Approaches to Concept of Foreign Policy

Tashev Kahramon Ozodbekovich

JIDU, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Keywords: Foreign Policy, International Policy, World Policy, Sovereignty, Security, System, Power, Realism,

Neorealism, Marxism, Structuralism.

Abstract: Approaches to the concept of foreign policy are analyzed in the article. In particular, the results of the research

of Uzbek and Russian researchers, the approaches of classical scientists and the views of the present time

were discussed in detail.

1 INTRODUCTION

In 1648, after 30 years of religious wars ended in

Europe, a new Westphalian system of international

relations was formed. This system introduced the

term "sovereignty" to international relations.

According to it, sovereign countries were given the

right to independently determine not only their

internal but also their foreign policy. This event

remains relevant to this day.

In the legal encyclopedia of Uzbekistan, foreign

policy is defined as the whole set of relations of the

state with other states, and international

organizations, as well as the general path of the state

in international relations (Mukhiddinov R.A. 446-447

p. 2010.).

Article 17 of the Constitution of the Republic of

Uzbekistan states that "The Republic of Uzbekistan is

a subject of international relations with full rights.

The foreign policy of Uzbekistan is based on the

principles of sovereign equality of states, non-use of

force or threat of force, non-violation of borders,

territorial integrity of states, peaceful resolution of

disputes, non-interference in the internal affairs of

other states, and other generally recognized principles

and norms of international law. Constitution of the

Republic of Uzbekistan. 2023).

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8234-8947

2 MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

1.1 Uzbek Researchers' Approaches

The analysis of scientific works and research on the

concept of foreign policy showed that Uzbek

scientists conducted their own research in this regard.

In the research of Uzbek scientists such as S. Joraev,

T. Joraev, S. Gafurov, and N. Tolaganova, the

author's definitions of the concept of foreign policy

and its components were put forward.

According to S. Joraev, a political scientist,

foreign policy is the scope of the state's activities and

the path it takes to ensure national interests in

international relations. This activity is the strategy,

tactics and concrete step of the foreign political

agencies of the state and other organizations in the

direction of the implementation of the goals and tasks

of national development in the international arena

(Joraev S.A. pp. 293-294, 2011.). It also defines

foreign policy as a priority principle and effort to

establish and implement cooperative relations with

the countries of the world.

Political analyst T. Joraev touched on the concept

of foreign policy, emphasizing it as one of the

attributes of the state, and defines foreign policy as

the activities of the state and other political

institutions in society to realize the interests and

needs of the international level and the harmony of

mutual interests. It is implemented in the form of

establishing diplomatic relations with countries,

opening representative offices under international

organizations or becoming a member of them, and

Ozodbekovich, T.

Approaches to Concept of Foreign Policy.

DOI: 10.5220/0012660600003882

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR-2 2023), pages 34-37

ISBN: 978-989-758-723-8

establishing mutual relations at various levels.

Foreign policy is the main attribute of every state.

Concepts such as the constitutional base, political

system, political authorities, symbols, territory,

citizen, border and national interests and system have

an important place in the life of the state, and as much

as it affects the security of the state, which is the

subject of politics, foreign policy is considered a great

value for the state. Through foreign policy, the state

manifests itself as a geographical, historical,

sociocultural, civilizational and geopolitical entity

(Zhoraev S.A. bb. 90-91 2006).

The political scientist U. Khasanov, in his

writings, dwells on the tools (instruments) used in

foreign policy and proposes to include the following

among them:

1. Foreign political propaganda aimed at

strengthening the positive image of the country in the

world;

2. Diplomacy, where formal contacts and

exchange of ambassadors are carried out;

3. Foreign trade relations on the establishment of

trade relations, the conclusion of trade agreements;

4. Foreign aid (appears in two forms, economic-

financial and trade, military - in the form of supplying

weapons, sending military advisers and sending

military structures);

5. Alliances (there are two types: economic and

military);

6. International organizations (global and

regional, interstate and non-governmental);

7. Boycott and sanctions (used by one or several

groups of countries in order to change its policy on a

specific international issue in relation to a country);

8. Military power (manifested in the form of joint

exercises, development and demonstration of modern

military technologies, and declaration of war)

(Khasanov U.A. 46-47 bb. 2007.)

