Chapter Two

Instruments of Foreign Policy and

Foreign Policy Orientations
 States employ different instruments to achieve their respective foreign
policy goals and objectives.
 The nature and mode of applicability of such instruments may vary
according to the necessity and actual possession by states. The most
predominant instruments are:

Diplomacy

Trade and Foreign Aid Policies

Psychological Techniques and

Military Techniques
I. Diplomacy
 No has one has provided a comprehensive definition for it.
 “The management of IRs by means of negotiation, the method by which these relations are
adjusted and managed by ambassadors and envoys; the business or the art of the diplomat.”
(Harold Nicolson, 1963:4-5)

 “Diplomacy is the political process under which political entities are interconnected with
official relations … to formulate policies and strategies centered around their own NI and
thus results in maximization of profit for the state.” Ibid

 “The application of intelligence and tact to the conduct of official relations between the
Government of independent States, or more briefly still, the conduct of business between
states by peaceful means.” Sir Earnest Satow (1980:30)
The various definition of diplomacy highlighted the art as:


The science of conducting the foreign r/ns with a view to promote its NI.

Influencing the behaviors of others by negotiating.

Appealing to the foreign public for support of a position.

Taking a specific action or refraining from action.

The major ingredient of power.
• The art and practice of diplomacy reflects the power level of a state_ its military, political
and economic status.
• Therefore, diplomats from powerful states prove to be more tactful and influential

• Contemporarily, the art and practice of diplomacy is guided by ‘scientific knowledge’_ it

is no more a skill shown by some special individuals.

• Diplomats are cultivated through a well designed program of selection and training to
improve their skills and competence.
 Functions of Diplomatic Missions

Diplomats represent the political system and its ideology, trade & commercial interest, the
national culture etc. of the sending state.

According to Hans J Morgenthau, diplomacy must:


Determine its objectives in light of the power actually and potentially available to pursue
them.

Asses the objectives of other nations and the power actually and potentially available for the
pursuit of these objectives.

Determine to what extent these d/t objectives are compatible with each other.

Employ the means suited to the pursuit of its objectives.
Article 3 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) defines the
functions and responsibilities of diplomats as:

Represent the sending state in the receiving state

Protect the interests of the sending state and of its nationals, within the limits
permitted by international law

Negotiate with the gov’t of the receiving state

Ascertain, by all lawful means, the conditions and dev’ts in the receiving state and
reporting thereon to the gov’t of the sending state

Promoting friendly r/n b/n the sending and receiving state, and developing their
economic, cultural and scientific r/ns.
 A.Representation

• Diplomats symbolically represent their states_ their foremost duty & responsibility.

• With utmost care, enriched with caution, and diplomatic language, the diplomat should
be in possession of a vast knowledge of the receiving state’s military, political,
economic, commercial, social and other aspects of public life.

• Has to take care of the larger national interests of the sending state and, therefore, has
to keep a close eye on the ongoing political, economic, commercial, and scientific
developments in the receiving state.
 B. Negotiation
• It is a combination of art and technical skills attempted to find a common ground among
divergent positions.

• It involves meetings between national leaders, ambassadors, foreign ministers, and other high
level officials.

• Still the vast bulk of negotiating is done by ambassadors.

• It had been one of the most favored methods of settling issues between or among states.

• Negotiations require best skills, knowledge & techniques of diplomats to convince the
opposite party of their own point of view & get the problems solved.

• Negotiations may last for years & end up in no agreements or final draft of pacts.
 C. Observation and Reporting

• The diplomats’ task to choose and dispatch appropriate reports on various issues is a
difficult task due to the transfer of unlimited information through innumerable channels, as
a result of revolutionary progress in the field of information technology.

• Since diplomatic dispatches are critically analyzed, extraordinary precautions need to be

taken to make best of the information available for communication to the sending state.

• A primary diplomatic role has always been to gather information and impressions and to
analyze and report these back to the home office.

• It is important for policy makers to know both the facts and the mood of foreign capitals, as
a primary source of information.
 D. Bilateral relations

• To maintain and strengthen friendly bilateral ties while protecting the vast NIs of
the sending state within the limits of international law is the main task of diplomats.

• Often, they help in searching new avenues of relations by specific interests shown
towards various aspects of a state’s policy and status, although many others experts
from different ministries, departments, parties, groups and NGOs are involved in
the same task
 E. Serving Nationals Abroad
• Diplomats have the responsibility of dealing with the problems of its own nationals abroad.

• They have the responsibility of protecting the interests of its nationals abroad, i.e. providing visas,
passports and guidance on different matters required by them.

F. International Organizations
• The UNO is the largest voluntary body of independent states that provides a permanent platform
to represent and protect the interests of every member state.

• Most states depute permanent representatives (special diplomats at the UN headquarters & other
organizations like the IMF, WB, and the ILO) to look after their interests & promote policies.

• Such diplomats belong to a higher stratum of their co-professionals and possess special skills and
intellectual power to influence the policies of such prestigious global bodies.