With the delayed Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics as a backdrop, it’s no surprise the Czech Embassy would choose sports as the theme of its 12th Annual Mutual Inspirations Festival. This year’s edition is dedicated to Czech gymnast and patriot Věra Čáslavská, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, four-time World Champion and 11-time European Champion.
Larry Luxner
Miami native Larry Luxner, a veteran journalist and photographer, has reported from more than 100 countries in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia for a variety of news outlets. He lived for many years in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Washington, D.C., area before relocating to Israel in January 2017. Larry has been news editor of The Washington Diplomat since 2005.
On Aug. 17, 1961, heads of state from throughout the hemisphere met at the Uruguayan beach resort of Punta del Este to launch President John F. Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress—a comprehensive 10-year plan known in Spanish as “Alianza para el Progreso” that sought to strengthen US diplomatic and economic relations with Latin America.
As Iran threatens Western shipping interests in the Persian Gulf, Lebanon’s economy teeters on the brink of collapse and COVID-19 kills thousands every day throughout the Middle East, one major geopolitical story is being overlooked: Turkey’s gradual rapprochement with Israel.
After 28 years at the Inter-American Dialogue and 12 years as its president, Michael Shifter is leaving at the end of 2021, just as the region faces some of its darkest days in modern history.
With the flags of the European Union, Lithuania, Belarus and the United States as a backdrop, a group of diplomats and lawmakers on July 21 inaugurated the bipartisan Friends of Belarus Congressional Caucus. Their goal: to bring down Europe’s last dictatorship.
On July 15, Sonia Guzmán, the country’s new ambassador to the United States, hosted a reception at her Washington, D.C., residence to promote both products. At the event, some 120 guests enjoyed premium cigars while sampling top Dominican rums, as well as coffee and chocolate.
As the delta variant of COVID-19 rips across the globe—driving infection rates to record highs throughout Africa, Latin America and Asia—Caribbean leaders are pleading with the Biden administration for vaccines in order to avert total economic catastrophe.
Presidential motorcades, huge monuments and noisy political protests are all part of the fabric of life in Washington, D.C. So are foreign diplomats and their license plates—which, like in any world capital, imply special perks like premium parking spaces and immunity from speeding tickets. But what about these so-called “diplo plates” as collectibles?
It would be nothing short of a “catastrophe” for athletes and the world sporting community if Japan cancels the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo due to coronavirus concerns. That’s the unanimous view of three sports experts who spoke in a June 2 webinar organized by the Czech Embassy in Washington.
KIBBUTZ KETURA, Israel — At a remote desert outpost in Israel’s Arava Valley—far from the Hamas missiles and mob violence that shook this country last month—Jews and Arabs are quietly working together to tackle the region’s most pressing water, energy and ecological issues.
Daughter of an ambassador. CEO of a major corporation. Head of a multi-sports federation. Princess. Mother. Leading Global Thinker, according to Foreign Policy magazine.
Saudi Arabia’s Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud has indeed worn many hats in her life. But what’s it like to be her country’s first woman ambassador to the United States in Saudi history?
A distance of more than 3,000 miles separates the Czech capital of Prague from Banjul, capital of The Gambia—mainland Africa’s tiniest independent republic.
Yet cycling enthusiasts who’d like to bridge the gap, at least symbolically, can easily do that on June 3, which happens to be World Bicycle Day 2021.
Two relatively small bells and one enormous bell were unveiled May 5 at the Dutch Embassy, as part of ceremonies marking the ongoing renovation of the Netherlands Carillon, one of metropolitan Washington’s most important landmarks.
Preventing Iran from building a nuclear bomb for generations while stopping missile tests and Iranian support for terrorist groups is
Not many US foreign aid programs are so popular they become household names or evolve into expressions used in everyday
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which took effect Jan. 1, involves more countries than any other trade bloc on Earth. Of the 55 member states of the African Union, 54—all but Eritrea—have signed on to the treaty, which aims to create a single market through the elimination of tariffs on 90% of all goods by 2022.
