Foreign Policy

Outline

Foreign policy comprehensively defined cover policies, strategies and goals adopted by a state in
dealing with its external relationships which include states, intergovernmental organizations,
non-governmental organizations, Multinational Corporations and non-state actors.

The tool that governments employ to implement their policies and strategies and to realize the
goals of foreign policy is called diplomacy.

International relations are the sum-total of the interactions among states and other international
entities. In other words the network of these interactions constitutes international relations.

At the heart of international relations lies the state. Despite the proliferation of NGOs, MNCs,
Inter-governmental organizations and Non-state actors the State remains- as it has for the past
350 years- the primary actor in the international arena.

Policies are generally indicated in outline form and not in minute detail. In many instances there
is difference between a government’s declaratory policy and its operational policy.

Strategies are devised for the implementation of policies and the successful realization of goals
that have been set.

Foreign policy goals define the actual ends of foreign policy set by a government under existing
circumstances.

Goals of a country’s foreign policy may be classified into three broad categories.

a) Core values and interests to which governments and nations commit their very existence and
that must be preserved and protected
b) Secondary or middle range goals and interests and
c) Tertiary or universal long-range goals which seldom have definite time limits.

For the effective implementation of foreign policy there needs to be coordination among the
different institutions and organs of the government when interacting with foreign entities.

---------------------