THE ROLE AND INSTRUMENTS OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS

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Public diplomacy is a set of measures aimed at forming a favorable foreign policy image of the country and promoting its interests in the international arena. Unlike traditional closed diplomacy, public diplomacy implies direct interaction of the state with the foreign public, the use of various communication channels and mechanisms of influence. It should be noted that public diplomacy plays an important role in modern foreign policy, ensuring the active participation of countries in the global information exchange, as well as ensuring the formation of favorable conditions for the implementation of national interests of states. The South Caucasus, which includes Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, is an important geopolitical region located at the “crossroads” of the interests of many world powers. For the Russian Federation, this region is of particular importance due to historical, cultural, economic and strategic factors. Thus, against the backdrop of the growing influence of NATO and EU countries in Transcaucasia, as well as the aggravation of regional conflicts, Russia’s public diplomacy in the South Caucasus is becoming more important than ever. In this regard, studying the role and instruments of public diplomacy of the Russian Federation in the South Caucasus is of considerable interest and practical significance for understanding Russia’s foreign policy and the specifics of its interaction with this region.