Citizen Diplomacy – Instrument in the Formation of Kosovo's Image in the World

Prishtina, 14 July 2022 - On Thursday, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of the Republic of Kosovo, Liza Gashi, gave a lecture at the UBT college as part of the International Summer Academy “Global UBT Fest 2022”. She spoke about Kosovo's foreign policy as well as one of the strategic goals of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the advancement of the role of public diplomacy, with a focus on citizen diplomacy. Deputy Minister Gashi has estimated that every citizen of the Republic of Kosovo is a diplomat in his own right. Every citizen constantly plays the role of a diplomat around the world through their works and represents Kosovo in the international arena.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora is making efforts to engage the diaspora in decision-making processes in the Republic of Kosovo. Deputy Minister Gashi emphasized that members of the diaspora are among the first ambassadors who precede the Republic itself – especially considering their role in the liberation and establishment of the state of Kosovo.

In this regard, it is important to involve all citizens and build capacities in order to tell their stories from different perspectives and show an indigenous image of who we are as a nation.
 

All citizens, including students, can make their contribution in this direction by exchanging ideas and experiences with students from other countries in order for Kosovo to be properly represented. Remembering that today we live in a time where the field of digitization has advanced too much, the Deputy Minister Gashi has expressed that it is very important that this advancement is also used to prevent the spread of propaganda and misinformation.