| Abstract [eng] |
Ongoing economic globalization processes of the late decades and the increasing integration of markets and societies have changed the world and the traditional intercourse among states. The importance of economic interests of countries is constantly rising. Academic literature often mentions and existing tension (competition) between politics and economics. That is why there is a question,- are these interests compatible or competing in Lithuania? The object of this study: Lithuanian economic interest representation and the interaction among economic and political interests of the state. Purpose: to find out how important are economic interests in the contemporary Lithuanian foreign policy; in what way and how much can they influence it. In order to implement the main purpose of this study these objectives are being met:  To review the interpretation of the relation between economics and politics in the internationa relations discipline;  To analyze which [and in what extent] economic interests are being mentioned in the most important foreign policy documents and what is their significance in those documents;  To explore the institutionalization of economic interest representation;  To identify the weaknesses of economic interest representation in foreign countries;  To study the interaction between economic and political interests according to the most important Lithuanian foreign policy regional courses - Europe, CIS, Asia and America;  To propose recommendations for the improvement of Lithuanian economic (diplomacy) foreign policy. Lithuanian economic interests in this study are considered as the promotion of common economic relations (foreign trade) and of the export of nations products and services; attracting of foreign direct investment, protection and representation of the interests of the national economy subjects. After implementing the objectives of this study the following conclusions were derived: • The ongoing globalization processes transform the foreign policies of many countries. Representation of economic interests is becomming one of its essential elements. • Since the regaining of independency economic and foreign policy were considered as two different areas. Membership in the EU has highlighted the importance of economic interest representation and the necessity to integrate them into the common foreign policy. • Lithuanian institutions, responsible for shaping and implementing foreign policy, consider economic interests in different ways; • Lithuania has adopted the competetive model of economic diplomacy; • Lithuanian economic diplomacy has the following weaknesses: - Lack of coordination among the most important institutions which shape and implement economic diplomacy; - The absence of a unified Lithuanian economic diplomacy strategy; - No „country marketing“ (image strategy, country branding) has been created yet; - The lack of „aggression“ in Lithuanian diplomats who coordinate economic affairs; - Failing communication among businessmen and diplomats; In order to improve the representation of Lithuanian economic interests and their protection in foreign countries the following measures ought to be implemented: • Protect the national interests in the EU more actively; • Reduce the tensions between politics and economics in the cases of Russia and Belarus; • Significantly strengthen the diplomatic-economic representation in Asian countries; • Use good political relations and the transatlantic partnership in achieving economic aims in America;. • Improve the coordination of actions among the institutions which implement economic diplomacy; • Regulate and separate the functions of the institutions implementing economic diplomacy more clearly; • Create a unified strategy for the representation of Lithuanian economic interests. • Pay more attention to economic diplomacy as a discipline in universities. |
