UAE soft power journey a success: Gargash

bratislava (slovakia) — UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash has said that the UAE journey in diplomatic affairs is a success.

In an interview with Wam on the sidelines of the GLOBSEC2018 Bratislava Forum, Dr Gargash explained that soft power for UAE diplomacy is a ‘door opener’ in many ways. “It opens doors to various parties, helps communicate what the UAE is about, especially on issues concerning our stance on radicalisation and extremism.”

Despite the nation’s ability to extract influence of soft power, the minister said “We, as the foreign ministry, understand that we need to do more”.

“What is important here is our public and cultural diplomacy,” he explained, adding that this not only involves the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, but also other UAE institutions and bodies to spread the nation’s message.

Participation of UAE delegations in international forums like GLOBSEC2018 is reflective of this strategy. “Various foreign ministers and diplomats know the UAE,” he continued, “which further adds to exchanging knowledge about the country and its plans and strategies.

The UAE has projected its soft power and diplomatic efforts across various foreign policy pursuits. So then how does the UAE really harness soft power and move it from this mass into direct and immediate messaging?

This is evidenced in the UAE topping the list of nations in which the youth of the Arab world want to live and work in, Dr Gargash said.— Wam