On 28 April, the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine hosted a presentation of the public part of the first-ever Ukraine-Latin America and the Caribbean Communication Strategy.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba delivered an opening speech in which he stressed the importance of creating a communication strategy to strengthen ties with Latin American and Caribbean countries.
He emphasized that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s foreign policy priorities are to open new horizons for Ukraine and increase our country’s presence in key regions of the world.
“The preparation of such comprehensive documents is traditionally an inclusive process for the MFA, bringing together not only government and political stakeholders, but also the expert community and the media. For all of us, representatives of various fields, Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the key new horizons in 2024 and beyond. We will make every effort to ensure that our cooperation becomes a driving force for mutual development and prosperity,” Dmytro Kuleba said.
The Foreign Minister added that the foundations of a long-term and systematic policy are being laid that will make our country much stronger in the international arena and make Ukrainian diplomacy truly global.
“This is how we see the role of the new Ukraine in the new world: to be a leader, an actor, an influential player,” the Minister added.
The event featured two panel discussions where leading experts discussed the parameters of the strategy and ways to implement it.
During the first panel, ‘Expanding Ukraine’s New Horizons in Latin America and the Caribbean’, Deputy Foreign Minister Iryna Borovets outlined the vision of Ukraine’s political presence and strategic communications in the region in the future.
Iryna Borovets noted that there has long been a plan to unite the communication efforts of Ukraine’s representatives at various levels.
“We have long been planning to create an ecosystem of public, state and intergovernmental levels to move not in parallel but to jointly reinforce each other. This will help us to communicate more effectively and plan joint actions,” the Deputy Minister stressed.
First Deputy Chief of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Kornienko focused on the achievements of the inter-parliamentary dialogue, while Oleksiy Garan, Research Head of Research of the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation and Professor of Politics of the National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, spoke about the contribution of civil society to the development of relations with the countries of the region.
Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy and Communications of the MFA of Ukraine Viktoria Lialina-Boiko presented a detailed analysis of the elements of the Communication Strategy and their importance.
During the second panel, Deputy Director of the Third Territorial Department of the MFA of Ukraine Ihor Tumasov, Director General of the Ukrainian Institute Volodymyr Sheiko, Director of the Program “Latin America and the Caribbean” of the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” Nataliia Shevchenko and Communications Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Heorhii Tykhyi analyzed the prospects and new ways of strategic communications between Ukraine and the countries of the region.
The event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps of Ukraine and Latin American countries, civil society activists, experts, journalists, and public leaders in the field of international politics and communications.
The document, which covers a three-year period (2024-2026), is aimed at deepening and expanding Ukraine’s communication ties with the countries of the region.
The strategy contains an in-depth analysis of the media landscape in Latin America and the Caribbean, a thorough analysis of anti-Ukrainian narratives spread in the region, and tools to counter disinformation.
The document clearly defines the key narratives and detailed recommendations for Ukraine’s strategic communications. The strategy is a roadmap for effective interaction with each partner country. Particular attention was paid to sub-regional and inter-regional integration associations, a large number of which determine the uniqueness of this region.
The event was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in partnership with the International Renaissance Foundation. Previously, the Ukraine-Africa Communication Strategy was approved in 2023. The development and implementation of the Communication Strategy of Ukraine with Latin America and the Caribbean will be a new step in the comprehensive promotion of Ukraine’s national interests in the world.
Souce: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
