Game of geopolitics: No permanent friends or foes
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Tuesday
January 31, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
Game of geopolitics: No permanent friends or foes

Panorama

Promila Kanya
09 August, 2022, 01:00 pm
Last modified: 09 August, 2022, 04:48 pm

Related News

  • Make money first. Geopolitics can wait
  • China's Xi to arrive in Riyadh on Wednesday to meet Saudi and Arab leaders
  • Saudi prince seeks Mideast leadership, independence with Xi's visit
  • At World Cup, Saudi crown prince moves back on to global stage
  • Saudi crown prince lands in Qatar for World Cup kickoff

Game of geopolitics: No permanent friends or foes

This year in July, a picture of Joe Biden fist bumping Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman during his Jeddah visit surfaced across global media outlets. Lest we forget, not too long ago Saudi Arabia was turned into a pariah by Washington - yet another proof that power trumps principle 

Promila Kanya
09 August, 2022, 01:00 pm
Last modified: 09 August, 2022, 04:48 pm
International relations do not depend on state to state friendship but on mutual benefits, especially for the stronger state. Photo: Bloomberg
International relations do not depend on state to state friendship but on mutual benefits, especially for the stronger state. Photo: Bloomberg

On 2 October, 2018, when the Washington Post Columnist and a critic of the Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud, Jamal Khashoggi, did not come out from the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul hours after he had entered its precinct, rumours that he had been murdered by Saudi officials spread like wildfire.

Although initially the Saudis denied it, on 21 October, its foreign minister Adel-al Jubeir called the murder a "rogue operation" where a few individuals had gone beyond their responsibilities.

Jubeir also stated that crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, also known as MBS, who is now at the helm of affairs in Saudi Arabia, was not aware of the incident. Nevertheless, MBS was ripped apart by western media as the cruellest villain that ever existed.

Reports by CNN detailed descriptions of the murder, from how it was plotted by a 'team' of Saudi men who later fled Istanbul on 'private jets' to how a 'bone saw was sneaked into the Consulate to dismember Khashoggi's body.  Most of this information was provided by Turkish officials according to the reports.

On 23 October, 2018, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a speech at the parliament where he clearly disagreed with Riyadh, saying the murder was premeditated and that "pinning such a case on some intelligence and security members will not satisfy us and the international community."

International relations do not depend on state to state friendship; in fact, there is no place for emotion in international relations. It all depends on mutual benefit, to be more specific, on the benefit of the stronger side; which is why, despite all the fuss created by the United States regarding the Khashoggi murder, it never stopped its weapons export to Saudi Arabia.

When we say 'friendly' relations between two countries, we actually mean the relationship between these two states based on how much benefit one gets from the other.

Shortly after the murder, when questions of possible economic sanctions on Saudi Arabia arose, President Donald Trump said he did not "like the concept of stopping an investment of $110 billion into the United States," regarding a billion dollar agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia, thus dismissing the idea of halting weapons export to one of its biggest clients. 

It seems this murder has also been used by US authorities as a pressure tactic to ensure increased security for Israel, its biggest military ally. And the pressure seems to have worked.

Saudi Arabia does not recognise Israel as a state and there is no diplomatic relations between the two countries yet after decades of ban, Saudi Arabia has now allowed Israeli airlines to fly over its territories.

Now, like the US, a fast pace inflation rate and upcoming elections in 2023 probably has forced Turkey to change its stand on Saudi Arabia as well, and end years of tension between the two countries.

In June, Erdogan and MBS met in Ankara, indicating the former's attempt in restoring the rift with Saudi Arabia. Even before this, Saudi Arabia lifted its unofficial ban on Turkish goods.

This year in July, a picture of Joe Biden fist bumping MBS during his Jeddah visit surfaced across global media outlets. In face of the Russia-Ukraine war and the subsequent increase in price of crude oil, the US is now keen on restructuring its relationship with Saudi Arabia and perhaps ensuring a safe, uninterrupted supply of oil.

