embassy in Washington DC:

"Do you have any questions you wish you could ask our own Amb. Panagopoulos? Here's your chance! Questions regarding Greece, policy, international relations, culture, travels, and the ambassador's background are all welcome! Leave us a comment with your questions, or e-mail us at pressoff@greekembassy.org"

It's so good to see that the Greek embassy in Washington DC is reaching out and engaging through the Internet. I believe this must be the first such move from a Greek mission abroad. It has been a long time coming - I definitely applaud the idea and hope for it to become a start for more digital diplomacy initiatives from Greek missions abroad.

The embassy states: "Ambassador Panagopoulos wants to hear your questions about Greece, international relations, culture and tourism." However, I am sure that questions about the economy will definitely dominate the agenda. I strongly believe that more digital outreach must follow; the Greek embassy in Washington DC can become a beacon example for other Greek missions throughout the world.

During my career, working in Foreign Affairs and Digital Diplomacy, I always stressed how the Internet has changed public diplomacy. It is an opportunity not just for senior diplomats, embassies, or diplomatic personnel, but for the whole diplomatic community to engage, write, listen and make a difference every day.

You can read more about the advantages of developing a Digital Diplomacy Strategy and the priorities of using Social Media for Diplomacy in one of my previous posts "Public Diplomacy with Digital Diplomacy".

Also read: Social Media & Public Diplomacy, facebook or Chatham House Rule?