Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Soroush Shabani Khatibani ¹
• Ali Alizadeh ²

¹ Master's Degree Graduate in Regional Studies of Central Asia and the South Caucasus of the University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

² Political Science Assistant Professor at the Supreme National Defense University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The security arrangements in the South Caucasus have consistently failed to establish stability and resolve disputes. While various reasons are offered for this failure, this research focuses on the most significant intra-regional factors affecting these arrangements. A descriptive and qualitative document analysis method has been used in this inductive research. Furthermore, it is based on neoclassical realism theory and library data collection methods. The study identifies three main factors and six indicators. The findings reveal that within the "regional power structure factor" (comprising "power distribution" and "polarization" indicators), there's an uneven power distribution and a lack of benign internal or external power within the regional republics' polarization. In the "economic factor" (with "economic interdependence (trade)" and "participation in energy transit routes" indicators), there's minimal economic dependency and a policy of excluding rivals from energy transit lines. Finally, within the "military-security factor" (including "territorial disputes" and "ethnic tensions"), unresolved territorial disputes and unique characteristics of ethnic tensions, fostering external distrust, are highlighted. The research's novelty lies in its exclusive focus on intra-regional factors. Due to these factors, independent of external factors, the security arrangements in the region are not effective in establishing stability.

Keywords

• Security Arrangements
• South Caucasus
• Regional Power Structure
• Economic Factor
• Military-Security Factor

Main Subjects

• International Relations