The latest diplomatic moves by Washington and Ankara to court MBS also point out that international relations also depend on US elections, indicating Joe Biden's declaration of turning Saudi Arabia into a pariah was simply to win votes.

After banning all import of Russian gas, oil and energy, it was unlikely the US would continue its enmity with Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter (Russia being the second largest). So, efforts to mend fences were inevitable. 

Saudi Arabia and Russia are both members of OPEC+ - an extended version of OPEC. In July,  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia hoped Joe Biden's visit would not affect its reportedly warm relationship with Saudi Arabia.   

Finding an energy source replacement is the same reason why the Biden administration is now planning on thawing its relationship with Venezuela, the country with Latin America's biggest crude oil reserve.     

Venezuela, with its staunch socialist policies set by its government and an established unity with Cuba and Colombia, has always had a tense relationship with the US.

In 2005, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez made headlines when he called President George W Bush the "devil" at the UN General Assembly. In 2009, the country even made an arms deal with Russia, following which, Chavez was seen embracing the Russian President Vladimir Putin.  

It seems fist bump or not, at the end of the day, it is all about power play and competition among every country fighting to stay on top. In this always evolving theatre of global politics, human rights and morality often take a backseat to power politics and practical needs.  

Analysis / Top News

World Politics / President Biden / Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman / geopolitics

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo
    IMF approves Bangladesh's $4.5 billion loan proposal
  • Despite downturn 3 dozen listed firms plan Tk7,500cr investment
    Despite downturn 3 dozen listed firms plan Tk7,500cr investment
  • Mysterious resignation of SIBL chairman, addl MD
    Mysterious resignation of SIBL chairman, addl MD

MOST VIEWED

  • Photo: Masum Billah/TBS
    How the Padma Bridge motorbike ban spawned a new business
  • TBS illustration
    Where do Shariah-compliant mutual funds stand in Bangladesh
  • Sketch: TBS
    A subsidy war without winners
  • Illustration: TBS
    'The silver lining is that the worst is sort of behind us': Hamid Rashid, UN economist
  • Photo: Bloomberg
    BuzzFeed and AI are a match made in fad city
  • Now is the time to focus on FDI composition
    Now is the time to focus on FDI composition

Related News

  • Make money first. Geopolitics can wait
  • China's Xi to arrive in Riyadh on Wednesday to meet Saudi and Arab leaders
  • Saudi prince seeks Mideast leadership, independence with Xi's visit
  • At World Cup, Saudi crown prince moves back on to global stage
  • Saudi crown prince lands in Qatar for World Cup kickoff

Features

Photo: Courtesy

The Hawkers: Where minimalism meets motifs

15h | Brands
TBS illustration

Where do Shariah-compliant mutual funds stand in Bangladesh

14h | Panorama
Sketch: TBS

A subsidy war without winners

14h | Panorama
Photo: Collected

Oppo Reno 8T first look revealed!

15h | Brands

More Videos from TBS

two more factories of the country got platinum certificate.

two more factories of the country got platinum certificate.

6h | TBS Today
Iconic villains of Bollywood

Iconic villains of Bollywood

7h | TBS Entertainment
General knowledge "Gravity"

General knowledge "Gravity"

5h | Videos
Will tanks turn the tide for Ukraine?

Will tanks turn the tide for Ukraine?

6h | TBS World

Most Read

1
Picture: Collected
Bangladesh

US Embassy condemns recent incidents of visa fraud

2
Illustration: TBS
Banking

16 banks at risk of capital shortfall if top 3 borrowers default

3
Bapex calls candidates for job test 9 years after advert!
Bangladesh

Bapex calls candidates for job test 9 years after advert!

4
Photo: Collected
Splash

Hansal Mehta responds as Twitter user calls him 'shameless' for making Faraaz

5
A frozen Beyond Burger plant-based patty. Photographer: AKIRA for Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Special

Fake meat was supposed to save the world. It became just another fad

6
Representational Image
Banking

Cash-strapped Islami, Al-Arafah and National turn to Sonali Bank for costly fund

EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net