MALTA'S FOREIGN POLICY AGENDA

(available from Agenda Bookshop on campus)
 

Every countryís challenge is to ensure that its foreign policy goals are consistent with its internal policies. The effects of a countryís internal and external policies must aim in the same direction. This is especially the case in the rapidly changing contemporary security environment. Mobilising and deploying a countryís diplomatic resources on a consistent basis is essential if improving coherence between internal and external security is to be achieved.

Given the rapid sea-change underway where does this leave Malta? Which strategic foreign policy vision will enable Malta to maximise its national interests? What foreign policy path offers Malta the best security guarantee that will serve as an insurance policy in times of instability? In the new world order that is emerging it is likely that failure to take action in one direction or another will result in someone else or circumstance designing your future for you. Given the direct bearing that foreign policy has on domestic policy, mapping out and implementing a strategic foreign policy agenda is Maltaís main challenge, particularly now that international relations are in such a state of flux.

Throughout the twentieth century Malta demonstrated a continuous ability to accurately read the tea leaves of international relations and adapt to the changing nature of the international system. After hundreds of years of external domination Malta also succeeded in benefiting from the decolonisation process and became an independent state in September 1964.

Throughout the Cold War Malta sought to maximise its national interests by remaining aloof from the superpower chess game. Neutrality and the Non-Aligned Movement became the buzzwords of Maltaís foreign policy agenda with close relations established with the likes of China and the Arab world.

The post-Cold War world is a completely different world from the era of superpower showdowns. The Westís success against communism has resulted in a power shift throughout the international system. In the world order that is emerging ideologies have become less significant and the global system is a place full of contradictions. Although sovereignty has been eroded it is still sought, although we have more security alliances people feel less secure, and although economic wealth has multiplied several people feel less wealthy.

Like most other states in the international system, Malta is trying to find its footing in this period of international transition. Given the resurgence in regionalism that is taking place, the key question confronting Malta is whether to participate directly in this process of regionalism through EU membership, or whether to seek a different foreign policy path?

What is certain is that in times of change it is essential that one adapts to the changing environment and moves ahead. In times of transition and turbulence foreign policy goals must be clear, flexible and as pragmatic as possible. Foreign policy goals should be based on a coherent analysis of geo-strategic realities and communicated to the citizens they are meant to represent if they are to be sustainable.

At the start of the twenty-first century this is the scenario that Malta finds itself in. The choices made at this defining moment will determine Maltaís future domestic and foreign policies for decades to come.
 

This book examines Malta's foreign policy agenda. Chapter One provides an overview of this subject and sets the stage for a more in-depth assessment of the different strategic options that are currently being considered by Malta's political movements later in the book. This includes consideration of a number of other foreign policy alternatives that could contribute to Malta's economic development.

Chapter Two examines regional dynamics across the Euro-Mediterranean area in contemporary international relations. Assessing Maltaís foreign policy options can only be conducted in a serious manner if one takes into consideration Maltaís regional reality ­ the pattern of relations that have been evolving in Maltaís vicinity since the end of the Cold War.

Chapter Three focuses on Maltaís relations with the European Union. This includes a comprehensive analysis of how recent relations have evolved, with a particular emphasis on relations between 1990, when Malta submitted its application to join the European Union, and the present state of affairs.

Chapter Four looks into Maltaís foreign policy role from a Euro-Mediterranean perspective. This chapter provides an overview of the main events that have taken place since the launching of the Barcelona Process in November 1995 and the significant role that Malta has been playing in this international initiative.

Chapter Five consists of an overview of a series of foreign policy alternatives that have been suggested over the years with regards Maltaís future. These include the Switzerland in the Mediterranean model, the Dubai in the Mediterranean framework, and the Singapore in the Mediterranean modality.

Chapter Six assesses the possibility of nurturing a foreign policy consensus in Malta. This chapter examines the pros and cons of adopting more of a national approach when it comes to foreign policy making. Particular attention is dedicated to the changing nature of the concepts of national interest, sovereignty, and interdependence in post-Cold War relations and the implications these could have on Maltaís foreign policy.

Chapter Seven, identifies what foreign policy measures should be taken to ensure that Malta succeeds in realising its maximum potential in the twenty-first century. This chapter offers a look ahead by providing a strategic vision of the foreign policy agenda that Malta should adopt in order to navigate successfully in the ever-changing international system.

This analysis includes an assessment of what it would require to shift Malta's foreign policy agenda away from that of a nation-state to that of a region-state. This would include implementing a foreign policy framework that no longer focused on myopic nationalistic ideals but instead embraced more wide-ranging regional objectives of both a European and Mediterranean orientation.

International Relations theory shows that foreign policy making can be influenced by many factors - circumstances, strategic planning and the impact that leaders can have on the evolution of a country's foreign policy direction. All of these factors influence the course of events that a country experiences. In the rapidly changing international system where the diffusion of power continues to fluctuate at an unprecedented pace, the necessity to apply one's comparative advantages becomes even more essential than in the past.

This book highlights Malta's contemporary foreign policy options by examining realities within which decisions have to be taken and focusing on the future direction of the country more than anything else. Whereas some pundits prefer to focus on the past or conduct assessments on the present situation, this book looks at what the future holds in store for Malta. An emphasis is placed on foreign policy options that are currently dominating the political debate, although other options are also examined.

The objective of this book is to trigger a more serious and coherent debate about Malta's foreign policy options. The analysis provided is based on Malta's choices and also serves as an international perspective of reality. Even if one does not agree with some of the analysis presented, and I hope this is somewhat the case, it is hoped that this book will help to focus future debates on this important topic on solid argumentation rather than political rhetoric as so often happens. Identifying forward-looking policy opportunities is the book's guiding theme - thus the title - Looking Ahead.