پژوهشگاه فرهنگ، هنر و ارتباطات فصلنامه علمی مطالعات فرهنگ - ارتباطات 2008-8760 27 73 2026 04 21 Promoting Cultural Diplomacy through Parliamentary Assemblies: A Case Study of the European Union and Its Feasibility in Iran ترویج دیپلماسی فرهنگی از طریق مجامع پارلمانی: مطالعه موردی اتحادیه اروپا و امکان‌سنجی آن در ایران 107 152 228052 10.22083/jccs.2025.494688.4002 FA شهیره نوذری دانشجوی دکتری گروه مطالعات منطقه‌ای دانشکده حقوق و علوم سیاسی، دانشگاه تهران،تهران، ایران. (نویسنده مسئول) Shahireh_nozari@ut.ac.ir 0009-0006-5248-6948 محمدرضا مجیدی دانشیار گروه مطالعات منطقه‌ای، دانشکده حقوق و علوم سیاسی، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران. mmajidi@ut.ac.ir 0000-0001-6801-9136 Journal Article 2025 02 04 Introduction: Amidst the expanding significance of cultural diplomacy in international relations, parliamentary assemblies have emerged as critical intermediaries bridging governments, civil societies, and citizens. This study examines the European Union, illustrating how the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and various inter-parliamentary conferences have effectively harnessed innovative cultural mechanisms—such as the Lux Prize, the European Year of Cultural Heritage, and strategic partnerships with UNESCO and the Goethe-Institut—to foster intercultural dialogue, bolster soft power, and enhance transnational cultural engagement. While these bodies have successfully leveraged established institutional frameworks to institutionalize cultural diplomacy, a SWOT analysis indicates that even these models encounter significant challenges, including financial constraints, limited public participation, and top-down approaches, thereby necessitating a critical re-evaluation of their transferability. Consequently, the primary objectives of this research are to scrutinize the role of EU parliamentary assemblies in promoting and implementing cultural diplomacy, to identify key initiatives that have advanced cultural understanding and cooperation among member states and external partners, to analyze the challenges and opportunities inherent in these parliamentary bodies’ diplomatic efforts, and to propose actionable strategies for adapting European experiences to the specific realities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, thereby leveraging parliamentary assemblies to advance cultural diplomacy within the Iranian context.<br>Method: Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative case study approach grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Cummings (2003) and Visglaas & De Boer (2007), with a temporal scope extending from the early 21st century to the present. Data collection is conducted through systematic document analysis of academic literature, government reports, policy documents, diplomatic speeches, parliamentary records, and inter-parliamentary meeting minutes. Additionally, a SWOT analysis is employed as a strategic planning instrument to evaluate the internal and external factors influencing the efficacy of cultural diplomacy strategies in both the EU and Iran.<br>Findings: The study reveals fundamental institutional differences between Iran and the European Union that necessitate careful adaptation of European experiences. Structural differences are evident, as decision-making power in Iran regarding foreign and cultural policy is heavily concentrated within executive and security bodies, significantly limiting the legislative branch’s role. In contrast, the EU’s decentralized, multi-layered structure actively empowers the European Parliament and related bodies in formulating and executing external cultural policies. Furthermore, a significant gap exists between the organized, active role of European civil society and citizens in cultural policy-making versus the situation in Iran. Financial and institutional constraints also pose challenges; the heavy reliance on state budgets, limited financial resources, and a lack of institutional independence hinder the institutionalization of parliamentary-led cultural diplomacy in Iran. Additionally, the absence of a cohesive party system in the Iranian Parliament, compared to the active party structures in the EU, negatively