Economic and Trade Diplomacy Should Be Key State Project for Liberia

The Ellen johnson-Sirleaf's administration has scored a major successes in diplomatic ties with countries across the world, while the country's foreign policy and international relations are focuse on development diplomacy. The government interest in development diplomacy is highly unique but the government needs to take into considerationa Economic, Commercial and Trade Diplomacy, as a major area of diplomacy which have brought great development to other nations around the world.

As part of the State’s foreign policy, economic diplomacy and trade are now being given greater priority; these areas are now key factors in the development of contemporary international politics. Unlike the Western, European and Asia diplomats who are very effective and sufficient in the practices most African diplomats are far below the belt in the area of economic and trade diplomacy, thus leading to the underdevelopment of their countries.

Undoubtedly, economic, trade and commercial diplomacy should be a key State project that requires a strong background of the diplomats from a multidisciplinary perspective. Professional diplomacy is an appropriate instrument to perform this synthesis, to the extent that it can use its persuasive techniques in favor of businesses and investments and, simultaneously, prove to be politically and economically profitable to the sending state.

The former Secretary of State and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dr. Henry Kissinger, in his widely read prestigious book detailed that in the formulation of foreign policy, it is obvious that the economic and trade diplomacy has become an inseparable element of conventional diplomacy, particularly in its professional management.

The book detailed Dr. Kissinger’s experiences and works as Secretary of State; I never get tire reading the book which contain over six hundred pages, it is a unique class of works on diplomacy.

However, other books read have recognized diplomacy that specializes in economic promotion, while lacking a strong background in this field, runs the risk of having devalued its role in the modern State. While in the execution and advance of economic and commercial diplomacy, often a key state project should be consistent. Its executors must be up-to-date with international economic and trade issues and must be prepared to constantly update their knowledge and the rapidly evolving technical procedures in international trade and its parallel negotiations.

My experience in the field of international relations and world politics placed me in the best position to author this article, one of series written and published. In the field of a contemporary diplomacy, Economic and trade diplomacy is gaining greater momentum internationally. For a State, its economic power, the dynamism of its trade and its presence in global markets.

But the political benefit of active trade diplomacy is not instantaneous, nor does its economic strength guarantee lasting political friendship with other States. The political force of a State does not rest solely and directly on its economic parameters. It is necessary to combine the ability to consistently trade with the operation in other fields, and all this must be coupled with greater social cohesion.

Their specialized work, to be effective, requires constant updating of knowledge and techniques and procedures. It is also essential for them in this exercise to ensure appropriate consistency in the identification of sustained national economic interests abroad in order to allow for effective economic diplomacy outside of the State.

This is one of the major problems for African countries, majority of these people assigned to these tasks in most of thr African embassies are unproductive and insufficient, but they are given the responsibility; the question is how does the government expect them to perform? People occupying these positions necessarily do not have to come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rather from other specialized agencies and ministries of government where experience and education in the field is the core value, and nor preferential treatment.

In accordance with contemporary requirements, economic issues and trade have been established in the external actions of states as consistently growing objectives which are now given greater priority. They also are regarded as key factors in the current dynamics of international politics. Cooperation and the maintenance and strengthening of international peace and security have traditionally been, and remain today, essential goals of diplomacy.

However, it is clear that economic and commercial aspects, particularly those related to investment, exports, protection and assistance are essential aspects of the diplomatic activities of a considerable number of countries. Actually, economic and trade diplomacy involves joint efforts through cooperation between governments and the private and public business sectors with respect to external actions to achieving economic goals linked to the national interests.

It is also essential to ensure greater consistency in the identification of sustained national economic interests abroad and, through careful analysis, develop a model that can effectively ensure a safety pin to guide economic diplomacy in carrying out external economic action by appointing people who are intellectually efficient and knowledgably in the field of the studies, diplomats who are “push and start” should be given another assignment in their missions where they can be effective, and not overnight transformed into arm chair diplomats and sleep through a great revolution like a day in the life of Rip Van Winkle.