History of Formation and Development of Relations between the South Caucasus States and the EU

Abstract

The article examines the history of the formation and development of relations between the states of the South Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan) with the European Union. Methods: system analysis, forecasting, comparison. In the course of the research, special attention is paid to the conditions and determinants of the formation of the European vector of development of the countries of the South Caucasus region at the turn of the 20–21 centuries. The results obtained in the course of the study led to the conclusion that in the 1990s, the European Union largely viewed the South Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia) through the prism of Moscow, taking into account the fact of Russia's presence in the region and its active actions. The situation changed in the 2000s, when the EU’s interests and its interaction with the region intensified, as well as after the armed conflict in Georgia, when Europe became concerned about the need to respect and strengthen security in the region. Subsequently, the security policy was supplemented with new dimensions in cooperation, namely: political, economic, humanitarian. It should be noted that today the states of the South Caucasus region are much more fragmented than ever, and the only integration projects that have taken place are related to external actors. Therefore, in order to intensify cooperation with the EU and achieve real tangible results, the South Caucasus republics should balance their foreign policy, clearly define development priorities, overcome socio-political confrontation within the country, and achieve a peaceful settlement of “frozen” conflicts.