A Framework for the Study of International Friendship

Abstract

In recent years, International Relations (IR) has seen the introduction of more focused research on the concept of friendship in international politics. Indeed, although the term `friendship' has never been absent from IR, its application has been somewhat loose and without a clear definition or systematic analysis. It has often been used to describe non-confrontational or harmonious interstate relations in empirical studies, but studies have fallen short of giving the concept of friendship thorough analytical consideration.1