In the world of diplomacy, gone are the days of handshakes, bilateral meetings or international summits attracting a horde of world leaders and diplomats to discuss issues of the day.
Swamped by their desperate bid to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak within their borders, leaders are forced to hold over their foreign policy goals and prioritize global responses to the deadly disease.
That leaves traditional diplomacy ground to a halt, superseded by virtual video conferences devoid of close personal contact that has been deemed indispensable in carrying out foreign affairs. While cybersecurity and infrastructure capable of supporting fast and reliable connectivity remain as paramount concerns, one change in the post-COVID-19 world could be global diplomats turning to online diplomacy.