INSTID conference “Image Diplomacy: Establishing the Field”
| Host: | |
| Network: |
Global
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| Date: |
Friday, 29 October 2010
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| Time: |
09:00 – 17:00
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| Location: |
London, UK
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Description
Governments are increasingly aware of the situation. New states in particular are seeking to enhance their international recognition. This is most often done by the means of ‘country branding’, ’state PR’ or ‘country marketing’. Such an approach, we challenge, is deficient both with regard to the country representation and with regard to the audiences, as it reduces both to predictable, unimaginative and often identical “messages” to limited target groups. In place of such an approach, INSTID proposes to investigate and discuss how state identity can be shaped and communicated to the foreign audiences.
The conference brings together communications professionals, academics, public decision-makers, and officials engaged in the sphere of diplomacy and state media relations, as well as commercial companies already claiming expertise in country brand management. Its aim is to take forward the understanding of state image diplomacy and establish INSTID as the primary expert authority in the field.
The conference is by invitation only. Those willing to attend the event may apply to the Organisational Committee at i@instid.org.
INSTID Official Website Inactivity
Due to server maintenance INSTID’s official website http://instid.org has been unavailable for 48 hours. We apologise for the inconvenience. We are pleased to announce that the website is operable again.
INSTID expert becomes World Business Report reviewer
Natalia Leshchenko has been invited by the BBC to become a guest newspaper reviewer for the BBC flagship business programme, World Business Report. She will be discussing day’s newspapers together with the presenters Sally Bundock and Jonathan Charles twice a month on BBC World channel. The dates for February are 9th and 23rd.
Russia Energy Dispute Episode 2010: Belarus and Oil
It would not be a proper New Year without signs of an energy “war” of sorts emanating from the eastward quarters. This time Russia disputes with Belarus, and over the oil, for a change. The matter is not the price itself, but the export duty.
Russia Energy Dispute Episode 2010: Belarus and Oil
It would not be a proper New Year without signs of an energy “war” of sorts emanating from the eastward quarters. This time Russia disputes with Belarus, and over the oil, for a change. The matter is not the price itself, but the export duty. Belarus refines Russian oil at two large facilities, but exports the bulk of the produce, also charging a hefty petrochemicals export fee – which the Russian side believe is theirs. The first attempt to make Belarus itself pay Russia export, rather than domestic, was taken in January 2007, resulting in a brief halt to Russian oil supplies to Europe and a half-way tariff solution. Belarus paid US$53 per ton as export duty instead of the initial US$180, and kept 15% of the collected export duty, while Russia retained 85%. The agreement expired at the start of this year.
Now Russia is on the assault again, although this time round it has its hands tied up by its own invention, the tripartite Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan, which, as Belarusian government reasonably points out, precludes any tariff duplicity. The Belarusian side, however, is also vulnerable. According to estimations by economist Yaroslav Romantchuk, should the Russian conditions be observed, Belarus would need to pay some US$5.6 billion in 2010 in oil export duties alone, which equals over 10% of its GDP and nearly equals profits from exporting refined oil, estimated over US$6 billion. The tariff is thus effectively untenable for the Belarusian economy.
Given the high stakes for both sides, negotiations over the new oil contract may prove more difficult than either side would warrant – and take longer than the now habitual seasonal energy haggles. This is because the root cause – Russia’s subsidised energy prices remains intact in principle. To resolve this most recent impasse, Russia may be hoping to obtain control over Belarusian oil refining assets, in exchange for some lower tariffs, something that the Belarusian side will be very reluctant to part with. In any case, Belarus is likely to see conditions to worsen for the oil refining industry, which is likely to lower its share in the GPD and export in the long term. For Russia, the question is how much and who exactly will gain from the new contract: the Russian budget from the higher energy tariffs, or oil companies from being able to buy Belarusian assets on cheap. The recipients of Russian oil via Belarus in Poland and Germany can remain on quiet alert, for the attempts to cover up the dispute from both sides show that they are eager to contain the situation to themselves at least at present.
Plans for 2010
Dear Friends,
Hope you had a joyful festive season and recharged your batteries for the year ahead.
INSTID looks forward to 2010 with a number of goals:
- to increase public and academic awareness that ideologies are not grand “intoxications” of the past but that they heavily influence today’s politics and society worldwide through an academic publication and active media engagement
- to establish the professional field of image diplomacy by holding an eponymous conference in London on 29 October 2010. The conference will bring together key practitioners working in the field of country and territory branding and PR and academics studying identity politics
- to provide opportunities for professional training to postgraduate students in social sciences by establishing a “school of analysts” and creating a media resource for the publication of their work
- to contribute to increasing understanding between Russia and the EU by holding Russia Day at the London School of Economics on 19 March 2010 to engage students, academics and diplomats in debates over key issues in Russia-EU relations, such as energy policy and security
- to help shaping Belarusian national identity by suggesting and helping realise a number of campaigns, policy measures and events
- to provide forum for the discussion and publication of ideas on ideology by friends and experts worldwide.
Your contributions and ideas are most welcome.
Thank you for supporting INSTID and have a harmonious and prosperous 2010.
Happy New Year
