The general course regulating the relations of one state with others is called international (foreign) policy. The methods and methods implemented in international affairs are consistent with the principles and goals that this state pursues. Foreign policy is closely linked to domestic and reflects the nature of the social and state system. It combines national values and interests with universal values, issues of cooperation, security, peace consolidation are resolved, international problems are dealt with, otherwise social progress is impossible.
The concept
The general course of foreign policy cannot be developed in any way without the establishment of an internal policy, before the maturity of the needs of society. When the objective needs are formed and the goals are clearly defined, a foreign policy will be formed as the need to enter into relations with the rest of the world, other societies, peoples, states. An ordinary human interest is important here: what do neighbors have that we don’t have?
As it becomes aware, it turns into a strategy, that is, into concrete actions to realize the interest. There are many theories of foreign policy; they all interpret its tasks and goals, functions and essence in different ways. However, the general theory forms the basis for the most effective methods and means of achieving political goals, with its help various foreign policy actions and events are planned and coordinated.
international politics
A major role is played by the development plan for the future of all the specific actions that will be taken on the international stage. The foreign policy of the state should be thought out to the smallest detail, because planning involves several stages. First, forecasts are made of the likely development of the country's international relations with other states and individual regions. This is one of the most difficult types of political forecasting, where all the trends of possible changes in the elements of the entire system of relations between countries are analyzed.
Planned foreign policy actions receive a fairly accurate assessment of their consequences. Then you need to determine the size of the means and resources that these foreign policy objectives will require for a complete solution. And finally, it is necessary to establish the main goals of the economic and political interests of the state in all areas. After passing through these stages, you can develop a comprehensive program of foreign policy measures, which are called international politics. All events must be approved by the government of the country.
Theory of Morgenau
Concrete theories in which foreign policy is examined briefly outline the works of political scientist from America G. Morgenau. He defined the main property of foreign policy, first of all, as a force, where national interests are much higher than any international norms and principles. Therefore, any force - financial, economic, military - is the main means of achieving any goals.
From this comes the formula he derived: foreign policy defines goals within the framework of national interests and supports them by force. Sounds familiar. All modern US foreign policy (especially in the Middle East and North Africa) is built on this postulate. Maxim is also filled with a slightly different meaning, also familiar to people for a very long time: if you want peace, get ready for war. And according to this formula, Russia's foreign policy is being built.
Priorities
The objectives of national interests are as follows:
- General orientation of the goal of foreign policy.
- Selection criteria in a specific situation.
This means that national interest determines everything: both a long-term strategy and foreign policy directions for tactical short-term goals. The use of force is justified by the term known since the Renaissance as a balance of forces.
By this is meant the alignment of military force, the actual state of forces in world politics, the more or less equal distribution of forces at the international level - these are all foreign policy tasks. With this approach, it must be said that it is rather difficult to develop mutually beneficial cooperation, since competition reigns supreme and completely, and only the struggle, including the political one, has sworn to its services.
War as a means
In the modern world, war should not have been the main instrument of foreign policy, but, unfortunately, so far it is such a means of achieving goals. That is why no country can guarantee the equality of states, the inadmissibility of the seizure of foreign territories, the self-determination of peoples regarding the choice of development path, the establishment of mutually beneficial and fair economic and economic ties. The directions of foreign policy, which are now appearing in world international relations, cannot guarantee tomorrow's cloudlessness in any country in the world.
International security can be ensured only in three ways known to world practice:
- The containment of predicted aggression by pressure: psychological, political, economic and any other form.
- Punishment of the aggressor by specific practical actions.
- Achieving peaceful goals through a political process without coercive decisions: negotiations, meetings, summits, and so on.
Goals and Functions
The main goals of foreign policy are at least three:
- Ensuring state security.
- Increasing the potential of political, material, intellectual, military and so on.
- The growth of state prestige in international relations.
The goals of foreign policy can be realized by developing international relationships taking into account the specific situation in the world. The activities of the state cannot but take into account the activities, interests and goals of other states, because then foreign policy will not become effective, on the contrary, it will slow down social progress.
Foreign policy must be effective. Its functions include the following:
- A defensive function that counteracts any manifestations of militarism, revenge, aggression from other states.
- The representative-information function has a dual purpose: informing the leaders of other countries about the policies of their state and informing about the events and situation in other countries of their own government.
- Trade and organizational establishes, develops and strengthens scientific and technical and trade and economic relations with other states.
Diplomacy as a Means
This foreign policy term came to us from antiquity. The ancient Greeks issued double plaques with letters to the envoys, instead of modern credentials, confirming their credentials. They were called diplomas.
