Pangambam S
The Foundation of Foreign Policy: Values, Interests, and Power
ALEXANDER STUBB: Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, in its simplest form, foreign policy is really about three things: about values, interests and power. I come from a relatively small country, Finland, and our toolkit is mainly about two of those three things. It’s about values and interests. Power, hard or soft, is usually the luxury of bigger players.
The power of a smaller country arises from its capacity to cooperate with others. Smart diplomacy gives a smaller player at least relative influence. The UN is of course case in point. Big players have power through their permanent membership in the UN Security Council. But we, the smaller players, can influence the ebb and flow of international relations by being active in the corridors of diplomacy.
The End of the Post-Cold War Order
Now, most of the speeches that we’ve heard here today have highlighted the fact that the world order, balance and dynamics are changing, much like they did after World War II when the UN was founded. I actually think that the post-Cold War order is over, but we don’t know what the new order is going to look like. It will take at least five to ten years for things to settle.
And my message to this assembly today is that regardless of the size, each and every member state of the United Nations has agency, a say in how the new world order will look like. It is important that we all use this power wisely and responsibly.
Now, I fully appreciate that our interests differ depending on our geographical location, history, state of development or culture.
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