The Role of Technological Forecasting in the Strategic Foresight Process for the Field of International Relations

Abstract

The study of national interest as a unit for analyzing a state’s foreign behavior, and applying it to Algeria, shows that states operate in the international system according to what their national interests dictate, despite the closeness between political units and the emergence of economic globalization. After the Cold War, the ideological factor declined, and the concept of interest emerged as a key reference for foreign policy, with diplomatic activities increasingly directed toward achieving and safeguarding these interests. In the modern era, Algeria has acquired new and more effective mechanisms and frameworks, most notably economic organizations and regional and international blocs.
Although these blocs may seem to signal a retreat from national interest in favor of a collective interest for the international system, in reality, their formation is primarily based on the interests of member states. States have become unable to achieve their interests alone, which compels them to engage in regional and international relations to secure their internal needs. Therefore, blocs and organizations are considered modern mechanisms for expressing national interest, as the state remains their fundamental component, and any bloc that conflicts with its interests may lead to its withdrawal or to paralyzing it until it loses effectiveness.