FOREIGN POLICY AND THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1 страница

Foreign policy as the state phenomenon. The majestic structure of the organisation of life of mankind causes necessity of distinction for the politician of the states of its internal and external aspects. It is considered to be that the foreign policy is an activity of the state on the international scene, regulating relations with other subjects of foreign policy activity - the states, their unions and blocks, foreign public associations, the world and regional international organisations. The form of traditional realisation of foreign policy is:

- An establishment of diplomatic relations (or decrease in their level, a suspension, rupture and even declaration of war at обоcтрении relations with the former partners) between the states;

- Opening of representations of the state at the international organisations or membership in them;

- Cooperation with friendly to the state foreign social movements, associations and the organisations;

- Realisation and maintenance at various levels of incidental and regular contacts to representatives of the states, the international public structures with which the given state has no diplomatic relations or friendship, but with them is interested in dialogue for whatever reasons.

Presence of steady communication channels with foreign partners allows the state to diversify a combination of methods and means in realisation of foreign policy activity: realisation of regular information interchange, visits at different levels; preparation for the conclusion of bilateral and multilateral contracts and agreements on a wide spectrum of questions, including confidential and confidential character; contribution to development of possibilities of foreign policy activity of one states and blocking of similar possibilities of others (in those or other directions); preparation for war and maintenance favorable for conducting operations of foreign policy conditions, etc. Last decades civilised participants of the international life pay the increasing attention to a non-admission of rocket-nuclear war, the organisation of preventive measures on prevention of the international conflicts, technogenic accidents and cooperation on liquidation of their consequences, struggle against hunger, pandemics, joint actions for preservation of the environment etc.

The foreign policy is activity and interaction of the official subjects having or assuming the right to speak on behalf a society name, to express its interests, to select certain methods and ways of their realisation. According to traditional representations, the states express themselves on international scene through foreign policy which can accept two basic forms - diplomacy and strategy. Their appointment - satisfaction of national interests, first of all, maintenance of freedom, safety and favorable conditions for development of the person, a society and the state. In the scientific and publicistic literature there are two basic treatments of concept “national interest”:

1) liberal, representing this phenomenon as a certain generalisation of interests of the citizens which realisations should be subordinated, including, and foreign policy strategy of the state;

2) conservative or государственническая, identifying national interests with interests of the state.

Last years national interests are more and more deduced from difficult interaction of various groups of the interests anyhow influencing the state structures and institutes which are responsible for foreign policy activity of the state. Comprehension of objective national interests by intellectual and political elite allows the states to formulate foreign policy doctrines in which foreign policy strategy as unity of the purposes and the means connected with realisation on international scene of fundamental national interests is defined. Strategy of any international actor represents, first of all, a method of the analysis of a situation, an estimation of directions of its possible development, comparison of the received picture to own interests and a choice on this basis most effective remedies for realisation of the planned purpose. The big strategy of the state unites in itself all means available at its order for maintenance of national interests both in peace, and in a wartime. There are two necessary conditions of successful national strategy:

Correct estimation of a strategic situation, that is features developed by the given moment of the international environment;

The strategic analysis, that is studying of other significant international actors, called to give about them fuller representation.

National or, otherwise, the big strategy of the state is realised in a series of the concrete practical actions undertaken by the state on all azimuths of the foreign policy, forming its foreign policy. Its ordinary consciousness formed by mass media, identifies with state foreign policy that is not absolutely true. The foreign policy of the modern state represents the difficult political phenomenon including as basis objectively existing national interests, the big strategy and a foreign policy as a policy on their realisation. Space of life of mankind on which face and co-operate, confront and co-operate at different levels (global, regional, multilateral, bilateral) the states, realising national interests, it is accepted to name the international relations.

