The Post-Soviet Space: From the USSR to the Commonwealth of Independent States and Beyond

2007 ◽  
pp. 13-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Kobrinskaya
Author(s):  
D. Malyshev

The article analyzes the main key events in the development of the thirty-year history of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as the main structure operating in the post-Soviet space. The main stages of the formation of the CIS as a full-fledged international organization are shown; the characteristics of its structure and statutory bodies are given. Special attention is paid to the essential aspects of the development of the CIS in 2020–2021, as well as the current state of this organization, the direction of its activities in the context of overcoming the negative consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The possible alternatives for the development of the Commonwealth in the near future have been predicted.


2006 ◽  
pp. 128-138
Author(s):  
N. Shumsky

The article considers the distinctive characteristics of the Commonwealth of Independent States as a regional economic union of states on the post-Soviet space. It emphasizes major conceptual approaches to determining strategy and basic tendencies of the CIS development, perfection of organizational and legal mechanisms of member states interaction. The article examines the prospects of the CIS transformation into an efficiently functioning economic union of states.


2009 ◽  
Vol 35 (S1) ◽  
pp. 237-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
PAUL KUBICEK

AbstractThe Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was designed to manage the collapse of the Soviet Union and foster post-Soviet cooperation in political, economic, and security spheres. Over a decade into its existence, most analysts would rate it a failure: many post-Soviet states do not participate in CIS ventures, the institutional machinery of the CIS is weak, and Russia, the most dominant post-Soviet state, has tended to favour bi-lateral relationships over multi-lateral institutions. Why is this the case? This article looks at the CIS through the prism of theories of regionalism, demonstrating that the CIS was handicapped on many fronts, including emergent multi-polarity in the post-Soviet space and domestic-level political considerations in many post-Soviet states.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-110
Author(s):  
David Erkomaishvili

The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 allowed independent states, which emerged in its place, to construct their own alignments. The choice of the case for empirical analysis had been made based on several unique characteristics. Orthodox Alliance Theory had almost never properly addressed alignments in the post-Soviet space due to the lack of access to information during the Soviet period - along with the structure of the state: only Soviet alignment policies were taken into consideration, instead of those of its constituent republics as well - and modest interest of alliance theorists in the region. Continued disintegration of the post-Soviet space, which has not stopped with the collapse of the Soviet Union but keeps fragmenting further, creates a unique setting for researching the adequacy of Alliance Theory's classic assumptions as well as developing new approaches. This work traces the development of the post-Soviet system of collective security and its subsequent transformation into a series of bilateral security relations, along with the shortfall of multilateralism.


Author(s):  
Elena Stetsko

The сhapter studies the relationship between the development of integration processes and the development of civil society in the post-Soviet space and, in particular, in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. It consists of five parts. The introduction presents the main trends and vectors of integration processes in the post-Soviet space. The first part considers the concept of “civil society” and its features in Western and Russian political thought. The second part highlights the features of building a civil society in the independent states of the EAEU. General points and differences in the emerging civil societies of the EAEU countries are revealed. Further, in the fourth part, the “Eurasian idea” is considered in terms of its compatibility with the peculiarities of the development of civil society in the post-Soviet space. The final part proposes a discussion topic on the possibility of political integration within the EAEU.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (7(76)) ◽  
pp. 14-17
Author(s):  
Gunel Aliyeva-Mammadova

In the 90th years XX century conditions of the new world order, after the collapse of the USSR, the formation of new independent states in the post-Soviet space, conflicts appeared (the Ossetia-Ingush conflict, the Chechen war, the Upper-Karabakh war, etc.), which negatively affected the political and economic situation of these countries. Among these conflicts, on its scale, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict occupies a special place, is not only regional; it can turn into a world conflict at any moment and therefore is explosive.


Author(s):  
N. Shumskii

For 20 years after the collapse of the USSR the post-Soviet countries, for the most part, turned into the independent states. So, it is not surprising that each of them has its own policy, posts and defends its own interests. The strive to preserve independence, to modernize the economy and to improve the living standards of the population remains the main driving force of interaction between the former Soviet republics within the Commonwealth of Independent States. The CIS serves as the main systemic structure in the post-Soviet space that allows the member states to harmonize their positions and, with varying degrees of effectiveness, to solve common problems. CIS provides more certainty than the regional grouping of states of the CIS. While assessing the results of different integration projects at the post-Soviet space, it can be concluded that until now Belarus and Russia fail to create a viable Union State. The Eurasian Economic Community (G5) is also far from the establishment of a customs union and an unified economic space. The fate of the Customs Union of three states (Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia) will be defined in the upcoming years in the context of the enormous challenges of creating a common market for goods, services, capital and labor.


