Tuesday, 30 June 2009
U.S. ambassador in Ankara James Jeffrey will attend the launching of a Virtual Presence Post (VPP) web-site in the Aegean province of Izmir (http://izmir.usvpp.gov) on Tuesday.
Releasing a written statement on Monday, the embassy said that the VPP Izmir web-site would "go live" on June 30 with a virtual launch by ambassador Jeffrey at Izmir Chamber of Commerce.
"The VPP Izmir site is the first of several VPPs the U.S. embassy intends to open," the statement said.
According to the statement, with the launch of such web-sites, the U.S. embassy intends to extend its engagement and dialogue with Turkish cities, regions or specific communities where it has limited or no physical diplomatic facilities.
The statement said that the VPP web-site and concept would use a mix of traditional diplomacy such as speaker programs and visits by officials to these cities, and modern technologies, including branded web-sites, e-mail, DVCs and on-line web chats.
"The VPP Izmir site will provide information on U.S. government services in Izmir, including our Consular Agent, U.S. Foreign Commercial Office and U.S. citizen services. In addition, the site will be a source of information about U.S.-sponsored events in Izmir such as the American Corner, as well as information about the Izmir municipality, tourist resources and sister cities links with cities in the Izmir region," the statement added.
