The discussion of the national security is very relevant for the countries of the South Caucasus region. This is due not only to the challenges and difficult security environment facing these countries but also to recent developments around coordinating and policy-making agencies in this area.
The security environment in the South Caucasus is closely linked to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Immediately after that, the growing role of international factors in this region began to grow. However, a sudden collapse turned the region from the periphery of the empire into one of the most important parts of Eurasia. This indicates that the main strategic dilemma has shifted from Europe to Asia. In addition, dramatic changes in the international system have put the newly independent states of the South Caucasus in front of the geopolitical calculations of large states.
The volatile nature of the region stems from the region’s deeply entrenched legacies and the challenges facing newly independent states. The states of the South Caucasus have realized that they do not have the ability to formulate their own priorities, interests and strategies through their own means, and have recognized that external support is important for their security. The need for external assistance to ensure security has in turn led to the internationalization of security interactions and paved the way for the creation of regional lines. But the point is that the internationalization of security can lead to negative consequences such as the consumption of security or the use of instability. In other words, the commitment of regional actors can lead to a dilemma for stability suppliers or volatility contributors.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the post-Soviet countries of the Caucasus region: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, chose different directions of development in order to define their role and function in the international political and economic system. Ensuring security policy has become a significant challenge for actors in the South Caucasus region, which is why they have chosen a different foreign policy vector. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan today have different foreign vectors, which we will discuss in detail in the paper.
Using the method of comparative analysis, we will try to determine the objective and subjective reasons and factors why Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan have chosen different foreign vectors and roles. The paper will be processed through the prism of basic concepts of international relations (realism, pluralism, globalism). In addition to the foreign vectors of actors in the South Caucasus region, the paper will also focus on the national security characteristics of a small country and their foreign policy roles (neutrality, buffer, impartiality) in the international system.
