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Summits

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Diplomacy
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Abstract

Today an astonishing degree of multilateral diplomacy takes place at the highest level of political authority: heads of state and government, and heads of international organization, not forgetting the leaders of factions in civil wars (Young 2008: 118). But this is multilateral diplomacy of a special kind; besides, the bilateral diplomacy that also takes place at the summit is also special. For these reasons, it is necessary to treat summitry separately. This chapter considers the origins of summitry, its advantages and disadvantages, and the bearing on its contribution to diplomacy — as opposed to propaganda — of the different patterns it assumes.

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© 2010 G. R. Berridge

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Berridge, G.R. (2010). Summits. In: Diplomacy. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230379275_11

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