The Belarusian society for friendship and cultural ties with foreign countries helps build a solid basis for a peaceful future, chairwoman of the society Nina Ivanova told BelTA. The organization [...] implements programs with the help of 40 societies for friendship with different countries. The strengthening of friendship ties between people living in different cultural, social and political environments helps build a solid basis for a peaceful future, Nina Ivanova pointed out.

Russian ideologists specialising on Belarus have launched an aggressive campaign in the Russian media in an attempt to influence public opinion in Russia regarding ongoing processes in Belarus. While doing so, they have attempted to use the same mechanisms and ideological myths about Belarusians, which were used to mobilize pro-Kremlin patriotic electorate during the antic-Kyiv propaganda campaign.

The Kremlin is attempting to use soft power, i.e. public diplomacy and pro-Kremlin NGOs to strengthen pro-Russian moods in the Belarusian society. In addition, amid redistribution of languishing Russian state budget, Russian ideologists have stepped up their media efforts to promote their propaganda activity in Belarus.

Belarus and Estonia have been developing public diplomacy for more than 10 years, Valeri Korb, head of the Estonian parliamentary friendship group with the Belarusian parliament, told media on 7 December, BelTA has learned.

The Belarusian-Russian twin-town relations create a unique environment for productive trade and economic cooperation and the development of public diplomacy as well as make up a spiritual component part of the brotherhood of the two nations, [...] public organization Twinned Towns Boris Batura said at the 8th meeting of Belarusian and Russian twin towns in Podolsk on 27 November, BelTA informs.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, public diplomacy opens big prospects in cooperation development. “No doubt, further strengthening of contacts between denominations, ethnic associations and foreign missions accredited in Belarus will be useful. You can become a link between Belarus and other states. It will only benefit the peoples,” the President is confident.

Sports and the passion that surrounds it is a universal language. This summer, a widely anticipated basketball game in the capital city of Belarus pitted former NBA players against the national team of Belarus, but behind the picks, assists and dunks was an exercise in evangelism and diplomacy.

Those in the know at Rashtrapati Bhavan will tell you President Mukherjee used to hate travelling abroad. He specifically disliked ceremonial visits, because he believed the role of the President of India, especially during foreign visits, should be in the national interest—proactive and dialogue-driven, while keeping the country’s geopolitical and economic priorities in mind.