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On the Edges: Post-Soviet Eurasia and Its Periphery


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Authors

Samokhvalov, Vsevolod 

Abstract

The research of Eurasian regionalism mostly focuses on the Eurasian core, e.g. Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, which have been pursuing a more exclusive and closer form of integration – Customs Union/Eurasian Economic Union. Other countries of the post-Soviet space are often described as post-Soviet ‘escapists’ or ‘isolationists’ and mostly discounted in the analyses of the Eurasian regionalism. The paper looks at six post-Soviet states, who opted out from the Eurasian Economic Union, and analyse their interaction with the EEU. The paper argues that despite tensions in relations with Russia, most of these countries are reluctant to entirely disrupt their economic relations with the post-Soviet Eurasia. The paper argues that six countries of the post-Soviet Eurasian periphery effectively pursue policies of a looser form association with the Eurasian core. This finding allows to argue that Eurasian regionalism, similarly to its European model, consists of the core and outer circle. The outer circle is featured by overlapping regional arrangements and growing presence of external powers and growing number of transit and trade flows linking this Eurasian periphery with the West and Asia.

Description

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis via http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23745118.2016.1171285

Keywords

Eurasia, Great Silk Road, shared neighbourhood, Russia, Central Asia, Caucasus

Journal Title

Perspectives on European Politics and Society

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

17

Publisher

Taylor & Francis