Basic directions of the Canadian foreign policy in 1984-1993 (on materials of the Archive of foreign policy of the Russian Federation)

The foreign policy of the government of B. Mulroney received the name ''politics of continentalism'' in foreign historiography. As a prime measure the new Canadian management suggested to enter into the agreement on creation of a zone of free trade in Northern America. The government of Canada acted in September 1985 with the initiative, offering the United States to begin negotiations on establishment of a bilateral mode of free trade. Negotiations about creation of a zone of free trade proceeded for more than two years and ended productively. In January 1988 the Canada-U.S. Agreement on free trade (F1A) which provided liquidation of barriers in the bilateral exchange of goods and services, and also joint settlement of trading conflicts and disputes was signed. The steadfast attention to neighbours on North American continent did not mean that within B. Mulroney's board Canada "has forgotten" about other foreign policy directions. Except "continental", the priority directions of foreign policy in the official documents of Canada of that time were also European, Pacific and Latin American. The European direction in the Canadian policy of ''Mulroney's era'' dominated with the problems of safety and political issues, while traditionally important trade and economic contacts were set aside. In the second half of the 1980s - beginning of the 1990s the basic interests of Canada were connected with the changes in the countries of the Eastern Europe, their gradual democratisation, their loss of the USSR influence. In the Asian-Pacific region policy, basic attention was paid to the problems of trade and economic cooperation with Japan, the People's Republic of China and the new industrial countries. The basis of the new Canadian vision of the prospects of political development of the Asian-Pacific region first stated in a statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada J. Clark on July, 17, 1990 is the thesis about the necessity of a more active multilateral diplomacy in order "to melt the ice of the ''cold war '' in this part of the world". According to the New Political Strategy approved by the Cabinet in October, 1989 Latin America was also determined a new foreign policy priority. The core of the new Latin American strategy of Ottawa became the task of more active promotion of the Canadian economic interests in the region. In this aspect the most perspective were connections with such countries as Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Uruguay and Peru. As a whole, B. Mulroney's foreign policy can be divided into two periods. At the first stage (before FTA in the beginning of 1989) the overall objective was to enter into the Agreement on creation of a free trade zone with the USA. At the second stage B. Mulroney concentrated the attention on other major foreign policy directions to balance the external connections of the country whenever possible. Therefore characterizing the foreign policy of Canada in 1984-1993 it is necessary to use the concept '' balanced continentalism''.

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