II. Subjects of the international relations. The international relations represent special sphere of the world of a policy. In “the Political encyclopaedia” they are characterised as follows: “the International relations - specific area of public relations; set political, economic, ideological, legal, diplomatic, the military man and other communications and mutual relations between the basic subjects of the world community; behaviour of the states on international scene”.In the western political science it is accepted to reduce all definitions of the international relations to two approaches:

1) when they are represented as a version of human activity at which between persons more than from one state there is a social interaction;

2) when they act in the form of the conflict or cooperation on international scene between various institutes - the states, intergovernmental and non-governmental bodies, the organisations, movements, associations.

The basic subjects of the international relations and now there are states. Operating behind frameworks of own borders in which they possess the internal sovereignty, the states solve also variety of additional problems:

Establish control over activity in the territory of foreign forces and the structures complicating achievement of national safety and stability;

Reflect threats of the integrity, safety and to the national interests;

Co-ordinate interests with stronger partners or contenders;

Fill up the resources increasing their force, authority, influence on international scene.

During historical process such mechanisms of interaction of the states, as союзничество and confrontation, protectorate (protection) and partnership, cooperation and rivalrygradually were created and developed.And now the state continues to represent in the international life a society as a whole, instead of any separately taken social groups or the political organisations. Under the authority of the state there are the questions connected with maintenance of the sovereignty, safety, territorial integrity, development of a science, formation, culture. The state is the unique national institute having legitimate powers to participate in relations with other states, to conclude contracts, to declare war. And now it is possible to represent influence, force of the state as its ability, protecting own interests, to influence other states, on a course of events in the world. The real place of the state in system of the international relations is defined not only military potential, the size of territory and natural riches, but also wider indicators - population formation, a science condition, national economy structure, volume of output per capita, a state of environment etc.

Last decades the international organisations become more and more important subjects of the international relations. They are usually divided on interstate (or intergovernmental) and the non-governmental organisations. Arising in economic, political, cultural and other spheres of life of the people, they have certain features and specificity, play own role in the international relations. As examples it is possible to name:

- The regional organisations - Association of the states of South East Asia (АСЕАН), League of the Arabian states, OSCE etc.;

- The organisations of economic character - the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Currency fund (IMF), the World bank, etc.;

- The organisations within the limits of separate branches of the world economy - the International power agency (МЭА), the International agency on atomic energy (IAEA), the Organization of the countries of exporters of oil (OPEC) etc.

- The political-economical organisations - the Organization of the African unity (ОАЕ), the Organization of the American states (ОАГ), the North American zone of free trade (НАФТА), etc.;

- The professional organisations, such, as the International organisation journalists (International Federation of Journalists), the International organisation of criminal police (INTERPOL), etc.;

- The demographic organisations - the International democratic federation of women (МДФЖ), the World association of youth (YOU) etc.;

- The organisations in the field of physical culture and sports - the International Olympic committee (IOC), the Organization of the Incorporated nations concerning formation, sciences and cultures (UNESCO), etc.;

- The military organisations - the Organization of the North Atlantic contract (NATO), the Pacific pact of safety (АНЗЮС), etc.;

- The trade-union organisations - the International confederation of free trade unions (МКСП), the World confederation of work (ВКТ);

- The organisations in support of the world and solidarity: the World council of the world (ВСМ), Paguoshsky movement, the International institute of the world etc.;

- The religious organisations - the World council of churches (ВСЦ), Christian peace conference (ХМК) etc.;

- The organisation which purpose is the help to prisoners of war, to other victims of war, accidents and acts of nature - the International red cross (МКК);

- The ecological organisations - Green Peace, etc.

The most considerable role in the international relations is played by the Organization of the Incorporated nations. Formed in 1945, it has reached almost full universality, having united 191 the modern independent state. Within the limits of the United Nations there was variety of the organisations which were included into the international relations and as United Nations structures, and as independent structures (World Health Organization, the International court, IMF, the World bank, UNESCO, etc.). In United Nations structure it is possible to allocate six principal organs - General assembly, Security council, Economic and social council, Council about guardianship, Secretary, the International Court. Powerful and many-sided influence of the United Nations on the international relations is defined by following major factors:

- The United Nations are the most representative forum for discussions between the states on pressing questions of world development;

- The United Nations charter is the base of modern international law, some kind of conventional by the code of behaviour of the states in their mutual relations;

- In the shadow of the United Nations there is a great number of the international organisations which carry out regulation of the international life;

- The United Nations are allocated by the all-important competence - to solve war and peace questions, including by use of the armed force.