10.12737/5279 ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (8) ◽  
pp. 73-83
Author(s):  
Анна Каширкина ◽  
Anna Kashirkina ◽  
Андрей Морозов ◽  
Andrey Morozov

The article reveals the scientific approaches to the concept and cycles of Eurasian integration. Identified formations in the development of the Eurasian integration at post-soviet space. The authors use the dialectic, formal logical, comparative legal, historical and other research methods. Analyzes the international legal base of the Customs Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States and other international acts. The conclusions about the possible expansion of the membership of the Eurasian Economic Union. Proves the effectiveness and positive aspects of the transition from the Eurasian Economic Union to Union with broader competence. At the same time problems of a legal nature, which impairs the development of Eurasian integration. The effect of different international acts integration associations in the post-soviet space on the legal system of the Russian Federation. The authors conclusions and proposals on improving the international legal base of the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as recommendations for improvement of the Russian legislation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-243
Author(s):  
Tero Lundstedt

Has Russian international law doctrine changed in relation to the post-Soviet states since the annexation of Crimea? This paper analyses two interdependent concepts of the contemporary Russian international law doctrine - the ‘color revolutions’ and the ‘destruction of statehood’ - in the context of geopolitical competition over the post-Soviet space. In brief, the term color revolution is used by Russia to describe events that it categorizes as illegal regime-changes used to remove pro-Russian politicians from power under the guise of democracy. In the same context, Russia has developed another key concept, i.e. the ‘destruction of statehood’. First referred to in 2008, it has since 2014 become a more encompassing and innovative legal doctrine to counter color revolutions in Russia’s neighboring states. Under this doctrine, Russia reserves a right to ‘un-recognize’ a target state if it categorizes the situation as an illegal regime change that has destroyed the target’s statehood. Controversially, this results in Russia no longer being bound by its treaty obligations with this state. Especially since 2014, Russia has developed political and legal tools in multilateral documents to counter future color revolutions. While it has been unable to convince the international community to accept its new interpretations, it has been more successful within its closest allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and, to a lesser extent, in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). This may have significant political consequences in the future. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 84-105
Author(s):  
D. A. Belashchenko ◽  
V. V. Tolkachev ◽  
A. P. Shmelev ◽  
I. F. Shodzhonov

Integration processes in the post-Soviet space actualize the topic of several individual organizations prospects considering current trends on the international scene, particularly the ODED-GUAM. This formation is specific because it was initially created without the participation of the Russian Federation and also formed as an alternative to the Common-wealth of Independent States and other integration projects where the leading role was recognized for the Russian Federation.The study consists of two parts. The first part examines the development process of the ODED-GUAM organization and high-lights the main stages of its existence. The transformation of the conceptual ideas of the organization’s development from a global to a local actor in world politics was also mentioned in the article. The study conducts a broad analysis of the organization’s source base, evaluates the results that the organization has achieved and the reasons of its composition change.The second part of the study is devoted to the analysis of the prospects for the development of this organization from the standpoint of neorealism (structural realism) taking into account the combination of endogenous and exogenous factors.The totality of moments related to the specifics of the ODED-GUAM conceptual component evolution, the episodic nature of its activities, the presence of the internal conflict of interests among participating countries, the leading international actors positions towards the organization, allows us to consider the integration entity is mostly the artificial construct that unified states that were for one reason or another out of key integration projects of the Russian Federation in the post-Soviet space. It is also relevant to consider the ODED-GUAM as a tool for promoting the interests of such actors as the United States and the EU in the post-Soviet space, as an instrument of information, ideological, and economic pressure on Russia and its partners in integration entities.In fact, the prospects of the ODEDGUAM organization are directly dependent on the position and policy of external actors who consider this organization as one of the platforms to influence the Russian Federation as well as the People’s Republic of China and the integration projects implemented by these countries.


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