Commonwealth and Independence in Post-Soviet Eurasia

The demise of the Soviet Union in December 1991 was followed by various attempts to create new forms of integration for the new states of Eurasia. The authors analyse in detail how the national elites in the independent states have conceived their regional policies. Georgia failed to strengthen its sovereignty through integration into Western institutions. The material on the Caucasus, Central Asia, Ukraine and Russia show that unifying projects restricted to Eurasia, like the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) or the Caucasian Home, are highly contested among post-Soviet elites. Regional integration is commonly considered to have a positive content - as the creation of political stability or the development of economic links - but each integration project is encountering serious opposition. They are generally seen as a serious limitation to the newly acquired independence, without it necessarily being considered that they enhance regional stability. In this volume, cultural factors are also taken into account in explaining the difficulties of creating cohesive regional institutions.

The Georgian perception of the West, Ghia Nodia; Georgia in Europe - the idea of a periphery in international relations, Bruno Coppieters; the "Caucasian Home" and Pan-Turkist aspirations, Hrant Avetisian; "Caucasian Home" - a view from Azerbaijan, Rafig Aliev; the Armenian and Azeri Communities in Georgia - on Georgia's nationalities and foreign policies, Alexander Kukhianidze; conflict and co-operation in Russo-Ukrainian relations, Arkadi Moshes; Ukrainian foreign policy - between Russia and the West, Sergei Vlasov; turning away from Russia - new directions for central Asia, Alexei Malashenko; Russian and Western interests in preventing, managing and settling conflicts in the former Soviet Union, Dmitri Trenien; conclusions - the failure of regionalism in Eurasia and the Western ascendency over Russia's near abroad, Bruno Coppieters.