**2. Migration challenge**

Soft power is important not only because of its influence on a sociocultural space but also because of increase in anthropogenic mobiles (moving people), which today are considered a tool of geopolitics.

We also consider migration challenge and associated use of soft power tools that cause disturbances in social ecology.

In 2017, the number of migrants reached 258 million people. Over the past 17 years, the total number of migrants has increased from 173 million by 49% according to the International Migration Report [6]. The growth of migrants' mobility and the impact of migration flows on almost all countries' development include the international migration issue.

Migration processes are dependent on a structure of social relations and cannot be studied in isolation from various social, economic and political phenomena in which they occur (according to a modern theory of migration considered from a geographical point of view [7]).

Migrants' studies (including surveys) are highly important in terms of migration policy analysis in the European countries. They are performing migrants' surveys regularly for accessing migrants' living conditions, political preferences, etc. The best foreign practice has shown that migrants' studies are highly important in terms of society's structural changes projection.

Migrants not only affect population dynamics, changing its structure, but also to some extent influence local community life: the larger the proportion of migrants, the greater their impact on the local community.

In order to obtain up-to-date information on both state and sociocultural perspectives, a competent migration policy development is highly necessary taking into account different aspects of globalization phenomenon.

Therefore, it is necessary to research migrants' inclusion mechanisms in local cultural and political environment as a condition for sociocultural sustainability as well as public diplomacy as the most important "soft power" tool where migrants' role is rather high.

Europe remains migrants' most attractive region. Largest migrant groups consist mostly of people coming from the Middle East and Africa. At the same time, migration is being characterized with irregularity: migrants' distribution across Europe can be characterized with both low and high concentrations. Rather different situation is being witnessed in Northern Europe.

Increase in both migrants' flows and a concentration reduces naturally the share of a recipient community: there is a significant increase of Arab origin population in France, of Turkish-Arab origin in Germany and of Indopakistan and Arab origin in the UK.

Hereby, we apply the Pareto rule in order both to analyze and evaluate influencing factor effectiveness. Migrants' excess of over 20% is known as a threshold

**313**

**Figure 4.**

*Public Diplomacy in Cross-Border Cooperation DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92663*

*Foreign migrants as a percentage of total population of Europe.*

*Foreign migrants as a percentage of total population of Northern Europe.*

*Foreign migrants as a percentage of total population of Eastern Europe.*

*Foreign migrants as a percentage of total population of Southern Europe.*

environment.

**Figure 1.**

**Figure 2.**

**Figure 3.**

after which sociocultural relation structure changes significantly. The interval amounting to "10–20%" is a transition zone. It shows migrants' increasing influence till a critical value. This is not an exact criterion, but rather a mnemonic rule that identifies an important meaning, namely a serious shift in a social

**Figures 1**–**5** provide data for various European countries and regions [6].

#### *Public Diplomacy in Cross-Border Cooperation DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92663*

after which sociocultural relation structure changes significantly. The interval amounting to "10–20%" is a transition zone. It shows migrants' increasing influence till a critical value. This is not an exact criterion, but rather a mnemonic rule that identifies an important meaning, namely a serious shift in a social environment.

**Figure 1.**

*Heritage*

Soft power tools are also witnessed in Russian communications. It has become an integral component of modern international politics in Russia as a comprehensive toolkit for solving foreign policy issues based on civil society demands, information and communication, humanitarian and other alternative classical diplomacy methods and technologies [4]. Moreover, Russia has enormous potential for public diplomacy development. It's most important pillar is presented with a so-called Russian world when millions of people abroad feel a strong need to keep in touch

Soft power is important not only because of its influence on a sociocultural space

We also consider migration challenge and associated use of soft power tools that

Migration processes are dependent on a structure of social relations and cannot be studied in isolation from various social, economic and political phenomena in which they occur (according to a modern theory of migration considered from a

Migrants' studies (including surveys) are highly important in terms of migration policy analysis in the European countries. They are performing migrants' surveys regularly for accessing migrants' living conditions, political preferences, etc. The best foreign practice has shown that migrants' studies are highly important in terms

Migrants not only affect population dynamics, changing its structure, but also to some extent influence local community life: the larger the proportion of migrants,

In order to obtain up-to-date information on both state and sociocultural perspectives, a competent migration policy development is highly necessary taking

Therefore, it is necessary to research migrants' inclusion mechanisms in local cultural and political environment as a condition for sociocultural sustainability as well as public diplomacy as the most important "soft power" tool where migrants'

Europe remains migrants' most attractive region. Largest migrant groups consist mostly of people coming from the Middle East and Africa. At the same time, migration is being characterized with irregularity: migrants' distribution across Europe can be characterized with both low and high concentrations. Rather different

