Definition and components of national interest.
What is the national interest? Discuss the elements of national interest.
National interest in International Relations.
National Interest : meaning and components.
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National Interest:-
According to Hartmann, the national interest is that which each state is particularly interested in achieving and preserving. This interest emerges when a state tries to establish relations with other states.
Professor Frankel thinks that national interest is the sum of national values. Just as individual relations are governed by the calculation of personal gain and loss, inter-state relations are also governed by the calculation of national gains.
According to Hans Morgenthau, power and national interest are identical.
According to Farnis and Snyder, the needs and aspirations of the nation are reflected in the activities of national policy makers. In this sense what the nation's decision-makers undertake to preserve and enhance - those are the national interests.
Thus, national interest is the minimum goals of a nation and objectives such as national security, national development, peaceful coexistence, etc., which every nation takes active initiative to fulfill.
Elements / Components of National Interest:-
1. Geographical integrity:-
The main elements of national interest are formed around the defense and geographical integrity of the country. Many have called it national security. The question of the independence of the country is also involved in this. The countries of the modern world attach the utmost importance to maintaining their independent existence and geographical integrity both internally and externally.
2. Compliance with international system:-
One of the elements of national interest is conformity with the international system. Its main purpose is to harmonize with the international system that is developed with the different nations of the world. Various nations want to harmonize with the international system by following the foreign policy keeping national interest in front.
3. Economic development:-
Economic development is considered one of the most important elements of national interest. All states pursue their national interests with great interest in maintaining their place in competitive world trade, gaining access to foreign trade markets, taking advantage of free trade and foreign capital investment.
4. Cultural exchange:-
Cultural exchange between nations has a role in the international arena as an element of national interest. In the new system of globalization, the cultural exchange between one country and another has become easier due to the incredible development of information technology. Every nation wants to fulfill national interest goals by strengthening bilateral relations through cultural exchange.
5. Active participation in international organizations:-
In the international field, the extent to which a country is able to play an active role in various types of international organizations is largely dependent on the fulfillment of the country's national interests. For this reason active participation in international organizations is considered an important element of national interest. For example, the pursuit of national interests through various international organizations, apart from the United Nations, has acquired a different dimension.
6. World Opinion:-
World public opinion is mentioned as one of the elements of national interest in the international field. In response to the international crisis, various countries try to achieve their national interest goals by shaping world public opinion. After the Second World War, two superpowers - the United States and the Soviet Union - were seen taking an active role in this regard. Besides, the role of Pakistani terrorist attacks after the Mumbai blasts in 2011 can be mentioned.
Finally, elements of national interest are weighted differently in the international arena depending on the circumstances of different situations; In this regard, the importance of the international situation is immense. But it can be clearly stated that the elements of national interest are not one-sided, they are multi-faceted. So in this case the role of any single element is not enough.
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