MOSCOW, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Russia should enhance its "soft power" in international affairs to supplement the traditional diplomacy, President Vladimir Putin said Monday.
"Obviously, the time of the classical diplomacy has either gone or it (diplomacy) has changed substantially. You the diplomats have to deal with economy, business relations, support various economic projects, and open new markets," Putin told a meeting with the Foreign Ministry's staff.
He stressed that diplomats ought to shift their efforts toward exporting Russian values worldwide and support the Russia-born people wherever they live in the world.
"The priority has been shifting to the literate use of soft power, strengthening positions of the Russian language, active promotion of Russia's positive image abroad, and skillful embedding into the global informational streams," he said.
Meanwhile, Russian diplomacy must work proactively in the "turbulent and dynamic" international situation to achieve peaceful settlement of regional conflicts, he added.
"Their number does not decrease but increase and they negatively affect the global situation," Putin said, noting that Moscow will push for strict binding of international laws and the central role of the United Nations during its presidency of the G20 this year.
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