‘National interest first priority for diplomats’

Said Subhash Gupta who is the Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy at Hanoi, Vietnam. ‘National interest first priority for diplomats

Patna: Bureaucracy comprises the permanent and professional dimension of the executive, working as the non-political or politically neutral, permanent, professionally trained executive supporting the administration of the state according to the policies laid down and under the control exercised by the political executive.

An efficient and quality-based bureaucracy forecasts the stability and success of the state administration. The policies of the government are formulated with the help of the information and expertise provided by the bureaucracy, and they are in practice implemented and realized with its help. Forming the backbone of a democracy, it is necessary for the bureaucracy to be the stalwart of everything that the nation stands for. Along similar lines, Subhash Gupta, the deputy chief of mission, Indian Embassy at Hanoi, Vietnam, while addressing an academic session on ‘Indian Foreign Services said, that the national interest of the nation is the foremost priority for any diplomat. “The all-India service is a good option for any student as it offers a prestigious position. Whether serving within the country or abroad, IFS officials are supposed to guard the national interest first. They are also associated with bilateral diplomatic cooperation in various fields,” he added. The foreign policy of India is based upon two-fold criteria, the first is the relationship between the two nations and the second is the machinery that can make or break the established policy. National interest is not only limited to a nation’s defined policy but also rests upon the fundamentals on which the nation stands and breathes. It is a crucial concept in international relations, providing the material based on which foreign policy is made. While formulating foreign policy, all statesmen are guided by their respective national interests. It is the purpose of foreign policy to conduct foreign relations to achieve national interest to the maximum extent. But it is not easy to determine exactly what a nation’s national interest is. This concept is highly vague and difficult to define.  However, difficult to define, the bureaucracy on the whole safeguards what is unspoken.