Thesis (Ph.D.)--Georgetown University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

The aim of this thesis is to study complex nature of the Azerbaijani Foreign policy and to analyze relations of Azerbaijan with other countries in regional and global context in order to determine which countries are more prioritized. The author concluded that the balanced Foreign policy is no longer pursued and its orientation is now changed towards West. The study had also determined the reasons behind the Western orientation. Thesis concluded that Azerbaijan pursues economic integration with the West as well as sustains political dominance in the South Caucasus region.

Thesis (doctoral)--Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 230-251).

The main aim of the given thesis is to investigate the impact of gender-based stereotypes and public opinion on intimate partner violence in the South Caucasus and offer the reader recommendations to change the existing alarming situation. As a theoretical background of the study, Patriarchy theory and General Systems theory will be used based on which the influences of stereotypes on the intimate partner violence in the region will be explained. While following study covers 3 countries, the cross-cultural comparison and content analysis will be used as methodological tools. The findings show that in three of the countries -Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia traditional gender-based attitudes shape the main behavioral patterns of perpetrators and victims. The intervention of western European states and increasing public awareness seems to be the most appropriate solution of the existing situation.

Pavel Makovský: Geopolitical aspects of transport interconnections development in the Southern Caucasus Abstract This study solves transport interconnection in the South Caucasus region with a focus on four modes of transport - air, rail, road and pipeline. The research covers regional cooperation and cross-border involvement of other states and international organizations. Literature and data research from statistical office of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia sites, which I analyzed and confronted with the liberal theory of functionalism (neofunctionalism) and the opposite theory of realism (neorealism), was conducted. The result is an interdependence analysis evaluated at two ranks (regional and cross-border). It is followed by the applicability and summary of all political actors acting on the basis of liberal or realistic thinking. On the basis of the work there is possibility to build on research in the region of Central Asia. Keywords: South Caucasus; transport interconnection; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Georgia; geopolitics

This thesis deals with the South Ossetian- Georgian conflict and its internationalization especially since the Rose revolution in Georgia in 2003. The main objective of the thesis is to examine the changes in the rivalry between Russia and the United States over the Caucasus and their effects on the relations between Georgia and the South Ossetia. The thesis argues that the development of the conflict between Georgia and the South Ossetia has been shaped by the changes in the level of involvement by Russia and the United States rather than the bilateral relations between Tbilisi and Tskhinvali. Thus, international and systematic factors are more determining than local dynamics of this conflict. The thesis has six chapters, including the introduction and conclusion chapters. After the introduction, the second chapter examines the ethnic origins of the Ossetians and the Georgians as well as historical background of their relations. The third chapter analyzes the sources of the conflict and the 1991-1992 war between Georgia and the South Ossetia. The fourth chapter discusses the 2003 Rose revolution in Georgia and its affects on Georgia&rsquo / s relations with the Western powers, namely the United States and the European Union. The fifth chapter examines the worsening relations between Russia and Georgia after the Rose revolution as well as the Russian-Georgian War in 2008 with its international consequences.

