Development Cooperation as a Soft Power Tool: A case study of Slovakia & Kenya
Abstract: Slovakia has as a small state in the Central Europe gone through two types of transformations. First was from socialism to democracy, accompanied by various reforms, the second from an aid recipient to an aid donor. These experiences have, naturally, shaped Slovakia's identity, ideas and interests. Slovakia has gradually built up close bilateral development cooperation with Kenya, which figures as its program country. Using the 'comparative advantage' of the transformation experience in the development cooperation policies, combined with knowledge transfer as well as an increasing involvement of business entities, as soft power tools of its foreign policy, Slovakia seems to have followed two main goals, one of advancing of the economic agenda, and one of making itself more visible in the donor community and acquiring certain prestige.
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