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Principal Investigator: Iskra Kirova |
The main objective of this project is to examine the use of public diplomacy strategies by the Russian federation in order to extend and maintain its soft-power presence in what it has defined as its sphere of ‘privileged interest’. The project will use the cases of Ukraine and Georgia to exemplify in particular Russian approaches to public diplomacy in regions that have contested its influence, but that at the same time harbor large pro-Russian enclaves. It will allow us to examine the role and significance of social, cultural, linguistic and religious affiliations – central elements in the public diplomacy toolbox – in determining broader foreign policy orientations.
The analysis of Russian public diplomacy activity in both Ukraine and Georgia will follow parallel lines of investigation focusing on five main sub-topics: official public diplomacy, information and media, passport diplomacy, religion and public diplomacy, and language and culture. Following the examination of concrete public diplomacy initiatives, an impact assessment of these activities will be provided that will specifically look into their significance for public opinion formation and possibly deeper identity formation among larger segments of society in the two countries. These results will be examined from the perspective of their political implications for national cohesion and the countries’ foreign policy orientation. The goal will be to draw conclusions for the role of pubic diplomacy in Russia’s relations with its neighbors and within Russian foreign policy more generally. Here, the two countries’ ambiguous position between Russia and the Euro-Atlantic space and the competing soft-power appeals from both sides will provide the main framework of discussion. Broader conclusions will be included with regard to the success, or lack thereof, of European Union policies such as the European Neighborhood Policy and the recent Eastern Partnership initiative, designed specifically to balance Russian influence in the region. Thus, the two case studies will provide an opportunity to discuss public diplomacy issues in a dynamic international context framed by Russia’s assertive role and ambitions in its near abroad, the European Union’s evolving concepts of Common Foreign and Security Policy and NATO’s ongoing reevaluation of its strategic vision.
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