The article is concerned with the problem of determining the criteria for selecting the idiomatic expressions functioning in English political discourse for teaching the students studying international relations to translate them. The need for acquiring skills in translation by these students is justified. The definition of idiomatic expressions is considered. Much attention is given to the description of their types and examination of their role in political discourse. The importance of the criteria for selecting the idiomatic expressions for teaching the students studying international relations to translate them is analyzed on the examples extracted from political speeches.