User:Yilloslime/BR

Notability of bilateral relations

In General

X-Y relations are notable if they meet the general notability requirement, which states that "If a topic has received significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject, it is presumed to satisfy the inclusion criteria for a stand-alone article. 'Significant coverage' means that sources address the subject directly in detail, and no original research is needed to extract the content. Significant coverage is more than a trivial mention but it need not be the main topic of the source material."

• In this context, the "topic" is the relationship of the countries to one another. Therefore the sources used to demonstrate its notability should actually be about the countries' relationship, and not about something else, like a specific event.
• In this context, the websites of the Governments of X and Y are not independent and cannot used to establish notability.
• New coverage about state visits, sporting events between X and Y, or a company from X investing Y do note establish notability unless the topic of the countries relations is directly addressed, and discussed in detail. In detail means more than a passing mention.
• Books, book chapters, and journal articles constitute appropriate sources if they treat the subject of X-Y relations directly.
  • Example: A book on the foreign relations of Thailand has a chapter on its relations with Australia. This constitutes significant coverage.
  • Example: A book on the foreign relations of Thailand has a chapter on its relations with Latin America. Peru is mentioned a few times, but always along side other countries. This does not constitute significant coverage.
• Newspaper articles can constitute significant coverage, but they must directly address the topic, and spend at least 4 to 5 sentences on the topic. The number of such sources required to add up "significant coverage" varies depending on the depth of coverage in the sources.
  • "Example: Short newspaper blurbs (<250 words) describing events like a state visit, the signing of a minor treaty, or a business deal between a company from country X in country Y generally do not constitute direct coverage of the the countries' relations, nor do such short articles constitute "in depth" coverage.

Shortcuts

WP:COMMONSENSE dictates that in certain situations sources are virtually guaranteed to exist. Therefore, these countries relationships can be presumed to be inherently notable. On the other hand, experience has shown that in certain specific situations, it's extremely rare that appropriate sources exist. For countries in this situation, their relation can be presumed to be inherently non-notable. This suggests some short cuts/rules of thumb:

X-Y relations are inherently notable when:

• X and Y share a border
• X and Y were the principle combatants in an armed conflict in the 20th or 21st century. Contributing troops to a UN operation or similar broad coalition does not count.
  • Example: Argentina – United Kingdom relations qualifies as inherently notable because of the Falklands War. The fact the Albania contributed troops to Coalition Forces in Afghanistan does make Albania-Afghanistan inherently notable.
• X was colonized, occupied, or otherwise part of Y in the last 200 years. Y must be the last occupier/colonizer before X gained independence.
  • Example: France–Mauritania relations are inherently notable because Mauritania gained it's independence from France. The fact the United Kingdom once controled Gorée does not make Senegal – United Kingdom relations inherently notable, because the island was more recently under French rule.

X-Y relations are inherently non-notable when:

• None of the criteria for inherent notability are fulfilled and neither country maintains in embassy in the other and the countries are not involved in a dispute.