Diplomacy 101

What do Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh have in common? Well, yes, they are all predominantly Muslim countries, but besides that, they are also all members of the ill-named Developing 8 and they will be meeting in Bali on May 11-13, to discuss "preferential trade" agreements and the like. The D-8 ...

What do Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh have in common? Well, yes, they are all predominantly Muslim countries, but besides that, they are also all members of the ill-named Developing 8 and they will be meeting in Bali on May 11-13, to discuss "preferential trade" agreements and the like. The D-8 summit comes right on the heels of another summit in Baku --of the Economic Cooperation Organization-- which hosted Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

What do Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh have in common? Well, yes, they are all predominantly Muslim countries, but besides that, they are also all members of the ill-named Developing 8 and they will be meeting in Bali on May 11-13, to discuss "preferential trade" agreements and the like. The D-8 summit comes right on the heels of another summit in Baku –of the Economic Cooperation Organization— which hosted Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

While little noticed in the Western media, I am sure these meetings are worrying someone at the State Department, and not because of the quotas on dates and nuts the parties will negotiate down. Iran, which was the star in Baku and is passing the chairmanship of the D-8 onto Indonesia in Bali, is busy collecting nods and endorsements for its nuclear program by big players like Turkey and Indonesia. While schmoozing in Asia, Ahmadinejad also sends a thoughtful letter to Bush, calling for dialogue. 

This is a pretty sophisticated diplomatic strategy: while showing the U.S. and EU that it has many friends and that it is not at all isolated in the world, Iran is trying to frame itself in this crisis as the reasonable one who is willing to make the first step towards a solution. Who wants to bomb the nice guy?

Davide Berretta is a researcher at Foreign Policy.

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.