Last decades the role of non-governmental participants constantly increases in the international relations. If in the XX-th century beginning was only 69 international non-governmental organisations in the beginning of this century their number exceeds 60 000. Usually among non-governmental actors (differently them name “actors out of the sovereignty“) allocate the international non-governmental organisations (МНПО) both transnational corporations and banks (the multinational corporation, ТНБ). According to the resolution of General Assembly of the United Nations, МНПО “any international organisation which has been not founded on the basis of the intergovernmental agreement” is considered.As the basic signs МНПО are considered: absence of the purposes of extraction of profit; its recognition at least one state or consultative state presence at the international intergovernmental bodies; reception of money resources more than from one country. Now such organisations is nearby 10 000. The most known and influential among them - “Doctors without borders”, Green Peace, ”the International amnesty”, etc.

Transnational corporations have received rapid development in second half of XX-th century and, according to the United Nations, by the end of their this century was more than 53 thousand, 90 which % are based in the developed countries of northern hemisphere. Such fact testifies to their influence on the international relations at least: in 1998 “Dzheneral моторс”, one of the largest multinational corporations, has made production on 161,3 bln. dollars that was more national produce of such countries, as Greece (137,4 bln. dollars), Israel (96,7), Ireland (59,9), Slovenia (19,5), Nicaragua (9,3). Growth and multinational corporation influence it was stimulated with development of transnational banks which carried out financial operations worldwide. On the beginning of 1999 actives only 20 largest of them exceeded the sum of 425 bln. dollars As a whole transnational corporations became rather active and influential players in the international relations. Their activity in this plan had and has both positive, and negative the parties.

It is possible to consider as "pluses": 1) world trade development; 2) investment of large capitals in economy of the developing states; 3) creation of workplaces in underdeveloped countries; 4) expansion of sphere of democracy in the world at the expense of perfection of market relations; 5) preparation of national shots; 6) introduction of procedures of the conciliatory permission disputable and conflict situations.

"Minuses" look so indisputable also: blasting of the national sovereignty of the countries where there are multinational corporations; strengthening as a result of their activity of rupture between “the rich North” and “the poor South”; readiness of the multinational corporation and ТНБ for the sake of own profits to co-operate with repressive modes; interest to preservation of cheap labour in developing countries that blocks their social progress; washing out of national culture of underdeveloped countries by means of introduction of foreign technologies, the goods, cultural and cultural wealth etc.

III. Features of the international political processes. One is shown that in this area of a policy there is no uniform legitimate centre of compulsion, a uniform source of the power which would possess indisputable authority for all participants of these communications and relations. The international sphere of a policy is regulated by various norms. Its main actually political regulator is the balance of forces developing between the states. Bring the contribution to this business and norms of international law. In the international relations there is a place and for moral regulators - principles of the international relations which all subjects operating in this sphere should adhere. In the United Nations Charter, and also in the Helsinki declaration of Meeting on safety and cooperation in Europe (СБСЕ, subsequently transformed to OSCE) 1975 they have been formulated as follows:

- A principle of sovereign equality of the states. This principle includes in itself following elements: 1) the states are legally equal; 2) each state has the rights inherent in the full sovereignty; 3) each state is obliged to respect правосубъектность other states; 4) territorial integrity and political independence of the state are inviolable; 5) each state has the right to choose and develop freely the political, social, economic and cultural systems; 6) each state is obliged to carry out completely and honesty international obligations and to live in peace with other states;

- A principle of non-use of force and threats by force. According to the United Nations charter, “all members of the United Nations abstain in their international relations from threat by force or its application against territorial inviolability and political independence of any state, and otherwise, incompatible with the United Nations Charter”;

