Post-Soviet Insecurity And Unrest In Russia’s North Caucasus Borderlands: Sources, Implications And Some Policy Recommendantions
North Caucasus (hereinafter, NC) has been the most troubled part of the Post-Soviet Russian Federation (RF) due to historical, ethnic, religious and socio-political reasons dating back to the even pre-Soviet times. Unfortunately, NC is mostly known for its ethno-religious and political instability rather than its rich multicultural composition and scenic beauties which, otherwise, would promote the region as a noteworthy point of the world’s cultural and geographical heritage.
Achievement of stability and prosperity in the NC would be a beneficial target for all not only in the region but the rest of the world. However, despite the ostensible simplicity and desirability of this win-win objective, policies and attitudes of all interested parties ranging from the local inhibitants to Russian leaders and the West, do not necessarily end up in a coherent sum in reality. Examples of competition and cooperation exist simultaneously. Yet, there are a few examples of opportunity windows like Moscow’s recent adoption of socio-political reform initiatives or Russian-Turkish rapprochment or the European Union’s (EU) relatively growing interest in the region. These factors would help stabilize and further open the region to the world especially in a Western-style orientation. The responsibility of eliminating instability in the region lies foremost with the Russian leadership. Next, local inhibitants and international community bear their own responsibilities. Problems and their possible solutions in this region would also teach us some lessons that might help us explain and solve similar ethno-religious radicalization issues in other parts of the world through a longer historical perspective.
This chapter will examine the multiple historical, ethno-religious and socio-political roots of the instability in the NC and provide a discussion of its implications for the wider world in addition to a few policy recommendations for all major interested parties.
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Proiectul consta in realizarea unui studiu complex vizînd publicarea unei lucrări relative la opţiunile de securitate ale Republicii Moldova. Studiul va conţine o evaluare generală a situaţiei mediului internaţional de securitate, o hartă a ameninţărilor, riscurilor şi vulnerabilităţilor de securitate ale Republicii Moldova, o evaluare a opţiunilor alternative de soluţii de securitate ale Republicii Moldova şi o evaluare a situaţiei acestor opţiuni şi compatibilităţii cu dezideratul integrării în Uniunea Europeană, după noile prevederi ale Tratatului de la Lisabona. Proiectul este finanţat de GMF Washigton şi este realizat în coordonarea IDIS Viitorul.
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In the last week of October 2008, our Center is organizing a conference with NATO PDD support on the issue of the future strategic concept. The conference will include debates with the NATO HQ and NATO countries input, with the Romanian address of the future content and form of the NATO Strategic Concept and with the inputs of the partner countries in the post-soviet space that are fighting to become members of the Alliance and the countries of the Western Balkans in the same situation. The international conference will have 100-120 persons participating and 10-12 speakers including from the countries in the region, from NATO head quarters and NATO member countries. The project includes editing and printing the proceedings of the conference. The project is financed via the NATO PDD.
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In the second week of June 2008, our Center is organizing a conference with NATO PDD support on the issue of capabilities, the balance between territorial and expeditionary forces and the situation on the gap of the capabilities in Afghanistan. The international conference will have 100-120 persons participating and 10-12 speakers including from the countries in the region, from NATO head quarters and NATO member countries. The project includes editing and printing the proceedings of the conference. The project is financed via the NATO PDD.
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Beginning with the month on December 2008 until May 2009, we are developing a project in the framework of the Trilateral Romania-Ukraine-Republic of Moldova that aims at establishing the way that the decision making systems in the three countries perceived, assessed and reacted to the Russian-Georgian war. The project includes a common assessment after the meetings in Chisinau, Kiev and Bucharest and a final paper on the national approach and the regional pattern of the decision making in this particular crisis, as well as the decision taken and applied in this particular crisis as well as the motivation of these decisions in the particular case of each country. For some of them, the war in Georgia represented a particular crisis of their own country and was perceived like such. The project will be concluded by the launch of the paper in the three capitals. The project is financed via the Black Sea Trust of the GMF.
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East East – Think tank cooperation –trilateral partnership
Beginning with the month on March, we are developing a project in the framework of the Trilateral Romania-Ukraine-Republic of Moldova that aims at establishing the perception of the population, the official relations and the fears of the people from the three countries towards the Russia Federation. The project includes trilateral meetings in Bucharest, Kiev and Chisinau and negotiations of a framework and a final report agreed by all the three parts reflected in a book in Romanian, Ukrainian and English on these matters. The project is financed via the East East project via the Soros Foundation.
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Proceedings of the conference “NATO AND THE ESDP: DEVELOPMENTS AFTER THE BUCHAREST SUMMIT” Bucharest, Intercontinental Hotel, 24 October 2008
THE DEFENSE AND SECURITY OF EUROPE: NATO AND ESDP Proceedings of the conference “NATO AND THE ESDP:DEVELOPMENTS AFTER THE BUCHAREST SUMMIT” Bucharest, Intercontinental Hotel, 24 October 2008
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Developing and strengthening a joint approach Romania-Ukraine-Republic of Moldova on the policies promoted by the Russian Federation.
The general objective of the present project is to identify domains and ways of cooperation between Romania, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine for developing and strengthening a joint approach on the policies promoted by the Russian Federation. The events of August 2008 in Georgia have given rise to a series of questions and concerns regarding Russia’s behavior towards different countries in Europe. These concerns include Romania, Moldova and Ukraine, since Russia is heavily involved in the issue of Transnistrian region, which is located between Ukraine and the rest of the territory of Moldova, and in the immediate vicinity of Romania, a member of EU and NATO.
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This project aims to investigate, evaluate and compare the existing energy security strategies and equivalent documents at the level of the countries situated in the Wider Black Sea Area
march, 2009
The problem of energy security is in the forefront of the research and concerns of the states in the region and the approaches are debated inside the European Union and NATO. Two schools of addressing energy security are the basic ones, with nuances: one is referring to the alternative sources and alternative routes, of delivering the supplies of oil and gas, meaning the network of pipelines in the region, alternative projects and support for those projects. In this field the dynamic is high and recent developments in Turkey, in the relations with Azerbaijan and in the pressures made towards the EU are making the situation very uncertain in the long run. On the other hand, the second approach is considering the interdependence of the suppliers and consumers in both the upstream – with participations in the production of the consumers – and in the downstream with equal participations in the distribution of the suppliers.
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The russian-georgian war: impact on the change of the international relations
October 8, 2009
The Russian-Georgian war in August 2008 has raised numerous questions about the future of the Wider Black Sea Region, and even the new changes that such a move is showing in the International Relations architecture: are we moving back to spheres of influence, exclusive intervention areas, at least for Russia, do we have a new Russia aiming and capable of becoming a global power again, what is the space of the global balance and of the relations EU/Russia, what is the perception of the countries in the region linked to their future and to the relations with Russia. In this respect we already drafted an assessment of the decision making in crisis during the Russian-Georgian war after study tours in Georgia, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, working with experts in the region. Now our aim in to see what happen after one year of Obama administration, what is the situation two years after in a final conference that also will point out Romania’s perception on the war and on the processes that developed afterwards.
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