CULTURAL AND HUMANITARIAN IMPACT OF FRANCE ON CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES AS "SOFT POWER"

Abstract

France participates in Central Asia in various fields, and its involvement began in the early 1990s. In 2018, Emmanuel Macron expressed interest in participating in the Chinese ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative, which will increase France's activity in Central Asia. This region is considered as an important element of participation in a strategic and economically promising project.

This article examines French policy in Central Asia and the cultural and humanitarian influence prospects, as well as the current state and future possibilities of bilateral relations with five countries in the region. It is noted that the French experience of preserving and increasing political influence with the help of soft power can be useful in the Central Asian countries foreign policy.