Building security in South Caucasus: NATO - exploring the rules of engagement

Abstract

The purpose of this Master’s Essay is to study the certain features of NATO's engagement in the South Caucasian countries for extending democracy, prosperity and security in its Eastern borders. The collapse of the Soviet Union resulted in major geopolitical transformations worldwide. In post-Soviet era the South Caucasus became vitally important arena for the regional and global interests. Therefore, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was forced to redesign its image in the East. In this study the theoretical perceptions of the security concept were examined which reveals the multidimensional characteristic of the concept in security studies. The study also refers to the major causes of security deficit in the region and illustrates the bases of the strategic importance of the South Caucasus region for the European security. Then it discusses the involvement of NATO in the South Caucasus region by its various cooperative initiatives.