The Geopolitical Dimension of the Conflicts in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region

Abstract

Conflicts remain an unresolved problem in the modern world, which is particularly difficult for such a small and developing country like Georgia. The collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the emergence of new sovereign states led not only to an adjustment of a world map but also global geostrategic changes. As a consequence, new centers of power appeared, operating through a variety of strategies to obtain a dominant position in the post-bipolar world. The South Caucasus region turned out to be especially “attractive” in this regard. Two of the conflicts in the abovementioned area arose directly in the territory of Georgia, and these conflicts remain unresolved. Research, analysis and search for settlement mechanisms of the conflicts in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region are the most important challenges for Georgia, therefore, the purpose of our article is to present the impact of Russia's soft power in the existing conflicts and possible mechanisms for resolving the problem. Keywords: Geopolitics, Abkhazia, Tskhinvali, Conflicts