Külpolitika - A Magyar Külügyi Intézet elméleti-politikai folyóirata - 1974 (1. évfolyam)
1974 / 1. szám - A tanulmányok orosz és angol nyelvű tartalmi kivonata
4. In the framework of basic research designed to establish the theoretical and methodological bases for the science of international relations and foreign policy forecasting, the researchers will deal, on the one hand, with the concept of and problems involved in assessing the international balance of forces and, on the other hand, with the interpretation of the regular phenomena and trends prevailing in international politics; in addition, they will attempt to clarify the methods that can be applied in the scientific researc of international relations. Both specific and comprehensive studies will be made concerning fundamental research trends. Both the partial and the summarised papers will contain recommendations for Hungarian foreign policy leaders and those engaged in foreign policy information work. In all but a few cases the research will cover the 1970’s and will increasingly lend to concentrate on the second half of this decade. Successful work has already been done in assessing the major questions of current international life and in making numerous foreign policy forecasts. In their entirety they serve to further the development of middle and long-range foreign policy conceptions. All the research will be of a complex character and as a rule will be carried out by research teams with a complex composition. The Institute’s own research is primarily designed to examine questions of foreign policy, diplomacy, international ideology and cultural questions. In other fields required for foreign policy research (history, world economy, international law, military policy, philosophy, sociology) the Institute will rely on the research findings of other institutions; it will carry on joint research work with similar institutions at home and abroad, and involve many experts in its work. The chief interest of the Institute is in studying the main factors, basic moves, trends and changes in international life that are the essential determinants behind foreign policy-diplomacy efforts and possibilities. The areas and countries and foreign policy problems to be given special attention will be chosen in accordance with the national and international interests of Hungary. In the past year the Institute’s international relations have developed encouragingly. Our relations with similar scientific research institutions operating in the socialist countries were established at the time when the institute was being organized, and thus, in commencing planned work, we could count on organized and coordinated international cooperation on many themes. Most outstanding among them, as in both scope and importance, was the cordinated, methodological research and elaboration of the problems connected with security and cooperation in Europe carried out together with sister institutions in the socialist countries. In this connection, we attended a conference of heads of foreign policy institutions of socialist and certain Western European countries held in Varna (Bulgaria) in November 1972, and in May 1973 we organized in Budapest an international scientific conference with the participation of our socialist sister institutions on questions of the institutionalization of the policy of European security and cooperation. Since the establishement of the Institute, its leaders and research workers have participated in thirteen international scientific conferences and have visited fourteen scientific institutes abroad. In the same period, leaders and research workers of twenty foreign institutes have visited us and many of them delivered lectures to and conducted consultations with our research workers and other Hungarian specialists invited. Through correspondence the Institute has already established contacts with several countries (both within Europe and beyond), or with their foreign policy research institutes; through them, as well as through personal contacts, it is hoped that scientific cooperation may be arranged in the future. It is very important for a newly established research institute dealing with theoretical problems of international relations and foreign policy, and working with a relatively small staff, to establish as quickly as possible the means for carrying out broad international relations, exchanging information and arranging consultations. We believe our recently started journal „Foreign Policy” will make a substantial contribution to this. X