Increase in both migrants' flows and a concentration reduces naturally the share of a recipient community: there is a significant increase of Arab origin population in France, of Turkish-Arab origin in Germany and of Indopakistan and Arab origin

Hereby, we apply the Pareto rule in order both to analyze and evaluate influencing factor effectiveness. Migrants' excess of over 20% is known as a threshold

but also because of increase in anthropogenic mobiles (moving people), which

In 2017, the number of migrants reached 258 million people. Over the past 17 years, the total number of migrants has increased from 173 million by 49% according to the International Migration Report [6]. The growth of migrants' mobility and the impact of migration flows on almost all countries' development

with Russia, Russian language and its culture [5].

today are considered a tool of geopolitics.

include the international migration issue.

of society's structural changes projection.

the greater their impact on the local community.

situation is being witnessed in Northern Europe.

into account different aspects of globalization phenomenon.

geographical point of view [7]).

role is rather high.

cause disturbances in social ecology.

**2. Migration challenge**

**312**

in the UK.

*Foreign migrants as a percentage of total population of Europe.*

**Figure 2.**

*Foreign migrants as a percentage of total population of Northern Europe.*

**Figure 3.**

*Foreign migrants as a percentage of total population of Eastern Europe.*

**Figure 4.**

*Foreign migrants as a percentage of total population of Southern Europe.*

**Figure 5.**

*Foreign migrants as a percentage of total population of Western Europe.*

There are three groups of countries to be shaped based upon **Figures 1**–**5** mentioned above. The first group of countries is without any significant migration challenges (migrants make up less than 10% of the recipient community in Finland and Central Eastern Europe), the second group, where migration challenges are pretty visible (migrants make up 10–15% in Croatia, Spain, Slovenia, Iceland and Denmark) and a third group, where migration challenges are highly critical (more than 15% of migrants in Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Austria and Norway).

The figures show that serious difficulties in trend preserving are being witnessed in Western and Northern Europe (in accordance with Pareto rule), while Northern Europe alongside with Southern Europe is showing much higher migrants' growth rates.

These circumstances shall be taken into account, since soft power becomes an instrument not only for migrants' integration but also for mutual influence on representatives' identity coming from different cultures.

Finland stands out quite separately out of a number of some other Northern Europe countries, which is undoubtedly an interest for research. Finland borders with Russia possessing a large diaspora of the Russian-speaking population (29,000 people), which turns out to be a serious public diplomacy resource in promoting "Russian world" abroad. Migration policy in Finland is considered to be highly adaptive and balanced, primarily preserving national interests and human capital. While analyzing reasons for Finland's success, we are highlighting the main aspects: high human capital quality of foreign migrants coming to Finland, successful information dissemination for migrants coming to Finland and successful migrants' integration in a Finnish labor market.

#### **3. Regional dimension: Karelia and Finland**

Public diplomacy has a regional dimension as well. It also acquires special significance in terms of border areas, where it is necessary to maintain a climate of trust and stable international relations and use neighborhood for a balanced sociocultural development of its territories. Cross-border mobility and active communication practices are transforming sociocultural space of border areas [8, 9]. It transforms in terms of an increase in a number of border crossings, contacts between people and joint actions; its structure becomes diverse, open to interaction and adoption of social innovations.

The European vector of public diplomacy is represented with a large number of NGOs and a wide range of opportunities coming from the European Union (educational programs, Northern Dimension partnerships, cross-border cooperation programs, etc.) [10]. Public organizations represent different sectors of population interests in a social and cultural space in order to achieve social, charitable, cultural, educational, political, scientific and managerial goals.

**315**

and social sphere.

community.

interactions of sociocultural practices.

*Public Diplomacy in Cross-Border Cooperation DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92663*

set out in the European Neighborhood Policy [10].

Since 1996, Russia and Finland have been participating in regional cross-border

In a survey by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), four factors that are critical for the development of cross-border cooperation were identified [11]. Given the current challenges, we reformulate them as follows: the transformation of global geospace; institutional order; institutional and

At the same time, cross-border cooperation is considered as a form of population socialization in neighboring regions in a context of cultural diversity, a multiethnic community formation within transboundary spaces. Border zones are characterized with a specific cultural phenomena, readiness for its cultural interaction and a

In this regard, it is necessary to apply soft power tools effectively. The latter is important not only because of sociocultural space sustainable development but also due to the increase in anthropogenic mobiles (moving people), which today are increasingly showing the property of a geopolitical tool and, in this regard, are becoming an important factor in relation to border territories affecting economy

