Positive recognition abroad, reputation “key” to Ukraine's security - Kuleba

In times of hybrid wars, Ukraine's reputation and positive recognition abroad is what is able to ensure national security.

That’s according to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba who delivered a welcoming speech at the International Cultural Diplomacy Forum, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Ukraine's reputation and its positive recognition abroad is more than just a country's brand. In times of hybrid wars and misinformation, this is the key to the security of our state. We are systematically working to change the way Ukraine is perceived globally, to form and promote a positive national brand by means of soft power,” Kuleba said.

Read also: Kuleba on Ukraine's path to NATO: “indecently long” process

The minister noted that shaping and promoting a positive image of Ukraine in the world is one of the six key priorities of the country’s Foreign Policy Strategy.

The head of Ukrainian diplomacy also outlined four key tasks of cultural diplomacy: to defend the country’s cultural and information sovereignty; to promote the added value that Ukraine creates for the rest of the world; to strengthen understanding of and trust in the country; and to spread awareness about Ukraine as a country of new opportunities.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, in March 2021, the Foreign Ministry adopted a five-year Strategy of Public Diplomacy, which formulated areas of efforts to promote the country’s positive image abroad.

im