The Public Diplomacy Resources of The Union State of Russia and Belarus

Public diplomacy has become a common attribute of the global political life since the early 21 century. The interest for the public diplomacy is also evident among the EEU countries. Nevertheless, the question of the public diplomacy resource savailable for the integrating post-Soviet states and their usage remains open. The practice of the Union State of Russia and Belarus (USRB) is characterized by a wide range of public initiatives to increase the public attractiveness of the bilateral integration project. It communicates with a broad international environment and thereby creates a positive image for the Russian-Belarusian partnership. Public diplomacy of the USRB is a complex phenomenon combining various functional components, mechanisms and. Two mutually complementary vectors in its development can be distinguished, the first one related to the actions of officials and leaders of partner countries, and the second one – to the practice of non-state actors in the form of public organizations, business communities, academics, and the media. The state institutions along with the special social structures are actively involved in different projects boosting the international public image of USRB and play a critical part in creating a positive image of the Russian-Belarus cooperation. This fact represents the growing structural interaction of the traditional and new actors of the world political processes.