Shuttle diplomacy as a method of negotiation

Shuttle diplomacy is a method that can be briefly described as mediation. This phrase came to Russian as a tracing paper from the English "shuttle diplomacy". If this term is considered by international law, it means peaceful resolution of conflicts and disputes between individual parties by interfering in the negotiations of the third party.

This process is possible in the form of an intermediary to establish a channel of communication between opponents. In this case, the third party consistently meets with each of them, figuring out their position. Also, the option is possible, in which the intermediary is a sort of "postman", which delivers information from one opponent to another. Today, the methods of shuttle diplomacy are effective in many spheres of life. Politicians apply them every day.

In 1974, shuttle diplomacy actually began - Kissinger, being not only an outstanding statesman, but also an experienced, talented diplomat, becoming a mediator between Israel and the Arab countries. Shortly before, on this tiny but powerful state, the neighboring Muslim powers threw their best forces, but were completely defeated.

The world community was interested in the possibility of once and for all to settle the Arab-Israeli conflict for the sake of preventing subsequent wars and escalating this problem. The trilateral talks ended with the fact that in the Middle East there was an unstable, but still a world that lasted until the first intifada in the 1990s.

Since then, there has not been a single major war between Israel and its neighbors in the region - Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia (there have been three such encounters before), partly thanks to Kissinger's activities. Prior to this, the diplomat for years worked on activities aimed at establishing peace in Vietnam, for which he periodically traveled to the warring parts of the country - both to the South and to North Vietnam, becoming a kind of diplomatic channel between the warring parties. It was there that he gained invaluable experience, which enabled him to develop his own special method of negotiating, becoming an outstanding figure, whose opinion President Nixon often listened to.

The first Russian politician, to whom the term "shuttle diplomacy" was applied, was Primakov. He tried to prevent an imminent war in the Persian Gulf, using the methods of Kissinger. Unfortunately, despite the efforts made, in this he achieved very little.

What is the difference between shuttle diplomacy as a negotiating system ? Kissinger himself defines it as the proposal of his position to the parties to the conflict. They can be both individuals and whole states. To some extent, this tactic can be compared with an arbitration court.

Shuttle diplomacy, based on the explanations of its founder, has a number of features. First, the third party clarifies the position of each opponent on a particular issue, individually interviewing each of them. The whole system of negotiation is built around one goal. At the same time, points of contact are sought in the positions of the opponents. Further, by manipulating their opinion, the third party makes an attempt to lead them to a common solution to the problem. The basis for success in this way is a systematic approach.

Shuttle diplomacy can be described as a manipulative method. It is good where you need to bring your opponents to a common decision, but it's bad where an open partnership dialogue is needed, because it can destroy trust. And the art of negotiating is the ability to correctly, depending on the situation, choose diplomatic methods.