Declaratory Diplomacy: Rhetorical Initiatives and Confidence Building

May 01, 1999

Michael Krepon, Jenny S. Drezin, and Michael Newbill, eds.

Well-chosen words delivered in public declarations by national leaders can serve to reassure neighbors, demonstrate good will, reinforce common interests, open lines of communication, break deadlocks, and promote regional stability and security. The first comparative analysis of public declarations ever published, this report concentrates on the mixed successes of declaratory diplomacy in managing troubled bilateral relationships in four case studies: the US-USSR; Egypt-Israel; India-Pakistan; and Argentina-Brazil.