Abstract: In modern international politics, not only the image of political figures is becoming increasingly important, but also the perception of nation states in the international arena. The emergence and active participation of new actors in world politics has increased the role of soft power as an impact strategy for governments that seek to strengthen their positions.  This article examines the role of soft power and public diplomacy in shaping or creating a country's image. Using cultural elements and public diplomacy, States set themselves the goal of creating an attractive image in the minds of the population of another State. Effective initiatives in the field of public diplomacy not only strengthen the country's soft power and influence, but also contribute to building strong relations and strengthening interstate cooperation. Structural and functional, discourse analysis, institutional, and systemic approaches were used to study soft power and public diplomacy. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the systematization and comparison of approaches to defining the concept of soft power and public diplomacy, as well as the components and forms of implementation of soft power by foreign researchers. Special attention is also paid to cultural peculiarities and the unique perception of the image of states. The author came to the following conclusions: soft power is an alternative to military and economic force. Successful implementation of soft power contributes to the formation of a positive image, which in the long term seems to be more effective and sustainable than traditional methods of influence. Soft power and public diplomacy are becoming not only tools for creating a country's image, but also an important part of its foreign policy, contributing to even greater support from the international community to strengthen its position on the world stage.

Keywords: globalization, global presence, international cooperation, foreign policy, strategic communication, cultural exchange, national Image, Joseph Nye, public Diplomacy, Soft power

Abstract: Assistance to developing countries, or the so-called “Third World” countries, is one of the areas of foreign policy activity in modern developed countries. It is provided to recipient countries in the form of loans, grants and other transfers to solve, first of all, social and economic problems. The Republic of Austria has a small territory and population, but at the same time it also has an efficient economy that encourages a high standard of living and a status of permanent neutrality allow it to play the role of a donor country for this type of assistance. In Austria, such policy is divided into two directions: “global” and “domestic”. Despite the commitment of many countries to "global" Official Development Assistance (ODA), the Republic of Austria ranks recipient countries of financial assistance in terms of its own national interests. In particular, the largest volumes of financial assistance are provided by Austria to the countries of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. In this regard, the author considers the activities of the Austrian state in this area as the implementation of the most important element of Vienna’s “soft power” policy. This article is devoted to the policy that Austria pursues towards countries in need of economic, financial and humanitarian assistance. The key element of this policy is the “domestic” Austrian Development Cooperation Program (ADP), aimed at establishing economic ties and providing financial assistance to countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America (primarily the Caribbean), as well as to the other poorest countries in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Using methods of description and analysis, the article examines the historiography, foundations and essence of this policy in Austria, and also analyzes the new edition of one of the fundamental documents – the Three-Year Program of Austrian Development Policy from 2022 to 2024.

Keywords: ODA, recipient country, donor country, conditionality, EU, OECD, ADA, Austria, carbon neutrality, humanitarian aid