⬇️Follow the Twitter thread 1/80⬇️
➡️🔗twiplomacy.com/blog/twiplomac…
#DigitalDiplomacy
![Visual with the Twitter profiles of nine world leaders weari](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Edcr-7DXgAAqaI2.png)
The #coronavirus has upended diplomacy, a profession which involves lots of travel, physical meetings, and in-person interactions. 2/80
![A rare picture of U.S. President Donald Trump wearing a face](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddIUj8XgAIridS.jpg)
The #Twiplomacy study focuses on the how world leaders have tweeted during the pandemic and how #Twitter has tried to keep the chatter clean from disinformation. 7/80
![Word cloud of the most tweeted hashtags by world leaders in](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddMtRHXgAAJ_Du.png)
Philippine Foreign Minister @TeddyBoyLocsin was the first world leader to mention the virus in a tweet, assuring that the Department of Health and the Airport authorities are "on top of this". 8/80
On April 30 the #ThankYouNHS had a very special meaning the day after his fiancée had given birth to their baby boy. 16/80
twitter.com/i/events/12472…
Prince Albert II🇲🇨, @NikolPashinyan🇦🇲, @JeanineAnez🇧🇴, @JairBolsonaro🇧🇷, and the Foreign Minister @AlphaBarry20🇧🇫 were all diagnosed with #COVID19. 19/80
@AlphaBarry20 and a handful of world leaders, including the @SebastianPinera @NayibBukele @NarendraModi, and @LeeHsienLoong updated their Twitter profile picture wearing a face mask, a subtle way to lead by example😷 20/80
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pscp.tv/PresidencyZA/1… 25/80
![South African President struggling to put on a face mask](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddOgxNXsAA3ChF.png)
pscp.tv/CyrilRamaphosa…
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Some world leaders have shared masked selfies including Luxembourg Prime Minister @Xavier_Bettel who tweeted a selfie with his partner. 28/80
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The @EU_Commission, @Merrionstreet, @PIB_India and @MOFAVietnam added hashtags to their Twitter names including #StayHome and #WeWillWinTogether. 30/80
![Twitter cover pictures with health warnings from the Irish g](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddPTyZXYAASr1B.png)
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Canadian Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau, a trained teacher, offered to help parents and children with their homework #CanadaHomeworkHelp. 34/80
Albanian🇦🇱 President @IlirMetazyrtar shared a video mowing his lawn and wishing everyone a great weekend. 36/80
Austrian President Alexander @VanderBellen asked his citizens to ditch the handshake and adopt the "polite and friendly" Asian greeting to avoid spreading the virus. 39/80
![Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen adopting the Asi](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddQlvgX0AAGL-G.png)
The former Prime Minister of Kosovo @AlbinKurti met with @USAmbKosovo, Philip Kosnett at a safe distance in mid-March. 41/80
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At the start of the first ever video conference of the @EUCouncil, @EUCOPresident @CharlesMichel needed to remind all participants to “Please, mute your microphone”. 44/80
![Picture of the flat screens at the first ever EU Council vid](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddRIWTWoAE8PBt.png)
twitter.com/i/events/12377…
![Collage of nine pictures of EU leaders following the first e](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddSI5bXkAIF8m3.jpg)
German Foreign Minister @HeikoMaas held a video summit with his counterparts from 🇨🇿 🇭🇺 🇵🇱 🇸🇰 in a fully equipped studio including live translations booths. 46/80
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![Picture of the telephone conversation between Swiss Presiden](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddSzG6XsAUmzya.jpg)
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Instead of the traditional family picture, the Japanese government @kantei shared a picture of Prime Minister @AbeShinzo looking at a screen with his counterparts. 55/80
![Japanese Prime Minister @AbeShinzo looking at a screen with](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddT7TUX0AUI2EN.jpg)
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The setup for online summit was more professional with each leader seated in front of a large flat screen. 57/80
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@EstoniaUN which held the presidency of the #UN Security Council, brought representatives from 80 countries to the virtual stage to share their contribution on #LessonsForPeace. 58/80
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pscp.tv/EU_Commission/… 59/80
![EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen moderating a th](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddVKhxXoAIgx1y.png)
Obviously, video diplomacy didn’t happen without some teething problems as German Chancellor @AngelaMerkel experienced on a video link with @WHO’s @DrTedros when the audio connection was a bit patchy. 60/80
pscp.tv/WHO/1MYxNkdoMb…
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At their first in person meeting German Foreign Minister @HeikoMaas and his Luxembourg counterpart @JeanAsselborn didn’t shake hands but held a mask as they met on the Mosel River in Schengen to reopen the borders. 62/80
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Press conferences have also gone online. The @ExtSpoxEU shared a picture of the empty press conference room and the journalists calling in via video connection for the daily briefing. 65/80
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![French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angel](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddWP-kWAAM7DGJ.png)
In one of these People’s Prime Minister Question Time he was asked to answer: "What shampoo do you use?" 68/80
“Obviously” the @Pontifex replied. 69/80
![Screenshot of Pope Francis being interviewed via Skype by Sp](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddXZ9lWsAAJYaY.png)
![Ask us anything a Twitter Q&A organized by the Israeli Forei](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddX_umXoAEjgsZ.png)
As the virus spread across the globe so did disinformation on social networks. Twitter created special #coronavirus search prompts to direct users to trusted and authoritative sources. 71/80
Twitter also decided to actively verify hundreds of health experts including health ministers around the world. 72/80
Twitter stepped up the fight against state-sponsored disinformation and misinformation. In January many accounts of the Venezuelan government were suspended for violating its rules including the @PresidencialVen account with 1.1 million followers 73/80
![Screenshot of the suspended @PresidencialVen Twitter account](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddZoiOXsAIQKmv.png)
The president of Venezuela had shared a series of links to articles pointing to a supposed coronavirus remedy. 74/80
![Screenshot of a deleted Tweet from Venezuela's President Nic](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddZL7TXsAAKss_.jpg)
Twitter also flagged two misleading tweets from the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s deputy spokesperson @zlj517 who alleged that the coronavirus originated in the U.S. 75/80
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