News, Views From Nepal

Yuba Nath Lamsal:-- Behaviours of states and their foreign policy decision-makers shape international politics and relations among states. In the sphere of international relations, there are always two key actors: nation-states and foreign policy decision-makers. Powers always compete and contest for natural resources and influence. In the quest to exploit and control natural resources scattered worldwide, powers devise strategies, tactics, and tools, which are integral to geopolitics or international politics. Geography sets the behaviour of states. The behaviours of foreign policy decision-makers matter and determine the course of foreign policy of any country. But the decision-makers’ astute handling can avert the threat that may arise from geopolitical push and pulls. Although new technologies and their effective use, to some extent, have helped to overcome some of the obstacles and challenges posed by geography but human beings have not yet been able to completely conquer th...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:--- Powers rise and fall in the world, which has been a permanent feature of international politics right from the dawn of civilization. In the annals of history, different empires rose and fell. Egyptian Empire, Akkadian Empire, Babylonian Empire, Assyrian Empire, Persian Empires, Roman Empire, Macedonian Empire, Byzantine Empire, Abbasid Caliphate, Aztec Empire, Inca Empire, Mongol Empire, Mughal Empire, Chinese Empire, Russian Empire, British Empire were once the dominating powers in the world. However, with the change of time, they disappeared and have remained as the subject of history. The architecture of international powers keeps changing, and so do its players. Actors in international politics change with the change of time and other dynamics. However, the nature of the game continues to remain. The one-time allies turn arch foes, while once rivals become bosom friends. This is the nature and course of international power politics, and it will remain so. ...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:---- The world is in a poly crisis. Wars, ethnic conflicts, geopolitical tensions, economic downturn, trade wars, disruption in the supply system, cybercrimes and climate change are posing a threat to humanity. These crises have become increasingly acute over the years. However, rulers, politicians and power brokers have either miserably failed to assess the situation or simply lack the intent to address the problems for their narrow national and political interests rather than the larger cause of humanity. Instead, they are trying to exploit the crisis for political and partisan benefits. Global geopolitics keeps changing. Big powers are always the key players in global and regional geopolitics. Powers rise and fall that change the nature, course and hotspots of geopolitics. As European countries like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany were the key powers in the 19th century, Europe was the centre of international power. European countries colonised almost the...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:- Foreign policy is a country’s fundamental principle and foundation for conducting relations in the international arena. Countries adopt well-defined foreign policies to serve their national interests abroad, based on which diplomacy and diplomats operate. As diplomacy is a form of political interaction in the international arena, it requires special skills, acumen, and expertise. In the modern globalised, interconnected and interdependent world, countries are required to have multiple engagements and relations with states, sub-states, and super-states as well as super-national entities like international and regional organisations. Sometimes diplomats are, thus, assigned to build relations with and engage even non-state actors. Unlike in the past, the functions of diplomats are multi-dimensional and they are required to possess skills and knowledge to deal with diverse matters ranging from political, strategic, security, economic, trade, to climate change and t...

Yuba Nath Lamsal:-- Domestic politics and foreign policy are interlinked. Domestic politics is concerned with relations among different political actors and stakeholders within a country, while diplomacy is politics among countries on an international scale. Politics deals with the internal governance of a country and diplomacy is concerned with international governance. Every country thus adopts a broad policy and accordingly uses tools and tactics to protect and promote the interests of the country in the international arena. Foreign policy is, therefore, called an extension of domestic policy. But this might not always be the case. Sometimes, it may be just the opposite. There are cases and examples when external dynamics have changed the domestic political course in some countries. The world is more interdependent and more interconnected than ever before, owing mainly to economic globalisation and advancement in the field of technology. No country in the world is fully self-rel...