On the 1st of October 1992, Jovan Kurbalija established the Unit for Computer Applications in Diplomacy at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta. The Unit was established with the help of the governments of Malta and Switzerland. Professor Dietrich Kappeler and Dr Alex Sceberras Trigona provided mentorship for the new initiative.
At the opening of the first computer room (see above), Jovan Kurbalija said:
‘Computers were quickly becoming important, and the world was changing fast. It meant that diplomacy also needed to adapt quickly to a new playing field.’
Digital diplomacy started at the time when the WWW was just taking off at the CERN in Geneva.
