<s>
Twitter	B-Application
diplomacy	I-Application
is	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
social	O
media	O
website	O
Twitter	B-Application
by	O
heads	O
of	O
state	O
,	O
leaders	O
of	O
intergovernmental	O
organizations	O
(	O
IGOs	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
their	O
diplomats	O
to	O
conduct	O
diplomatic	O
outreach	O
and	O
public	O
diplomacy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Twitter	B-Application
has	O
hosted	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
diplomatic	O
communications	O
,	O
ranging	O
from	O
cordial	O
announcements	O
of	O
bi-lateral	O
cooperation	O
to	O
diplomatic	O
jabs	O
,	O
to	O
terse	O
exchanges	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
more	O
casual	O
posts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
report	O
shows	O
how	O
presidents	O
use	O
Twitter	B-Application
to	O
maintain	O
diplomatic	O
relationships	O
with	O
other	O
presidents	O
and	O
political	O
actors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
Twitter	B-Application
by	O
world	O
leaders	O
and	O
diplomats	O
was	O
on	O
the	O
rise	O
as	O
of	O
April	O
2014	O
,	O
Twitter	B-Application
diplomacy	I-Application
was	O
only	O
one	O
aspect	O
of	O
the	O
growing	O
trend	O
toward	O
digital	O
diplomacy	O
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
Facebook	O
diplomacy	O
,	O
by	O
many	O
world	O
governments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
April	O
2014	O
,	O
Twitter	B-Application
had	O
an	O
estimated	O
241	O
million	O
users	O
,	O
offering	O
policymakers	O
the	O
possibility	O
to	O
interact	O
with	O
a	O
worldwide	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	O
leaders	O
and	O
their	O
diplomats	O
have	O
taken	O
note	O
of	O
Twitter	B-Application
's	O
rapid	O
expansion	O
and	O
have	O
begun	O
using	O
it	O
to	O
engage	O
with	O
foreign	O
publics	O
and	O
their	O
own	O
citizens	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
US	O
Ambassador	O
to	O
Russia	O
Michael	O
A	O
.	O
McFaul	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
diplomats	O
to	O
use	O
Twitter	B-Application
for	O
diplomacy	O
after	O
he	O
become	O
ambassador	O
in	O
2011	O
,	O
by	O
posting	O
in	O
English	O
and	O
Russian	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
2013	O
study	O
by	O
website	O
Twiplomacy	O
found	O
that	O
153	O
of	O
the	O
193	O
countries	O
represented	O
at	O
the	O
United	O
Nations	O
had	O
established	O
government	O
Twitter	B-Application
accounts	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
same	O
study	O
also	O
found	O
that	O
those	O
accounts	O
amounted	O
to	O
505	O
Twitter	B-Application
handles	I-Application
used	O
by	O
world	O
leaders	O
and	O
their	O
foreign	O
ministers	O
,	O
with	O
their	O
tweets	O
able	O
to	O
reach	O
a	O
combined	O
audience	O
of	O
over	O
106	O
million	O
followers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Commenting	O
in	O
a	O
2013	O
publication	O
on	O
the	O
subject	O
for	O
the	O
Geneva-based	O
non-profit	O
Diplo	O
Foundation	O
,	O
former	O
Italian	O
Foreign	O
Minister	O
Giulio	O
Terzi	O
said	O
of	O
social	O
media	O
,	O
"	O
Social	O
media	O
exposes	O
foreign	O
policymakers	O
to	O
global	O
audiences	O
while	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
allowing	O
governments	O
to	O
reach	O
them	O
instantly	O
 [ ... ] 	O
Twitter	B-Application
has	O
two	O
big	O
positive	O
effects	O
on	O
foreign	O
policy	O
:	O
it	O
fosters	O
a	O
beneficial	O
exchange	O
of	O
ideas	O
between	O
policymakers	O
and	O
civil	O
society	O
and	O
enhances	O
diplomats	O
 '	O
ability	O
to	O
gather	O
information	O
and	O
to	O
anticipate	O
,	O
analyze	O
,	O
manage	O
,	O
and	O
react	O
to	O
events.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Twiplomacy	O
's	O
2013	O
study	O
provided	O
new	O
insight	O
into	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
Twitter	B-Application
by	O
governments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Twitter	B-Application
registration	O
by	O
region	O
includes	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Former	O
US	O
President	O
Barack	O
Obama	O
is	O
credited	O
as	O
being	O
the	O
first	O
head	O
of	O
state	O
to	O
establish	O
a	O
Twitter	B-Application
account	I-Application
,	O
originally	O
affiliated	O
with	O
his	O
2008	O
presidential	O
campaign	O
,	O
on	O
March	O
5	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
as	O
user	O
number	O
813,286	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
was	O
also	O
the	O
most	O
followed	O
head	O
of	O
state	O
on	O
Twitter	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
heads	O
of	O
state	O
and	O
government	O
to	O
pioneer	O
the	O
conduct	O
of	O
Twitter	B-Application
diplomacy	I-Application
include	O
Mexican	O
president	O
Enrique	O
Peña	O
Nieto	O
,	O
Belgian	O
Prime	O
Minister	O
Elio	O
Di	O
Rupo	O
,	O
and	O
Canadian	O
Prime	O
Minister	O
Stephen	O
Harper	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
whom	O
joined	O
Twitter	B-Application
in	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Former	O
US	O
president	O
Donald	O
Trump	O
,	O
whose	O
frequent	O
and	O
often	O
controversial	O
use	O
of	O
Twitter	B-Application
during	O
the	O
2016	O
US	O
presidential	O
election	O
campaign	O
and	O
since	O
has	O
become	O
well	O
known	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
frequently	O
engaged	O
in	O
Twitter	B-Application
diplomacy	I-Application
during	O
his	O
years	O
in	O
office	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Former	O
Israeli	O
ambassador	O
to	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
Michael	O
Oren	O
,	O
echoed	O
the	O
sentiment	O
of	O
many	O
diplomats	O
when	O
responding	O
to	O
a	O
May	O
2012	O
question	O
about	O
why	O
he	O
joined	O
Twitter	B-Application
:	O
"	O
Today	O
there	O
are	O
few	O
alternatives	O
as	O
far-reaching	O
and	O
effective	O
,	O
with	O
very	O
wide	O
audiences	O
and	O
young	O
audiences	O
,	O
as	O
Twitter	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Twitter	B-Application
is	O
another	O
tool	O
that	O
enables	O
me	O
to	O
communicate	O
with	O
other	O
diplomats	O
and	O
journalists	O
,	O
while	O
also	O
allowing	O
me	O
to	O
add	O
a	O
personal	O
touch.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
United	O
States	O
State	O
Department	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
leaders	O
in	O
digital	O
diplomacy	O
,	O
maintains	O
an	O
active	O
presence	O
on	O
Twitter	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Moreover	O
,	O
former	O
secretary	O
John	O
Kerry	O
re-activated	O
his	O
personal	O
Twitter	B-Application
handle	I-Application
after	O
one	O
year	O
on	O
the	O
job	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Former	O
US	O
ambassador	O
to	O
the	O
Russian	O
Federation	O
,	O
Michael	O
McFaul	O
,	O
pioneered	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
Twitter	B-Application
for	O
American	O
ambassadors	O
with	O
a	O
steady	O
stream	O
of	O
English/Russian	O
tweets	O
during	O
his	O
2011	O
–	O
2014	O
tenure	O
.	O
</s>
