DIGITAL DIPLOMACY IS A STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the introduction of digital diplomacy. This is a strategic direction of public diplomacy. It involves the use of digital technologies and platforms. To protect the country's national interests. It is noted that modern society is undergoing large-scale changes due to the development of information technologies. The ability to effectively respond to changes determines the future prosperity of the country. The author notes that the use of information technologies in the field of public diplomacy is becoming a modern trend. Foreign scientists state that the "era of digital foreign policy" has arrived. The concept of "digital diplomacy" or "electronic diplomacy" has been introduced into modern scientific circulation. It is defined as the use of the Internet for new information and communication technologies to achieve diplomatic goals. Attention is focused on the fact that the latest trends in the development of public diplomacy of Ukraine are defined in the Public Diplomacy Strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for 2021-2025. Due to the integration course of Ukraine's foreign policy, as well as Ukraine's acquisition of the status of an official candidate for accession to the European Union, close coordination and cooperation in the field of public diplomacy with the institutions of the European Union are important for our country. And the study of methodological approaches to building a system of digital diplomacy in the EU. We are talking about important documents adopted by the EU: "EU Digital Diplomacy", "Council Conclusions on Strengthening EU Digital Diplomacy in Complex Geopolitical Conditions". The article states that the Council aims to create a comprehensive and coordinated approach to EU digital diplomacy to protect human rights, democratic principles and the EU's strategic autonomy in the digital sphere. The conclusions highlight the need for stronger, more strategic, coherent and effective EU policies and actions in global digital affairs.