Virtual Environments Meet International Relations

The New York Times is reporting that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem. The article states, "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with her Syrian counterpart here today in the first high-level diplomatic contact between Washington and Damascus in more than two years."

Within the world of international politics a face to face meeting is seen as far more significant than a telephone call or letter.

I wonder where MUVEs (multi-user virtual environments) will fit into the hierarchy of international contact. Certainly, avatars could be created in the image of national leaders. What if two avatars representing leaders from two different countries met in a virtual conference room and the real leaders used their words in communication? Would this be considered more significant than a phone call? What effect will MUVEs have on international relations?

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