COMPLEXITIES AND CHALLENGES WITHIN THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP: ETHNO-POLITICAL SECESSIONISM, FROZEN CONFLICTS, AND DE FACTO STATES IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbeuropaea.2017.1.06Keywords:
Eastern Partnership, South Caucasus, frozen conflicts, de facto states, secessionismAbstract
This article presents and analyzes several key concepts associated with the South Caucasus region, such as secessionism, frozen conflicts, and de facto states. The main goal is to emphasize complexities of this region in terms of ethno-political turmoil and main challenges with respect to the Eastern Partnership. The article is organized in two main parts. The first two sections will briefly overview EU’s relations with countries within the South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan) and the theoretical approaches on ethnic conflicts. The methodological approach employed in this paper will focus on constructivist claims relating to ethno-political conflicts. The second part of the paper will analyze three case-studies (Abkhazia, South-Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh) by focusing on ethno-political secessionism, frozen conflicts, and de facto statehood.
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