impacts the coherence and sustainability of long-term cultural programs. A feasibility analysis suggests that Iran’s centralized decision-making apparatus, the absence of a responsive party system, and deficient strategic planning render effective parliamentary cultural diplomacy more arduous than in the European model. Consequently, the lack of a comprehensive institutional framework and the predominantly symbolic character of existing parliamentary friendship groups have resulted in the underutilization of the Iranian Parliament’s potential for international cultural engagement. Nevertheless, the European experience provides valuable insights. Shared cultural and diplomatic foundations facilitate targeted, localized adaptation. Iran holds significant potential to harness cultural diplomacy as a soft power instrument, underpinned by its ancient civilization, rich cultural diversity, and multifaceted ethnic, religious, and linguistic composition. These assets offer a robust foundation for fostering regional and international cultural interactions through strategic parliamentary initiatives.<br>Conclusion: Notwithstanding institutional disparities, shared cultural and diplomatic foundations facilitate the targeted, localized adaptation of European parliamentary models. In light of recent challenges to Iran’s international image, the Parliament is uniquely positioned to reconstruct the nation’s global identity and advance indigenous cultural narratives, thereby transitioning foreign policy from state-centric exclusivity toward a people-centered paradigm. To achieve this, four strategic recommendations are proposed: first, formulating a comprehensive “Parliamentary Cultural Diplomacy Strategy” through collaboration among the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Organization for Islamic Culture and Relations, and academic institutions; second, establishing specialized cultural working groups within parliamentary committees to facilitate cooperation with aligned nations through joint initiatives and cultural memorandums of understanding; third, capacity building and strategic resource allocation, including specialized training for MPs on cultural diplomacy, dedicated budgets for cultural exchange projects, modern communication technologies, and increased participation in regional parliamentary assemblies; and fourth, developing a localized model of Iranian parliamentary cultural diplomacy based on creative adaptation rather than direct replication, aligning international best practices with local cultural, political, and institutional contexts. In conclusion, by adopting European experiences through a critical, comparative lens rather than mere imitation, Iran can harness parliamentary cultural diplomacy as a novel instrument to augment soft power, reconstruct its international image, and foster more effective global engagement. دیپلماسی فرهنگی از جنبه‌های کلیدی روابط بین‌الملل است که از طریق تسهیل تبادل ایده‌ها، ارزش‌ها و عناصر فرهنگی میان ملت‌ها، درک و همکاری متقابل را ارتقا می‌دهد. در این میان، دیپلماسی پارلمانی از طریق مجامع پارلمانی نقش مهمی در پیشبرد اهداف فرهنگی ایفا می‌کند. این پژوهش باهدف بررسی چگونگی کمک مجامع پارلمانی اتحادیه اروپا به ارتقای دیپلماسی فرهنگی، به تحلیل ابتکاراتی چون جایزه لوکس، سال میراث‌فرهنگی اروپا و همکاری این مجامع با نهادهای فرهنگی بین‌المللی می‌پردازد. برای بررسی این موضوع از نظریات کامینگز، ویسگلاس، دی بوئر و برای تجزیه‌وتحلیل اطلاعات از روش سوآت استفاده شده است. نتایج پژوهش نشان می‌دهد که مجامع پارلمانی به‌واسطۀ چارچوب‌های ساختاری و مشارکت‌های راهبردی خود، توانسته‌اند بسترهایی برای گفت‌وگوی بینافرهنگی و تقویت قدرت نرم ایجاد کنند. بااین‌حال، چالش‌هایی نظیر محدودیت منابع، مشارکت عمومی محدود و رویکردهای از بالابه‌پایین نیز شناسایی شدند. تحلیل پژوهش بیانگر آن است که دیپلماسی فرهنگی اتحادیه اروپا در تقاطع ابتکارات پارلمانی و دیپلماسی جهانی فرصت‌های قابل‌توجهی برای ارتقای تعاملات فرهنگی و تقویت همکاری بین‌المللی فراهم نموده است. از همین رو، این مطالعه پیشنهاد می‌کند که جمهوری اسلامی ایران با الهام از تجربیات اتحادیه اروپا، چارچوبی منسجم برای بهره‌گیری از ظرفیت دیپلماسی پارلمانی در راستای تقویت و ترویج دیپلماسی فرهنگی تدوین نماید. https://www.jccs.ir/article_228052_d404554db2c7ee769bdcd1a1902de7dd.pdf