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International Relations & Diplomacy vocabulary · Negotiation & Summit Language

Common ground

Meaning in international relations & diplomacy, with examples

phraseCommon term

In international relations & diplomacy, common ground means: Opinions, interests or aims that two or more sides share, which can serve as a starting point for agreement.

In Turkish: ortak zemin, ortak nokta

How it is used

Very common in negotiation and diplomatic language: 'find', 'seek', 'look for', 'establish' or 'build on' common ground. Mediators often start by identifying areas of common ground before moving to the difficult issues.

Example sentences

  1. The two delegations found common ground on trade but not on visas.

  2. The mediator asked both sides to focus on areas of common ground.

  3. There is little common ground between the two positions at the moment.

Common collocations

  • find common ground
  • seek common ground
  • areas of common ground
  • build on common ground
  • compromiseAn agreement in which each side gives up part of what it wanted so that both can accept the result; the same word is a verb meaning to reach such an agreement.
  • consensusGeneral agreement among all participants, often reached without a formal vote because no one objects to a proposal.
  • negotiationFormal discussion between parties who are trying to reach an agreement, in which each side presents its position, makes proposals and may accept compromises.
  • mediationAn effort by a neutral third party, such as a state, organisation or individual, to help the sides in a dispute reach an agreement without imposing a solution.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Negotiation & Summit Language

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