Geopolitical challenges affect reality perception by residents of border regions and pose a choice of the cultural world to which they want to belong to. Modern globalization processes are associated not only with economic and political processes but also with cultural self-identification and social relations stability structure. Migration flows exacerbate and actualize the issues of sociocultural characteristics of communities introducing a different cultural and spiritual-value component that could change the existing social, cultural and psychological settings of the host

Border regions interaction leads to "the interpenetration of cultures, their mutual enrichment, contributing to a new sociocultural cross-border space." Transboundary sociocultural space is also considered as a variety of intercultural

At the Republic of Karelia, there are lots of attributes produced in Finnish language-a sociopolitical magazine "Carelia" and a monthly children's magazine "Kipinä" ("Sparkle"). A number of Russian-language media are also active in Finland, of which the largest local Russian-language newspaper is "Spektr." Finnish

social roots and an appropriate culture of cooperation; and identity.

certain commonality of the world population outlook [12].

cooperation programs actively. In 2000, the Karelia Euroregion was founded combining the Republic of Karelia of the Russian Federation and the Finnish border provinces of Kainuu, North Karelia and Northern Ostrobothnia. The Republic of Karelia has adopted a regional cross-border cooperation program-a response to cross-border initiatives of the European Union, in particular, the Interreg IIIB and Interreg IIIA programs (including the Interreg IIIA-Karelia subprogram). The role of an effective platform for discussing initiatives and coordinating plans for crossborder cooperation programs is presented by the Karelia Euroregion. Cross-border and multilateral cooperation programs are unique tools for developing local and regional territorial initiatives. For over 5 years of the program's implementation, 66 projects were implemented amounting to 42 million euros, 30% of which were used to finance infrastructure projects including modernization of the Mäpp Värtsilä-Niirala [10]. Such cooperation practices as a cross-border shopping tourism, joint projects implementation and public diplomacy are widespread here. The Karelia Cross-Border Cooperation Program 2014–2020 (Karelia/CBC) is ongoing currently. It is called upon to strengthen Russian-Finnish inter-regional cross-border cooperation with the support of the Russian Federation, Finland and the European Union. The program is cross-border in nature and contributes to the implementation of strategic and thematic tasks of cross-border cooperation at the European level, as

#### *Public Diplomacy in Cross-Border Cooperation DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92663*

*Heritage*

**Figure 5.**

migrants' growth rates.

integration in a Finnish labor market.

**3. Regional dimension: Karelia and Finland**

educational, political, scientific and managerial goals.

There are three groups of countries to be shaped based upon **Figures 1**–**5** mentioned above. The first group of countries is without any significant migration challenges (migrants make up less than 10% of the recipient community in Finland and Central Eastern Europe), the second group, where migration challenges are pretty visible (migrants make up 10–15% in Croatia, Spain, Slovenia, Iceland and Denmark) and a third group, where migration challenges are highly critical (more

than 15% of migrants in Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Austria and Norway). The figures show that serious difficulties in trend preserving are being witnessed in Western and Northern Europe (in accordance with Pareto rule), while Northern Europe alongside with Southern Europe is showing much higher

representatives' identity coming from different cultures.

*Foreign migrants as a percentage of total population of Western Europe.*

These circumstances shall be taken into account, since soft power becomes an instrument not only for migrants' integration but also for mutual influence on

Finland stands out quite separately out of a number of some other Northern Europe countries, which is undoubtedly an interest for research. Finland borders with Russia possessing a large diaspora of the Russian-speaking population (29,000 people), which turns out to be a serious public diplomacy resource in promoting "Russian world" abroad. Migration policy in Finland is considered to be highly adaptive and balanced, primarily preserving national interests and human capital. While analyzing reasons for Finland's success, we are highlighting the main aspects: high human capital quality of foreign migrants coming to Finland, successful information dissemination for migrants coming to Finland and successful migrants'

Public diplomacy has a regional dimension as well. It also acquires special significance in terms of border areas, where it is necessary to maintain a climate of trust and stable international relations and use neighborhood for a balanced sociocultural development of its territories. Cross-border mobility and active communication practices are transforming sociocultural space of border areas [8, 9]. It transforms in terms of an increase in a number of border crossings, contacts between people and joint actions; its structure becomes diverse, open to interaction and adoption of social innovations. The European vector of public diplomacy is represented with a large number of NGOs and a wide range of opportunities coming from the European Union (educational programs, Northern Dimension partnerships, cross-border cooperation programs, etc.) [10]. Public organizations represent different sectors of population interests in a social and cultural space in order to achieve social, charitable, cultural,