Disertacijoje nagrinėjamas diplomatijos vaidmuo Pietų Kaukazo valstybių saugumo politikoje, pasitelkiant geopolitinių kodų metodą ir regioninio saugumo komplekso teoriją. Sudėtinis teorinis analizės modelis yra grindžiamas neorealistine tarptautinių santykių samprata, o diplomatijos analizėje naudojama racionalistinė tarptautinių santykių paradigma. Tyrimas apima laikotarpį nuo Pietų Kaukazo valstybių nepriklausomybės atgavimo devintojo dešimtmečio pradžioje iki 2008 m. vėlyvo pavasario. Pietų Kaukazo valstybių geopolitinių kodų studija yra pirmasis tokio pobūdžio bandymas identifikuoti Armėnijos, Azerbaidžano ir Gruzijos geopolitinius savitumus ir individualios bei regioninės geostrateginės raidos galimybes. Tyrimas pateikia naują požiūrį į Pietų Kaukazo regioninio saugumo komplekso egzistavimą, taip revizuodamas ankstesnius tyrimus. Disertacijoje atskleista Pietų Kaukazo valstybių diplomatijų, apibrėžtų geopolitinių kodų ir identifikuoto regioninis saugumo komplekso tarpusavio priklausomybė. Taip pat išanalizuota šiuolaikinė tarptautinė sistema ir, didelę įtaką Pietų Kaukazui turintys, transatlantinių santykių principai. Išvadose, tarp kitų įžvalgų, pažymima, kad pagrindinė diplomatijos reikšmė yra komunikacijos tarp regiono politinių lyderių palaikymas ir trinties mažinimas, taip sulaikant valstybes nuo įšaldytų konfliktų sprendimo jėga. / The dissertation, based on the method of geopolitical sketches and the theory of regional security complex, provides with assessment of the role of diplomacy in security policy of the South Caucasus states. Neorealist approach to international relations, fallowed by rationalist paradigm used for analysis of diplomacy, determines the background of theoretical model of analysis. The research is based on the timeframe from early independence of regional states in the last decade of the twentieth century till late spring of 2008. The study of South Caucasus geopolitical sketches is the first attempt, of such kind, to identify geopolitical peculiarities and options for development of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The study provides with new approach to the existence of the regional security complex in the South Caucasus and consequently reassesses the studies conducted earlier. Dissertation discovers the interdependence among diplomacies of the South Caucasus states, defined geopolitical sketches and identified regional security complex. Contemporary international system and principles of transatlantic relations, bearing considerable impact on the South Caucasus, were analyzed as well. Among other insights listed in conclusions, it was envisaged that the main tangible role of diplomacy is to maintain communication of political leaders and minimize frictions between states preventing settling of frozen conflicts by coercive measures.

This thesis analyses the developments in the South Caucasus region since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The disintegration brought about the decleration of independence from teh states in the region, namely Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. However, the conflicts in the aftermath of independence drawing the region into instability brought about the question of whether the instability in the region is an end result of teh policies of regional actors in the region. Whether teh stability in the South Caucasus is directly bound to teh constructive policies of the main actors? Whether actors act as stability providers or instability exploiters in the region? Are the actors especially since 9/11 Russia and the United States while expressing intentions on regional stability, with their differing interests acts as instability exploiters? In fact, these questions stems from the dilemma of discourse and commitment.

The thesis is an explorative study of the notion of constraints to Russia’s foreign policy. The explorative attempt investigates Moscow’s external behaviour vis a vis the states of the Baltics and the South Caucasus from 2013 to 2020. The analysis argues that the notion of constraints, under the theoretical framework of neoclassical realism, can offer a certain degree of explanatory power in terms of foreign policy variance. The operationalization of the notion, based on Foreign Policy Analysis Theory, proposes specific factors for inspection. Initially, a thematic analysis of Russia’s Foreign Policy Documents of 2013 and 2016, illustrates that the notion of constraints and regionalism is lacking from the perception of the actor. The two documents understand the external world more in terms of threat/risk instead of constraints. Consequently, an examination of the constraints on the level of the international system, and the regional actors demonstrates that the notion holds analytical value under certain circumstances, however, it overlaps with existing frameworks such as that of Tsygankov’s constructivist version, and Structural Realism. The explorative research brings forward fields where the literature on Russia’s foreign policy can be enriched. One of the suggestions is associated with inspecting the notion of fear conditioning in the policy documents of the country.

Under what configuration of conditions do ethno-territorial conflicts escalate, and under what configurations of conditions is conflict avoided between a minority and the centre in multi- ethnic states? This dissertation employs qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) in order to capture the causal patterns of conflict escalation and peace preservation. By simultaneously analysing the causes of conflict and the conditions of peace, this dissertation bridges a significant gap in the existing literature that assumes causal linearity and unifinality. The QCA analysis this dissertation conducts is grounded in empirical evidence from the South Caucasus where, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, three newly independent states emerged and grappled with the accommodation of ethnic-minorities and their evolving identities. The QCA analysis reveals that, contrary to the popular premise that regional autonomy is "an effective antidote" for ethno-territorial wars, autonomy in the South Caucasus was conducive to conflict and the lack of autonomy was conducive to peace. Nevertheless, this dissertation does not suggest that autonomy on its own can explain the complexity of inter-ethnic relations. Rather, it argues that there were multiple configurations of conditions that interacted to produce...