- A principle of indestructibility of frontiers. Has been accepted on СБСЕ in 1975 in which Final certificate it was ascertained: “the States-participants consider as indestructible all borders each other, as well as borders of all states in Europe. And consequently they will abstain from any encroachments on these borders”. The principle maintenance can be reduced to three elements: a recognition of existing borders; refusal of any territorial claims now and in the future; refusal of any other encroachments on borders, including threat by force or its application;

- A principle of territorial integrity of the states. In the United Nations Charter it is declared that the state “should abstain from any actions directed on infringement of national unity and territorial integrity of any other state” that “the state territory should not be object of acquisition by other state as a result of threat by force or its application”. In this connection “any territorial acquisitions which have grown out of threat by force or its application” should not admit lawful;

- A principle of the peace permission of the international disputes. According to the United Nations charter, “all members of the United Nations resolve the international disputes by peace means so that not to subject to threat an international peace, safety and justice”;

- A principle non-interference to internal affairs. According to the United Nations Charter, it “has no right to intervention in the affairs in essence entering into the internal competence of any state”. This prohibition extends on actions of any other participants of the international dialogue, and not just the United Nations;

- A principle general respect of human rights. In the Charter of the United Nations of the obligation of the states on observance of human rights are stated in the most general form, and till now the states aspire to concretise the standard maintenance of a principle of general respect of human rights. But the direct regulation and protection of the rights and freedom of the person still remains a domestic concern of each state;

- A principle of self-determination of the people and the nations. It declares unconditional respect of the right of each people freely to choose ways and forms of the development. After disorder of colonial empires the question on self-determination of the nations in sense of formation of the independent national states basically is solved;

- A cooperation principle. As defines the Charter of the United Nations, the states are obliged “to carry out the international cooperation in the permission of the international problems of economic, social, cultural and humanitarian character”, and also are obliged “to support an international peace and safety and with that end in view to accept effective collective measures”;

- A principle of diligent performance of the international obligations. Under the United Nations Charter “е members of the United Nations honesty carry out the obligations taken up on the present Charter to provide to all of them in aggregate the rights and the advantages following from an accessory to structure of members of the United Nations”.

At the same time the constant pluralism of the state sovereignties does interstate relations unpredictable enough, chaotic, unbalanced. In such atmosphere any state is not capable to keep constantly accurately expressed and invariable positions under the relation to each other, being, for example, with somebody in constant confrontation or in so steady allied relations. The sphere of the international relations represents area of nonequilibrium and non-uniform political interactions. As practice shows, last decades imbalance of the international relations has increased because disintegration of world socialist system and liquidation of the USSR have essentially altered balance of forces of the world. It has allowed the western states to offer and impose to the world own criteria of settlement of the international political relations that has met counteraction from the whole group of the states. Chaos growth in the international relations has been caused also by an exit on the international political arena of new independent subjects of the international relations operating out of and besides the state institutes and the organisations. Complexity and ambiguity of relations of participants of world politics is caused as well by that their behaviour in the given sphere is initiated by the most different reasons.

IV. Theoretical dispute of realists and idealists in a science about the international relations.In ХХ century of discussion about the nature and specific characteristics of the international relations were conducted basically between realists and idealists (20-40th which in second half of XX-th century were replaced by their followers neorealists and neoliberals), традиционалистами and модернистами (50-60th), statesmen and глобалистами (70-80th).

Realists (J. Кеннан, J. Ball, Z.Bzhezinsky, etc.) believed that the basic natural purpose of each state is accumulation of force which provides realisation of national interests.

Each state as they considered, should aspire to creation of such balance of forces which would act in the conditions of a general competition, power opposition as the constraining mechanism and guaranteed to the state of its safety. Any morally-ethical and even standard establishments for the state should be considered by it not differently, as means of restriction of its sovereignty. Thus admitted that any means of achievement of the purpose - belief, blackmail, force, trade, diplomacy, - are initially justified, so far as multiply power of the state and create possibility of the decision of tasks in view. Care and responsibility at decision-making should be the main values of behaviour of the states on international scene. It is considered to be the theoretical father of political realism the American political scientist G.Morgentau (1904-1980), which in the book published in 1948 “Political relations between the nations: Struggle for influence in the world ”ascertained:“ the World policy, similar any policy, is race for power. Whatever ultimate goals were pursued in a world policy, the direct purpose always is the power ”.

