Image of the Country is a Nation Wide Task

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the final state programme concerning the formation of positive international image of the country till 2011. It is suggested to spend 230 million hryvnyas on its realization. The editorial staff of the magazine “Viche” asked the famous diplomat, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador, ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Anatoliy ZLENKO to share his thoughts about what should be done in order to spend that money in the most effective way and about the experience in informative breakthrough of other countries.

–  Anatoliy Maksymovych, did Ukraine pay attention on its international image in time? And do you think the whole point is in money?

–  I should say that the improvement of image of Ukraine in the world has already been on the agenda of foreign policy activity for several years. And yet when I was the head of the MFA of Ukraine the serious attempt to develop and carry out the program of formation of positive international image of the country had been done. In 2002 in terms of “Program of Formation of Positive International Image of Ukraine” the MFA worked out and tabled the proposals to the project of the state program. It was planned that it would be carried out during 2003–2006 and necessary several million hryvnyas had to be allocated for this purpose. Unfortunately, we committed an error, in particular in the selection of a contractor which appeared to be an unknown company that did almost nothing and buried a good undertaking. History of this question is not very old and can be an example in the sense that this project needs more serious attitude, because as a matter of fact it has a state value.