Thierry de Montbrial Quotes

[Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is an adherent of realpolitik. He knows that international relations are not built on the strength of unilateral demands, but on solutions that are in everybody's best interest.

Bipartisanship is like marriage. It takes two to make it work. It only takes one to make it a failure. The President has been playing politics with foreign policy.

You do not build a foreign policy based on one man.

Compromise is not a word that generally makes political hearts flutter, and it is even less loved when it comes to the politics of U. S. foreign policy

The world cannot be governed without juggling.

Americans tend to go for it all. In international politics you can’t have it all. You have to compromise.

Foreign Policy has to be less foreign.

[Commenting on foreign policy:] The Best politics is no politics.

You don’t do foreign policy unilaterally. Foreign policy is a team sport.

Britain and France had to choose between war and dishonour. They chose dishonour. They will have war.

There is an appealing moral clarity in dividing the world into friend and foe. But in reality, progress in international affairs so often demands working with those with whom we do not see eye to eye.

Democrats should insist that a pluralistic democracy such as ours rely on bipartisanship in formulating a foreign policy based on moderation and the nuances of the human condition.

We can find common ground in agreeing that politics have no room in foreign policy.

Diplomacy and coalition-building are hard work and not easy for any president.

President Obama believes getting along is more valuable than standing firm for U.S. interests.

In the '80s, we at least had the idea of diplomacy.

While we need to provide leadership and stability to the world, we should do that through diplomacy.

In relations between the states ... the interests of the country should be correlated with the interests of other countries, and compromise is to be found when resolving the most complex issues.

Despite his deeply-held ideology, Reagan was willing to talk to Gorbachev. He willing to do business with him. We should realize that engaging with adversaries is often one of our great strengths. As long as we use the engagement to stand up for the things we care about, there is no harm in talking.

The foreign policy is not about changing mindsets. Foreign policy is about finding the common meeting points.

The Olympics is a time primarily for sport and celebration, but diplomacy does not stop at the door of the U.N., and for it to work, it must be sustained and consistent.

I don't want to force the peacekeeping nations to feel like I'm pushing them out.

International politics is no longer a zero-sum game but a multi-dimensional arena where cooperation and competition often occur simultaneously. Gone is the age of blood feuds. World leaders are expected to lead in turning threats into opportunities.

If you want to treat China as an enemy, you have a much better chance of making them an enemy than if you treat them as a potential friend.

France on its own cannot impose its point of view. But neither should it give up on its demands. With a clear vote for change France will be in a strong position.