RESOLVING ETHNOPOLITICAL CONFLICTS - AN IMPORTANT CONDITION FOR REGIONAL INTEGRATION OF THE SOUTH CAUCASUS

Abstract

The article analyzes the issue of ethnopolitical conflicts in the South Caucasus, the resolution of which is an essential issue of regional integration. In the past foreign policy orientation was based on the religious beliefs among the people. The South Caucasus regional security has been endangered by conflicts that have emerged there since the 1990s. The article aims to research an international practice for conflict prevention and to highlight the importance of political culture and society in the process of conflict resolution. Along with the “Trump route for international peace and prosperity”, the political and economic influence of the United States of America is manifested in the South Caucasus, which is essentially changing the region`s position. In recent years, the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has greatly increased the prospects for regional integration of the South Caucasus. The goal of regional integration is to strengthen the political and economic ties between the three states in the region as well. In addition to balancing the interests of the key players in the region, the South Caucasus countries are interested in creating a financial and economic hub. Major states in the modern world create a political field at the memorandum level, which aims to implement specific actions by regional countries. In the Eurasian space, regional actors are in the interests of: strengthening communication channels within Eurasia, conducting confidence-building measures, resolving ethnopolitical conflicts, and opening transport highways.

Key words: Regional integration; South Caucasus; ethnopolitical conflict; regional security.