Defence diplomacy and international relations

Davor Ćutić

Significant changes in international relations have occurred over the last 30 years.
The fall of the Berlin Wall can be perceived as the start of a new era because nothing
has been the same since. In a short period of time, large countries disintegrated, while
defence and security challenges changed dramatically. Simultaneously, there was a
shift in the role of military attachés, whose responsibilities underwent changes and
who were included in defence and security cooperation on a higher level. Defence
attachés now act as an important link in the cooperation among bilateral partners,
members of alliances and organisations fostering cooperation and confidence-building
measures. This paper discusses new approaches to defence diplomacy and underscores
its importance in creating a secure environment. It also lays stress on the means of
developing trust among partner countries. The aim of this paper is to showcase changes
in the field of defence diplomacy as well as new forms and trends in international
defence policy, along with the role which defence policy plays on the international
stage in the development of international bilateral and multilateral trust and security

Keywords
diplomacy, defence diplomacy, attaché, defence diplomacy role