YSU Journal of International Affairs
type: channel
description: The YSU Journal of International Affairs (YSUJIA) is a peer-reviewed academic journal fostering debate and dialogue on international affairs across humanities and social sciences, including international relations, international history, international law, international political economy, diplomacy, and foreign policies. It aims to link scholars and policymakers while encouraging innovative, interdisciplinary contributions that broaden the scope of current scholarship.
publisher: Yerevan State University Press
language: en
publication name: YSU Journal of International Affairs
issn: 3045-3119
items: Manufacturing the Enemy: Armenophobia and the Construction of National Identity in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan
items: Diverging Patterns of Eurasian Geopolitics: Sovereignty, Identity, and Connectivity in a Fragmented Order
items: A Tale of Two States: Explaining the Divergent Outcomes of the EU Soft-Transformative Power in Albania and Georgia
items: From Balancing to Active Hedging: The Transformation of Kazakhstan’s Multi-Vector Foreign Policy After 2022
items: Geoeconomics, Connectivity, and Strategic Partnership: Iran and Armenia in Eurasia’s New Order
items: Bitcoin as a Potential Hegemonic Watershed: Strategic Foresight on Decentralized Money and the Future of Polarity
items: Reconstruction and Modernization of National Identity as Catalysts for Stateness: A Post-Soviet Perspective
items: https://journals.ysu.am/bulletin-ysu-int-rel-pol/article/view/13465
items: The Strategic Role of Central Asia in a Changing World Order: Resources, Logistics, and Competition
items: How Islam Rules in Iran: Theology and Theocracy in the Islamic Republic, by Mehran Kamrava, Cambridge University Press, 2024, 354 pp.
items: The Renewed Impetus to the European Union Enlargement: An Opportunity for Closer Ties between the EU and Armenia
items: Building Bridges: Kuwait’s Subtle Diplomacy and Humanitarian Soft Power in a Fractured Region
items: Polarization, Transactionalism and Small States in the International System: Navigating a Fractured Order
items: From Yalta to the Unknown: State Foreign Policy Features in the Transitional Period of the International Relations System
items: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on International Relations: Are Current Paradigms Still Relevant?
items: International North–South Transport Corridor: A Renewed Horizon of Trade Connectivity Between India and Russia
items: Digital Inclusion VS Digital Sovereignty: RRI as a Platform for Integrating Ethics into Geopolitics
items: Gevorg Ghukasyan, The Armenian Lobby of Europe: TheEssence and Context of Ethnic Lobbying
items: Formation and Transformation of National Role Concepts in Contemporary International Relations
items: Some General Manifestations of Transition Periods of International Relations System
items: Armenian Experience in the Usage of Stratagems (General Overview)
items: The Prerequisites for Establishing the Republic of Armenia State Policy in the Field of Biosecurity
items: Greater Eurasian Partnership: Armenia’s Dichotomous Choice
items: Armenia and Central Asian Countries in the 1990s
items: Decarbonization Policy in the Eurasian Economic Union: Meeting the Challenge of Global Climate Change (comparative analysis)
items: The Necessary Conditions for the Formation of a Modern System of Public Administration
items: The Diplomatic Mission of the Armenian Delegation in Berlin (April-June 1918)
items: History of Turkey: the Political Contours of the Hundred-Year Republic 1923-2023, R. Safrastyan, R. Melkonyan and others
items: Deepening Global Confrontation and Growing Competition between Russia and the West in 2022-2024 (using the BRICS and G7 countries as an example)
items: Dynamics of Russian-Turkish Relations after the Second Karabakh War

Manufacturing the Enemy: Armenophobia and the Construction of National Identity in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan
type: item
description: This article examines the role of Armenophobia in the construction of national identity in Azerbaijan. It argues that the Azerbaijani national identity has been shaped not through affirmative civic or ethnic principles, but rather through a sustained campaign of “negative nationalism” — a nation-building project defined predominantly by hostility toward the Armenians. Drawing on political discourse analysis, state policy review, and examples from elite rhetoric, the study illustrates how Armenophobia functions as a tool of authoritarian consolidation, ideological substitution, and historical revisionism. The Azerbaijani regime has cultivated an image of Armenians as existential enemies to justify both domestic repression and external aggression, presenting itself as the sole protector of the Azerbaijani nation. The article situates this phenomenon within broader theoretical discussions of ontological insecurity, post-imperial identity crises, and authoritarian statecraft in the post-Soviet space. By framing Armenophobia as a strategic instrument for regime legitimacy and societal mobilization, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of the politics of memory, nationalism by negation, and conflict-driven identity formation in transitional political systems.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Turkism,
  topic: keywords
subject: Azerbaijani Citizenship
  topic: keywords
subject: Armenophobia
  topic: keywords
subject: Azerbaijanism
  topic: keywords
subject: National identity
  topic: keywords
creator: Anzhela Mnatsakanyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Anzhela Mnatsakanyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-12-10
publication date: 2025-12-10
starting page: 70
ending page: 92
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.2.070

