Of ali the subregional cooperative networks that have
emerged since the end of the Cold War, the grouping of Georgia,
Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Moldova (GUUAM) presents
one of the most interesting cases. Unlike practically ali other
subregional initiatives based on geographic proximity, GUUAM
transcends natural geographical lines. It brings together five postSoviet countries that are not only dispersed geographically, but are
also quite different historically and culturally, and vary in the
extent of their transformation from Soviet communism. While the
emergence of almost ali cooperative pattems at the subregional
level is motivated by common interests that are mainly of a socioeconomic and environmental nature, GUUAM was launched
primarily as an international political initiative. In contrast to most
other subregional groups, which delibcrately avoid dealing directly
with political and security issues, the political and security aspects
of cooperation are at the top of GUUAM's agenda. It is not
surprising, therefore, that this cooperative effort has attracted
international attention and that the group itself, although initially
favoring a low profile, is becoming more proactive and visible.
Primary Language | Turkish |
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Subjects | Political Science |
Journal Section | Research Article |
Publication Date | May 1, 1998 |
Published in Issue | Year 1998 |