In the views of S. Gafurov and N. Tolaganova,

foreign policy is defined as regulating relations

between states and peoples (S. Gafurov S.M.,

Tolaganova N.O. 231-232 bb. 2006.

1.2 Russian Researchers’ Approach

Russian scientists, in their research views, the concept

of foreign policy is more common with the concepts

of international politics and world politics (A.E.

Bovin, V.P. Lukin, P.A. Tsygankov, M.M. Lebedeva,

V.P. Pugachev)

For example, A.E. Bovin and V.P. Lukin state that

world politics is the mutual cooperation of states in

the world arena. World politics is an active factor

shaping international relations. And international

relations is a system that binds mutual relations

between countries, and it is an entity in which world

politics exists. International relations change under

the influence of world politics and affect its content

and character.

Scientist P.A. Tsygankov considers foreign

policy to be the process of implementation of the

main principles of international politics by one or

another country through foreign political agencies in

the direction of national interests. For non-state actors

in international relations, international policy is not

considered foreign policy (Tsygankov P.A. 27-28 S.

2007).

According to M.M. Lebedeva, a professor of

international relations at Moscow State University,

foreign policy is a system of actions, principles and

priorities implemented by the government within the

framework of relations with other countries outside

its borders (Lebedeva M.M. 333-335 S. 2004.)

The author of the textbook "Introduction to

Political Science", V.P. Pugachev, while thinking

about international politics, expresses foreign policy

as the activity or conscious inaction of one state in

relation to another state (Pugachev V.P., Solovev A.I.

446-447 S. 2002).

Political scientist S.A. Proskurin defines the

country's foreign policy and considers it as the views

of the state and society's socio-political institutions on

foreign policy, the foreign political attitude

implemented by them, and the system of foreign

political activity. In this system, political, economic,

diplomatic, military, cultural, scientific-technical

relations and relations between peoples, states and

state associations serve as the basis of foreign

political relations (Averyanov Yu.A. S 231. 1993.)

According to him, foreign policy is the

implementation of the country's national interests in

the international arena. In turn, it includes foreign

policy subjects, objects, tools, goals and conditions

among the structural elements of foreign policy

(Proskurin S.A. 49-71 p. 2004).

1.3 Approaches of Classical Scientists

The opinions of political realism, Marxism,

neorealism, and structuralism schools differ from

each other and some of them complement each other.

According to the German scientist G.

Morgenthau, the founder of the school of political

realism, foreign policy is a process of struggle for

power. No matter what his goal may be, the pursuit of

power will always be his priority. Consists of

establishing control over the behaviour of others by

Approaches to Concept of Foreign Policy

influencing their will (Morgenthau H. P.29-30.

1978.).

G. Morgenthau recognizes the unity of the nature

of foreign and domestic policy and emphasizes that

the country's foreign policy is determined based on its

national interests. National interests are considered

objective, they are related to the unchanging nature of

a person, the geographical conditions of the country,

sociocultural and historical traditions of people.

According to them, national interests are divided into

two types: immutable (related to survival) and

variable (related to time). Immutable national

interests include a nation's language, culture, and

natural conditions of existence.

According to the scientist, international relations

represent the battlefield of states. Underlying all

international activities is the effort to increase or

decrease the dominance of power and others. At the

same time, the term "dominion" is understood in a

broad sense as the possibility of popularizing the

political or military power of the state, ensuring its

well-being and security, fame and influence,

ideological direction and spiritual wealth. There are

two main ways for a state to assert its sovereignty.

These are military strategy and diplomacy. The first

of these is seen as the continuation of politics by

means of force. Diplomacy, on the other hand, is a

peaceful struggle for dominance. G. Morgenthau

notes that the state expresses its need for governance

through the term "national views, wishes". According

to him, the state of peace means the balance of power

between states.