**314**

Since 1996, Russia and Finland have been participating in regional cross-border cooperation programs actively. In 2000, the Karelia Euroregion was founded combining the Republic of Karelia of the Russian Federation and the Finnish border provinces of Kainuu, North Karelia and Northern Ostrobothnia. The Republic of Karelia has adopted a regional cross-border cooperation program-a response to cross-border initiatives of the European Union, in particular, the Interreg IIIB and Interreg IIIA programs (including the Interreg IIIA-Karelia subprogram). The role of an effective platform for discussing initiatives and coordinating plans for crossborder cooperation programs is presented by the Karelia Euroregion. Cross-border and multilateral cooperation programs are unique tools for developing local and regional territorial initiatives. For over 5 years of the program's implementation, 66 projects were implemented amounting to 42 million euros, 30% of which were used to finance infrastructure projects including modernization of the Mäpp Värtsilä-Niirala [10]. Such cooperation practices as a cross-border shopping tourism, joint projects implementation and public diplomacy are widespread here. The Karelia Cross-Border Cooperation Program 2014–2020 (Karelia/CBC) is ongoing currently. It is called upon to strengthen Russian-Finnish inter-regional cross-border cooperation with the support of the Russian Federation, Finland and the European Union. The program is cross-border in nature and contributes to the implementation of strategic and thematic tasks of cross-border cooperation at the European level, as set out in the European Neighborhood Policy [10].

In a survey by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), four factors that are critical for the development of cross-border cooperation were identified [11]. Given the current challenges, we reformulate them as follows: the transformation of global geospace; institutional order; institutional and social roots and an appropriate culture of cooperation; and identity.

At the same time, cross-border cooperation is considered as a form of population socialization in neighboring regions in a context of cultural diversity, a multiethnic community formation within transboundary spaces. Border zones are characterized with a specific cultural phenomena, readiness for its cultural interaction and a certain commonality of the world population outlook [12].

In this regard, it is necessary to apply soft power tools effectively. The latter is important not only because of sociocultural space sustainable development but also due to the increase in anthropogenic mobiles (moving people), which today are increasingly showing the property of a geopolitical tool and, in this regard, are becoming an important factor in relation to border territories affecting economy and social sphere.

Geopolitical challenges affect reality perception by residents of border regions and pose a choice of the cultural world to which they want to belong to. Modern globalization processes are associated not only with economic and political processes but also with cultural self-identification and social relations stability structure. Migration flows exacerbate and actualize the issues of sociocultural characteristics of communities introducing a different cultural and spiritual-value component that could change the existing social, cultural and psychological settings of the host community.

Border regions interaction leads to "the interpenetration of cultures, their mutual enrichment, contributing to a new sociocultural cross-border space." Transboundary sociocultural space is also considered as a variety of intercultural interactions of sociocultural practices.

At the Republic of Karelia, there are lots of attributes produced in Finnish language-a sociopolitical magazine "Carelia" and a monthly children's magazine "Kipinä" ("Sparkle"). A number of Russian-language media are also active in Finland, of which the largest local Russian-language newspaper is "Spektr." Finnish language training is carried out by the Department of Baltic-Finnish Philology at Petrozavodsk State University, at secondary schools and preschools, as well as in a number of commercial centers for foreign language study. There has been a tendency toward an increase in the number of children learning national languages. In preschool educational institutions in the academic year 2017–2018, Karelian, Veps and Finnish languages were studied by 1166 pupils, and at schools by 6820 pupils [8].

In North Karelia (Finland), Russian language is taught both at schools and higher educational institutions. In 2017, there were about 3881 foreign citizens from 106 countries in North Karelia, of which the largest were Russians (43.2%), the next largest were Estonians (5.2%) and Somalis and Thais (a total of 3.8%) [13]. About 2344 foreign citizens lived in Joensuu, of which 955 were from Russia with a total population of 76,067 people [14].

In the framework of cooperation with Finnish partners, permanent organizers of the events are the friendship societies Karelia-Finland and Finland-Russia, literature and concert programs and exhibitions, a week of Finnish cinema, and touring activities of creative groups. The National Theater of the Republic of Karelia is the only theater outside Finland where performances are staged in Finnish, Karelian and Russian languages.

The greatest manifestation of cross-border sociocultural specificity is observed in the following areas: culture and art, project activities, education, tourism and information space [8].

The border position of the Republic of Karelia (Russia) and North Karelia (Finland) contributes to everyday neighborhood practices development, new forms of interaction emergence based on past experience. Cross-border interaction has a positive effect on the development of good neighborly relations and activates local communities not only to create networks of cooperation and establish direct ties, but also to develop initiatives of local communities, increase mutual understanding, trust and awareness.

The increasing role of border and cross-border territories in terms of sociocultural space transformation causes a significant research interest.
