ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY OF UKRAINE AS A TOOL FOR ENSURING NATIONAL INTERESTS

Abstract

The concept of «economic diplomacy» is considered. The classification of national interests of Ukraine is highlighted. The provisions on determining the political and economic goals of economic diplomacy in accordance with the Law of Ukraine «On the Principles of Domestic and Foreign Policy» as of July 1, 2010 №2411-VI are revealed. The directions of domestic economic diplomacy are analyzed: support for the development of trade, economic and investment cooperation of Ukraine with foreign countries on the basis of mutual benefit; expansion of international cooperation in order to attract foreign investment into the national economy. It is determined that in Ukraine the achievement of the goals of economic diplomacy is carried out through the activities of the following public authorities: the President of Ukraine and his administration; The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (the leading role in the field of economic diplomacy in the Verkhovna Rada belongs to the Committee on Foreign Affairs); the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; economic affairs departments within foreign diplomatic missions.

It was emphasized that Ukraine should develop the existing practice of economic departments of diplomatic missions abroad through a number of institutional and organizational steps. The following models of organization of economic diplomacy are studied: countries in which the leading place in economic diplomacy is played by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, namely Belgium, Greece, Georgia, Denmark, Macedonia and Ukraine (at least in terms of formal distribution); countries where the achievement of the goals of economic diplomacy is delegated to foreign policy and foreign economic agencies – Australia, Canada, Great Britain; the functions of economic diplomacy are carried out by the activities of specially created structures.

The author summed up that Ukraine, like most countries of the world, uses different models of organization of official economic diplomacy, namely: concentration of foreign economic work in the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade; transfer of the functions of such a specialized ministry to the single Ministry of Economy; transfer of coordinating functions and functions of management of trade and economic missions abroad (transformed into departments of economic advisers) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.