Idealists (D.Perkins, V.Din, U.Lippman, T.Cook, etc.), on the contrary, considered the international relationsthrough a prism of legal and ethical categories, being guided by creation of standard models of world relations.

At the heart of their belief refusal of a recognition of power and military means as major regulators of interstate relations lay. The preference was completely given to system and international law institutions. Instead of balance of forces idealists offered the mechanism of collective safety. This idea was based on that reason that all states have an overall aim - the world and general safety as instability of power balance and war cause to the states a huge damage, conduct to senseless expenditure of resources. V.Wilson, having stated in 1918 in 14 points substantive provisions of post-war peaceful settlement, has accurately expressed sights of idealists. In particular, as the basic mechanisms of harmonisation of world political relations he has offered: to spend open peace talks; to guarantee a freedom of commerce in peace and a wartime; to reduce national arms to is minimum sufficient level compatible to national safety; To create League of the Nations which overall objective would be maintenance of collective safety of member countries of this international organisation.

After the Second World War on the foreground there was a discussion between модернистами and традиционалистами. Модернисты (M.Kaplan, R.Nort, G.Alisson, etc.) The basic attention gave to modelling of actions of the national states on international scene. In their researches the emphasis became on studying of procedures and decision-making mechanisms, on the description of behaviour of various segments of ruling elite and the governments, working out of technologies of bureaucratic compromises and other components of development of foreign policy of the states. The account of influence of all actors who were taking part in working out of foreign policy decisions, allowed them to model concrete systems of the international relations, to make forecasts of interaction of the states at various political levels. In turn традиционалистыfocused attention to necessities of the account of influence of those factors influencing foreign policy which broadcast characteristic traditions for the concrete countries and customs, express features of personal behaviour of politicians, a role of mass and group values etc.

Discussion модернистов and традиционалистов about value of various components of foreign policy activity of the states was replaced by dispute of scientists on, whether there was a state the central element in the international relations or integration processes have transformed this sphere to qualitatively other, interdependent and interconnected world community.So-called statesmen (K.Dojch, K.Uoltts, etc.)believed that, despite changes, the states remained the central subjects of world politics, forms of relations between them have changed only. Therefore and the nature of sphere of the international relations remained former: it is sated with foreign policy actions of the states which are guided by principles of realism, power restraint of competitors and achievement of balance of forces arranging their foreign policy. Contrary to statesmen глобалисты (E.Haas, L.Linberg, etc.) Originally continuing a line of idealists, insisted on decrease in a role of the national states in the world.

In their opinion, modern changes in the world of transport, communication, the information have made the national state the inefficient tool of achievement of own safety and maintenance of well-being of the citizens. Спрессованность the international relations, “world compression” (O.Young) were the most adequate reflexion of dynamics of modern international relations. Objective necessity for cooperation of forces and possibilities of the states for struggle against global threats pulls together the people, there is a process of merging of mankind in a single whole. All it, on thought глобалистов, promoted creation of reliable preconditions for formation of more directed world order, control increase over problems of safety, integration strengthening.

V. The Geopolitical approach to an explanation of the international relations. Theessential contribution to development of the theory of the international relations was brought by authors of geopolitical theories who have offered all of the ideas opening dependence of foreign policy of the states from factors, allowing them to supervise certain geographical spaces. The most appreciable contribution to geopolitics development at the first stage was brought by English, German and American scientists - F.Rattsel, H.Makkinder, K.Haushofer, A.Mehen, Russian thinkers N.JA.Danilevsky, S.N.Trubetsky, P.N.Savitsky, L.I.Mechnikov, V.Semenov-Tjanshansky.