The Role of Public Diplomacy in German Current Foreign Policy on the Example of German-Russian Relations

Nowadays the elements of soft power in the foreign policy of states are playing an increasingly important role, replacing traditional forceful methods of promoting national interests abroad. The trend towards the use of soft power is most clearly seen in democratic countries, which achieve their foreign policy goals by the use of one of the key elements of soft power called public diplomacy. This concept implies the interaction of government agencies with a foreign civil society so it is aimed to increase the country's attractiveness among foreign audiences. In addition to analyzing the phenomenon of public diplomacy and related educational, scientific, cultural and other spheres, our study will focus on the use of public diplomacy tools in the foreign policy of Germany as one of the most developed and democratic EU states, which takes a leading position in the international ratings of soft power and national branding. Particular attention will be paid to the evolution of the instruments of German public diplomacy and their impact on bilateral relations between Germany and the Russian Federation as well as the transformation of the image of Germany among Russian citizens. As a result, the study will attempt to examine German public diplomacy in a multilateral format and analyze its impact on German-Russian relations, as well as develop some recommendations to improve its effectiveness.