Yet we should not deny that technology has had an important effect almost everywhere. Just as the telegraph made it possible to eliminate weeks from the time it took to exchange messages overseas, and the airplane and telephone allowed leaders to interact directly with far greater frequency than ever before, today’s technologies will surely continue to alter the basic means of exchange, whether among nations, regions, or supra-regional entities.
自从文艺复兴时期的意大利产生现代外交之后，世界各国都认识到通过羊皮书或视频会议来互派使节达成（或取消）协议的必要性。在全球化的今天，其重要性似乎仍未被取代。