In an increasingly challenging world, defence diplomacy is a tool for peace and stability. It builds mutual trust and promotes transparency in interactions, said Maj. Gen. ANM Muniruzzaman (retd).
Maj. Gen. ANM Muniruzzaman (retd), president of Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), made these opening remarks at a roundtable on ‘Defence Diplomacy: A Powerful Tool of Statecraft,’ held yesterday, Sunday, at The Westin in the capital. The roundtable was organised by BIPSS.
He went on to say that through such diplomacy, countries can leverage defence relations for peaceful resolutions to disputes. It helps them get together in times of crisis. It is also a potential tool for non-proliferation.
He said that there were challenges involved in defence diplomacy. Critics argued that this can support oppressive regimes. So it was important to have ethical guidelines in place, promoting open dialogue, capacity building, education and research.
“Defence diplomacy is not a panacea, but essential for global peace and security,” he said, adding that Bangladesh had all the right tools for defence diplomacy. He said that Bangladesh is the largest peacekeeper, it has training, exchange visits, military sports and more. This all must be integrated well to serve the nation.
Before delving into the background of defence diplomacy, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, distinguished fellow, BIPSS and former advisor to the foreign ministry, first clarified that diplomacy in broad terms was the art of managing any relationship in a tactful manner. When states interact with one another they use the art of diplomacy as the main instrument of foreign policy. “Diplomacy,” he paraphrased, “is too important to be left to the diplomats.”
Coming to defence diplomacy, he said that this was originally called military diplomacy. But at present, defence diplomacy is related to both military diplomacy and civilian diplomacy. The concept of this diplomacy is in a constant state of flux as circumstances change.
“Defence diplomacy can be an invaluable instrument of statecraft,” he said, also giving UN peacekeeping as an example.
Air Vice Marshal Mahmud Hussain (retd), former ambassador and distinguished expert, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University, started off by saying that the intent of diplomacy is to promote peace and it is an essential part of a state’s foreign policy. Diplomacy must assess the objectives of other nations and employ the means suited to national objectives.
“If peace were the ultimate goal of statecraft, it would be easy,” he said, adding that diplomacy is rooted in Realpolitik.
AVM Mahmud Hussain found the Singapore model to be a useful example of deterrence and diplomacy.
Defence diplomacy is a relatively new form of diplomacy and this multimodal mechanism has several successes, he said adding that “it involves soldiers, sailors and airmen, not necessarily diplomats.”
This speaker also highlighted the role of Bangladesh as a peacekeeper, noting that it was the top troop contributing country to the UN peacekeeping force. They had such an impact that Bangla was now recognised as an official language in Sierra Leone, in recognition of Bangladesh’s peacekeeping role there.
“Defence diplomacy is an integrated component of the foreign office,” he said.
The deliberations were followed by questions and comments from the audience during a lively open-floor session. The roundtable was attended by former civil and military bureaucrats, foreign diplomats, academics, media persons, students and others.