Communicating the Foreign Policy Strategy: on Instruments and Means of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Abstract

The worldwide practice demonstrates that foreign policy of the states is often directed by a some set of strategic priorities referred to as foreign policy strategy. By communicating this strategy, states declare their intentions and prime concerns, which both aid their internal policy integrity and international perception as a consistent actor. Modern technology and media enable states to conduct systematic outreach or at least sporadically cover of their foreign policy priorities. The purpose of the article is to characterize the problems of application of communication tools in the foreign policy process and determine their role in forming a positive image of Ukraine in the modern world. As the mission of providing of foreign policy is vested in Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, its communication practices and tools are examined. The raised issue involves the consideration of modern aspects of diplomacy and communication relations, including the concepts of public diplomacy, as well as media and digital diplomacy. Their tools and practices have been embraced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in order to convey some strategic foreign policy directions and state-branding messages, as the well-rounded foreign policy strategy is absent in Ukraine.