Diplomacy is one of the most important means of foreign policy relations. It is a combination of practical measures of a non-military plan, techniques and methods that are used, according to the objectives, and take into account specific conditions. The diplomatic service is carried out by specialists trained in special universities. The foreign policy of Russia, for example, is established by graduates of the Diplomatic Academy and MGIMO.
A diplomat is a government official representing the interests of his country abroad in missions or embassies, as well as at foreign policy conferences, protecting the rights of people, their property, that is, all citizens of his state who are abroad. Here it is necessary to know the art of negotiating in order to prevent or resolve an international conflict, to find a consensus (consensus), compromise or mutually acceptable solution in order to expand and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas.
the USSR
The activities carried out by the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs, and later the Ministry (that is, the foreign policy of the USSR), were based on the beautiful idea of a world revolution, then simply peaceful coexistence. The state immediately set itself many tasks:
- The signing of peace treaties (Germany and other countries).
- Moscow Treaty of 1921.
- The Rapallo Treaty of 1922.
These agreements were a breakthrough from a diplomatically isolated space, moreover, they ended the war with already independent neighbors in the west: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, only a dispute with Romania over Bessarabia remained.
Further diplomatic relations were restored with Great Britain in 1924, and in 1923 a concession was created with the Main Concession Committee. A number of treaties followed, including Beijing and Berlin, the Comintern was created, in 1932 non-aggression pacts with Poland and France, and in 1933 diplomatic relations were created with the United States of America. In 1934, the foreign policy of the USSR was aimed at joining the League of Nations. In 1940, the Soviet-Finnish war took place, and the League of Nations had to say goodbye. The history of foreign policy of the USSR is rich in materials and extremely interesting.
Restructuring
With its beginning, enormous and often irreversible changes began to occur in the foreign and domestic policies of the USSR. The basis of foreign policy was the philosophical and political concept, extremely beneficial to the countries of Western Europe and the United States. New political thinking rejected class and ideological confrontation in building a diverse, but interdependent and holistic world. Soviet troops were withdrawn from Eastern Europe. Apparently, in order to immediately equip American bases there. The same thing happened with Afghanistan. The war ended, the troops left the country and their own bases. Immediately in the same places appeared American.
But, oddly enough, the core of Soviet foreign policy of the Gorbachev era was Soviet-American relations: M. S. Gorbachev and R. Reagan with J. Bush was very fond of each other. The signing of the agreement on the elimination of short and medium-range missiles in 1987 is not the most significant event, the apotheosis was the agreement on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons, and significant ones. And how interestingly they delimited the sea spaces by the 1990 Agreement between the USA and the USSR! It is not surprising that as a result of such foreign policy the USSR ceased to exist.
Modernity
The role of Russia in the international political process in the formation of a new statehood turned out to be naturally problematic, given the interdependence of the main subjects of the political process, which managed to dismember the strongest country and ruin it immediately, destroying all production achievements. The world historical process has accelerated significantly in connection with the collapse of the USSR and the beginning of the formation of the CIS in its former territories. Foreign policy goals have changed, priorities and guidelines have changed. Russia began to behave completely different in foreign policy and in the world community.
Priority became and occupied the central place of relations not with the USA and Japan, England and France, but with Germany.The irreconcilable opponents of World War II, which brought a huge amount of grief and destruction to both sides, suddenly established mutually beneficial ties in the scientific, technical, economic and, oddly enough, in the military fields. The threat of the outbreak of war against Russia has now not lost its relevance. This led to the definition of short-term, medium-term and long-term security interests of the Russian Federation.
Security
Long-term security interests:
- Conducting a foreign policy that contributes to maintaining stability in the world, without local or interregional conflicts.
- Prevent or eliminate any sources of tension near the territory of Russia.
- To establish and maintain normal relations with all states, even if they have a political regime or a social system of an undesirable form.
- Strengthen and develop the peacekeeping capabilities of the Russian Federation through the UN and many international organizations in order to quickly politically resolve conflicts threatening armed clashes.
- To restore fully the international prestige of the Russian Federation as the successor of the USSR, which was recognized by the international community.
Medium-term security interests require the normalization and stabilization of the situation in the near abroad. The common economic space requires a review of border issues between the CIS countries and around the perimeter of the former USSR. Otherwise, countries will be overwhelmed by economic sabotage, crime, corruption and so on will grow.
Short-term interests - resolving issues regarding terrorist groups in the Caucasus, preventing local wars along the southwestern borders, where Nazism raised its head. Conflicts based on clan, nationalist or religious grounds must be confronted. For this, the foreign policy of Russia is coordinated with the CIS countries in general, and actions are specified that ensure mutual security.
