WINDHOEK, JAN 30 – Namibia is critically dependent on its business and economic relations with the outside world, particularly the industrialized world, to meet the growing demands of our people for a better life. Namibia formulated her foreign policy instruments based on Article 96 of the Namibian Constitution.
Diplomats do a very important job for their countries. Almost every country in existence has diplomats who are sent out to various countries for the purposes of negotiating and mediating relations between the two governments. It is good for people to understand foreign policy, because very often it can play an important role in the news. Economic statecraft and economic diplomacy involve using diplomatic skills with economic tools to advance a country’s economic, political and strategic goals.
The main economic statecraft and the day to day economic diplomacy are enormously important parts of the Namibia’s international policy. Getting this right can provide a huge boost, just as getting it wrong can be very costly. The foreign economic relations for state policy aspired at more integration in the country in the world economy and to make sure of sustained economic growth that will focus on a priority on developing in the directions of promoting trade with the main concerned given to export promotion and the global competition to attract foreign investment as well as to promote the image of the country in terms of economic and investment. The intensification of globalization, trade, transfer of technology and foreign direct investment have come to be crucial to the prosperity of nations, especially the developing ones.
Therefore, to meet this challenge, many developing countries have turned their attention to their foreign missions abroad. They now charge their ambassadors and subordinates to engage considerably in economic promotional activity. Indeed, the need to attract and use foreign investment to spur economic growth and development is now widely recognized as being very central to the drive to eradicate poverty. Economic diplomacy thus entails carefully targeted investment promotion.
This includes efforts, such as, tracking down corporate executives, whom the embassy’s research has led the ambassador and staff to believe may be amenable to wanting to take a look at the opportunities which the country offers.
The added value of diplomatic missions as actors of economic diplomacy lies in their ability to provide entrepreneur sector with useful information on business and investment opportunities abroad, which is especially useful for small and medium enterprises.
Diplomacy has been a significant tool in international relations by aiding the expansion of political, economic and cultural ties between countries in the global system. Diplomacy plays a paramount role in commercial globalization. For corporations to expand internationally, there must be secure trade relations between nations. Many agreements that create open international trade relations depend on the involvement of corporations that want to expand to other nations. Since great business negotiators seek to harmonize interests, it is no surprise that diplomacy is the best methodology to create this mutualistic relationship between political agreements and commercial success.
In general, diplomacy is the practice of international relations, focused around conducting negotiations between nations. More specifically, diplomacy focuses on negotiation between corporations from different countries, resulting in mutually advantageous and profitable trade relations. Executives rarely view themselves as international diplomats; however, entrepreneurs and managers must use diplomacy to make commercial globalization a reality.
By conveniently and directly flying between newly connected nations, mobility will enable business owners to generate more international commercial opportunities. Political diplomacy and trade diplomacy work hand in hand to establish a political foundation and create commercial growth opportunities for each nation. By physically forming supply chain infrastructures between nations, these businesses are strengthening international trade relations. Commercial diplomacy helped create a political landscape that is more open to free international trade ties, and businesses are jumping on board with these growth opportunities.
Diplomacy is a uniquely important tool for nations and businesses to think about and use in their globalization strategies. Political diplomats know that the key to building relationships lies in understanding each nation’s concerns and priorities, and great business negotiators try to harmonize everyone’s interests in a deal. Diplomacy combines these very similar ideas to align corporate needs and national concerns. The mission represents the government and the people of country.
Therefore, all offices, ministries and agencies, and citizens, must make use of the missions, taking advantage of their expertise regarding the foreign country, and diplomatic facilitation. As part of a process of democratization of foreign policy in most countries, the coverage of diplomacy has expanded to include all the additional players in the field. Much of the work depends on the initiative and imagination of the diplomats in the field. Building connections that lead to mutually beneficial activities thus becomes an important necessity. Economic promotion is a vital part of outreach diplomacy, which also calls for imaginative use of local opportunities.
In conclusion, diplomacy tends to be an important key as far as international relation is concerned. It yields global representation, encourages political and cultural spread, helps in gathering relevant information from constituent states in the international system, manages crisis, provide consular service as well as other services and facilitate the observation of international law. Diplomatic missions play a strong role in mobilizing economic and technical cooperation from bilateral and multilateral partners. They advise headquarters on shifts in aid policy and the economic priorities of the country’s diplomatic partners. – Josef Kefas Sheehama