Diverging Patterns of Eurasian Geopolitics: Sovereignty, Identity, and Connectivity in a Fragmented Order
type: item
subject: Editorial Foreword
  topic: section
creator: Tigran Yepremyan
creator: Suren Tadevosyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Tigran Yepremyan, Suren Tadevosyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-12-10
publication date: 2025-12-10
starting page: 7
ending page: 11
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.2.007

A Tale of Two States: Explaining the Divergent Outcomes of the EU Soft-Transformative Power in Albania and Georgia
type: item
description: Although the EU has recently shifted toward a more “geopolitical” approach, it has long relied on its normative and transformative soft power to drive political and economic reforms in aspiring member states. However, the success of this approach has varied considerably, particularly between the Western Balkan candidates and the states recently granted candidate status—Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. This article compares the EU’s success in exercising soft power in Albania with its struggles in Georgia. The Albanian government has embraced both democratic and acquis-related conditionalities and has agreed with the European Commission on a roadmap to conclude negotiations by 2027, while Georgia’s government has frozen its own path toward opening negotiations. Employing a comparative approach, the analysis examines factors such as government compliance, geopolitical contexts, and external influences, with a special focus on Russia’s role in shaping anti-EU narratives in Georgia. The article argues that strong public support, compliance with EU conditionalities, and the lack of a compelling geopolitical alternative explain the EU’s success in Albania. In Georgia, by contrast, strong public backing has not translated into progress: selective or outright non-compliance, the influence of Russian hard and sharp power, and elite-driven Euroscepticism have weakened the EU’s leverage.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: EU Soft Power
  topic: keywords
subject: EU Transformative Power
  topic: keywords
subject: EU Geopolitical Power
  topic: keywords
subject: Enlargement
  topic: keywords
subject: Albania
  topic: keywords
subject: Georgia
  topic: keywords
creator: Adrian Brisku
creator: Klodiana Beshku
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Adrian Brisku, Klodiana Beshku https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-12-10
publication date: 2025-12-10
starting page: 12
ending page: 42
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.2.012

From Balancing to Active Hedging: The Transformation of Kazakhstan’s Multi-Vector Foreign Policy After 2022
type: item
description: The outbreak of the 2022 military crisis in Ukraine significantly redefined Kazakhstan’s geopolitical setting, highlighting the limits of its established foreign policy model and steering it toward a proactive hedging approach emblematic of middle powers. Based on the concepts of equidistant diplomacy and hedging, the article illustrates how Astana simultaneously reduces exposure to any single power center and converts participation in the multilateral forums into economic and political gains. Six hedging tracks are examined: Russian, Chinese, European, American (the United States), Turkic, and Southern (Gulf states), as well as an autonomous transit track represented by the Middle or Trans-Caspian Corridor. Drawing on legislative texts, policy declarations, and development frameworks from 2022–2025, the analysis traces Kazakhstan’s evolution from geographic balancing to rules-based portfolio management of interdependence in trade corridors, capital flows, and regulatory standards, highlighting the ongoing institutional entrenchment of Eurasian regionalism. Although Kazakhstan’s bargaining leverage has expanded, its hedging behavior remains limited by the need to coordinate with the C5 group (the five Central Asian states), manage asymmetries with larger economies, and ensure conformity with the institutional norms of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Kazakhstan
  topic: keywords
subject: new geopolitics
  topic: keywords
subject: multi-vector foreign policy
  topic: keywords
subject: hedging
  topic: keywords
subject: middle power
  topic: keywords
subject: Eurasian regionalism
  topic: keywords
creator: Fatima Kukeyeva
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Fatima Kukeyeva https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-12-10
publication date: 2025-12-10
starting page: 93
ending page: 117
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.2.093

Geoeconomics, Connectivity, and Strategic Partnership: Iran and Armenia in Eurasia’s New Order
type: item
description: The geoeconomics of Eurasia has been constantly evolving over the past decade. Various events have contributed to these changes, including the outbreak of war in Ukraine, sanctions on Russia’s geoeconomic infrastructure, shifts in the status of the Caspian Sea, and geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus. These transformations have created new conditions in Eurasian geoeconomic dynamics, prompting many stakeholders in the South Caucasus to redefine their geoeconomic roles. Iran’s new engagements in this field are defined within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Armenia, as a neighboring country with extensive historical ties to Iran, is considered a key player in the South Caucasus and a strategic partner for Iran. Under the new regional conditions, and in response to emerging uncertainties, Armenia serves as an important and reliable access route, especially for Iran–Russia geoeconomic interactions. Trade opportunities and energy cooperation can further deepen these interactions. A strategic partnership offers a low-cost, long-term framework for advancing mutual interests. It must include specific conditions, focus on priority sectors, and align with the interests of Iran and Armenia, as well as broader regional trends.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Iran
  topic: keywords
subject: Armenia
  topic: keywords
subject: Eurasia
  topic: keywords
subject: Geo-economics
  topic: keywords
subject: Strategic Partnership
  topic: keywords
creator: Seyed Hassan Mirfakhraei
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Seyed Hassan Mirfakhraei https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-12-10
publication date: 2025-12-10
starting page: 118
ending page: 140
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.2.118

