Post-Bipolar World Order: Character, Challenges, and Opportunities for Kazakhstan

Abstract

The paper studies the post-bipolar world order. It focuses on the key international-political events, which occurred in 1991-2021 to emphasize the changes in the character of the post-bipolar world order. The article compares different theoretical assumptions on the nature of the world order to figure out the most adequate theoretical platform for analysis. The paper uses structural political realism as the most appropriate theoretical instrument. The paper discusses the place of Kazakhstan in the post-bipolar world order and its main moves to be incorporated in it. The study suggests that the post-bipolar world order has passed through series of transformations during 1991-2021. Moreover, Kazakhstan being not a great power, participated in the global relationship, promoted its national interests rather successfully, used positive angles of the post-bipolar order and eschewed serious problems.