Challenges and Opportunities for Regional Diplomacy in the South Caucasus

Abstract

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the restoration of the independence of the South Caucasus countries, the winning side in the Cold War, the USA, and then the European Union, began to form their own policies. Despite the withdrawal of small entities from the unified political space, Moscow's interests did not go anywhere. After the collapse of the Soviet Empire, the large countries directly neighbo­ring the region, Turkey and Iran, were given the opportunity to pursue their interests and act in the South Caucasus. In the last decade, the world's largest economy, China, has begun to form a multi-vector foreign policy, one of whose lines passes through the South Caucasus. India is beginning to form a new geoeconomic policy in the South Caucasus region.

 The concentration of interests of medium and large powers in a relatively small region on this scale poses significant challenges for the countries of the South Caucasus, but also presents an opportunity for cooperation. Observation of the processes confirms that cooperation between small countries in the region is necessary. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a kind of geopolitical order was formed in the South Caucasus, which implied an alliance grouping of political forces between small countries in the region and neighboring and non-neighboring countries. The geopolitical vertical of the region was formed as follows: Turkey-Azerbaijan; Russia-Armenia-Iran; partnership, although non-alliance relations between Georgia and Western countries. In the modern period, signs of changes in traditional geopolitical verticals have been identified, which may become a turning point for the future of the subjects of the region. Based on comparative examples of regional cooperation and integration, the paper highlights specific areas where Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan can develop pragmatic cooperation, despite existing political obstacles.

 In this regard, the paper focuses on important areas and directions for strengthening cooperation between the countries of the South Caucasus, on the importance of deepening segmental cooperation, which will create a solid foundation for regional security and geopolitical stability in the South Caucasus. Against this background, it becomes possible to form a new agenda for cooperation between the countries of the South Caucasus.