National interest and foreign policy: The case of Kosovo

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide an account of the concept of national interest and, at the same time, to examine choices that Kosovo confronts as it seeks to define its national interests. The first part of the papers offers a short theoretical overview of the concept of national interest. Whereas, in the second part is outlined a model of a Kosovo's platform/strategy of national interest. Types of national interest, upon which the paper is based, are as defined by Hans J. Morgenthau. The paper argues that, if a country has not defined properly its national interests, then its foreign politics is not properly structured, and as a consequence, it is uncompetitive in international area. Therefore, in order to avoid ad hoc approach of conducting foreign politics, Kosovo must established its strategy/platform of national interests which, before everything, is based on the principles of democratic state whose aim is to protect the interests of its citizens and to consolidate democracy in the region.