ABSTRACT
The creation of alliances of states, rather than supranational authorities, has reflected the foreign policy priorities of the vast majority of developing countries which seek to minimize the external constraints on their domestic policies. Developing countries will continue to face domestic and external constraints that will severely restrict the range of options and the authority of their foreign policies. The formulation of national security policies in developing countries usually begins with judgments of what is necessary and possible to protect the physical safety and political tenure of a particular leader and his regime. The primary and prevalent concerns of Third World governments are with the threats to their security that are domestic in origin or emanate from conditions in neighboring countries; the international dimensions of these local issues will typically determine the core of the foreign policy of these countries.