The foreign policy of an independent state should

be based on the physical, political and cultural reality

that helps to understand the essence and nature of the

national interest. Such a reality is characteristic of the

nation. All nations seek to satisfy their need for

survival in the international arena. In a world divided

into blocs and alliances, where the struggle for power

and resources continues, all nations seek to preserve

their physical existence, and political and cultural

values from the external enemy (Mukhaev R.T. 341-

344 p. 2000).

One of the bright representatives of the school of

political realism, the French political scientist R.

Aron dwells on the specific aspects of foreign policy

and international relations and tries to compare them

with sports in order to make his concepts universal.

He admits that foreign policy is more uncertain than

football. The goals of foreign policy actors are not as

simple as scoring goals. The rules of procedure of the

diplomatic game are not perfectly developed here.

Any player can break it at any time for their own

interests. There are no referees. When a collective

group of people seeks arbitration, others are not

bound by the decisions of that collective arbitrator.

The level of injustice is a cause for debate (Turgaeva

A.S. 463-464 p. 2005). Speaking about foreign policy

leaders, R. Aron emphasized that the direction of the

country's foreign policy is determined by the actions

of leaders who have a certain degree of freedom.

Representatives of Marxism emphasize foreign

policy as the class relations of the political regime and

note that it is determined based on the economic

relations of the society.

Representatives of neorealism and structuralism

understand foreign policy as a continuation of

domestic policy, and international relations as a

continuation of the internal relations of society. In

particular, R. Schweller believes that foreign policy is

a utopian idea aimed at restructuring social relations.

In this regard, according to G. Kissinger, the former

secretary of state of the US president, foreign policy

begins where domestic policy ends (Kissinger, Henry

A., 1971).

1.4 Approaches of the Modern Era

The ideologist of the US foreign policy, Z.

Bzezinskiy, commenting on foreign policy, tries to

reveal this term within the powers of the US

president. In particular, in the United States, it is

considered an area that allows the president to

exercise maximum freedom in foreign policy.

Especially in international relations, the prestige and

power of the president is strongly felt. Any president

is fascinated by the unique power and access to

information that no one else has. Such a head of state,

in turn, means that he is the most influential person in

the world (Brzezinskiy Z. 12-13 p. 2018).

M. Thatcher, the former prime minister of Great

Britain, who had conservative views on foreign

policy, saw the concept of foreign policy and issues

of security together and defined them as the use of

force for their own goals when entering into relations

with other countries (Margaret Thatcher. p. 15-16.

2002).

Another American political scientist, G. Allison,

researches the formation of foreign policy and

proposes its three main models:

The first model. It is a classic model, in which

foreign policy is manifested as a conscious, widely

planned activity of an actor.

The second model. Foreign policy is manifested

as a set of organized actors and processes.

The third model. Foreign policy is manifested as

a result of the activities of the political establishment

and its leaders.

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In this model, the bureaucratic concept is

advanced. In this concept, it is shown that the role of

the political leader is a priority in determining the

direction of foreign policy, and the main attention is

focused on his behaviour (Lantsova S.A., Achkasova

V.A. S. 266. 2009.)

In addition, scientists such as Smith S., Hadfield

A., Dunne T. say that in modern political science, the

concept of foreign policy is considered an integral

part of the general policy of the state and a

continuation of domestic policy. Any country

formulates its foreign policy goals based on its

national interests and other objective and subjective

factors (Smith S., Hadfield A., Dunne T., 543 p.,

2012.)

3 CONCLUSIONS

The country's foreign policy is determined based on

its geographical location, economic potential,

political will, military power and cultural capabilities.

Categorical analysis of the term foreign policy has

shown that the opinions and approaches of scholars in

this regard are different, and in many cases, foreign

policy is used as a synonym for the terms world and

international politics.

Foreign policy is an important attribute of the

state, and it is a type of activity specific to the state,

which is carried out through political agencies by

entering into cooperation with other countries to

promote national interests and ensure security.

The structural elements of foreign policy include

its subjects, objects, means, goals and tasks, and

conditions.

For supporters of the school of political realism,

foreign policy is considered a process of struggle for

power, while for representatives of Marxism, foreign

policy is determined by the class (economic) relations

of the political regime.

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Approaches to Concept of Foreign Policy