Bitcoin as a Potential Hegemonic Watershed: Strategic Foresight on Decentralized Money and the Future of Polarity
type: item
description: The purpose of this essay is to assess why and how Bitcoin —as an unofficial cryptocurrency with an acephalous, dispersed and stateless governance structure— could eventually alter the distribution of polarity within the international system. Through the analytical perspective of strategic foresight as a method to scan the horizon and calculate behavioural patterns, the following contents examine five hypothetical ways (both direct and indirect) in which BTC may either facilitate a potential hegemonic transition or reshape the global balance of power in the coming decades. These prospective possibilities include: 1) Bitcoin’s potential to become a major reserve currency; 2) Bitcoin as a vector of a counter-hegemonic grand strategy; 3) the proliferation of Bitcoin as a mirror of a declining US hegemony; 4) Bitcoin as a linchpin of ‘Pax Americana’ and 5) Bitcoin as a source of inspiration to develop alternatives to the dollar. This discussion integrates the explanatory views of hybrid disciplinary models like geoeconomics, mercantile realism and economic statecraft.
subject: Discussion Article
  topic: section
subject: Bitcoin
  topic: keywords
subject: money
  topic: keywords
subject: reserve currencies
  topic: keywords
subject: cryptocurrency
  topic: keywords
subject: FinTech
  topic: keywords
subject: strategic foresight
  topic: keywords
subject: hegemony
  topic: keywords
subject: international political economy
  topic: keywords
creator: José Miguel Alonso Trabanco
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 José Miguel Alonso Trabanco https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-12-10
publication date: 2025-12-10
starting page: 160
ending page: 173
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.2.160

Reconstruction and Modernization of National Identity as Catalysts for Stateness: A Post-Soviet Perspective
type: item
description: This article explores the processes of national identity reconstruction and modernization as pivotal drivers in the formation and consolidation of stateness in post-Soviet contexts. Drawing on comparative case studies from selected former Soviet republics, this study analyzes how national identity narratives have been rearticulated and institutionalized to strengthen state legitimacy, foster political cohesion, and enhance sovereign functionality. Methodologically, the article employs a qualitative, comparative political analysis grounded in interpretive institutionalism and constructivist approaches to identity, integrating discourse analysis of official state narratives, policy documents, and public rhetoric with process tracing of post-Soviet nation-building trajectories. The analysis highlights the interplay between historical memory, cultural policy, and state-building strategies. It argues that the modernization of national identity, when grounded in inclusive civic values and responsive governance, substantially enhances a state’s capacity to assert authority and ensure internal stability. By positioning identity not merely as a derivative of statehood but as a strategic instrument in its construction, the article contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underpinning contemporary state-building processes.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Post-Soviet states
  topic: keywords
subject: national identity
  topic: keywords
subject: stateness
  topic: keywords
subject: state-building
  topic: keywords
subject: identity reconstruction
  topic: keywords
subject: identity modernization
  topic: keywords
creator: Violetta Manukyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Violetta Manukyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-12-10
publication date: 2025-12-10
starting page: 43
ending page: 69
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.2.043

https://journals.ysu.am/bulletin-ysu-int-rel-pol/article/view/13465
type: item
title: Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, The Power of Negotiation: Principles and Rules of Political and Diplomatic Negotiations [Սեյեդ Աբբաս Արաղչի, Բանակցության ուժը. քաղաքական և դիվանագիտական բանակցությունների սկզբունքներն ու կանոնները]. Yerevan, 2025, 193 p.
subject: Book Review
  topic: section
creator: Ruben Melkonyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Ruben Melkonyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-12-10
publication date: 2025-12-10
starting page: 174
ending page: 179
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.2.174

The Strategic Role of Central Asia in a Changing World Order: Resources, Logistics, and Competition
type: item
description: The article examines the key geopolitical factors influencing the competitive geo-economic dynamics in Central Asia, with a particular focus on the roles and political priorities of external actors. Central Asia, with its key geographic position on the Eurasian continent, occupies a strategic position in the foreign policy agendas of Russia and China, driven by both security and economic considerations. The United States, the European Union (EU), and Turkey also maintain substantial engagement in the region. Hence, the article analyzes the policies of these external actors in Central Asia, highlighting how, in the context of an evolving global order, their approaches differ significantly and produce varied effects on the region’s political stability and developmental trajectories. In this context, the study examines how transport and logistics policies affect the foreign policies of Central Asian states and what strategic issues these states are trying to resolve by participating in regional and international transport routes. The article further addresses key aspects related to the region’s long-term geopolitical and geo-economic prospects. It also analyzes the degree of engagement by South Caucasus countries, especially Azerbaijan and Georgia, in Central Asia’s transport and logistics networks, along with the broader infrastructural linkages between the two regions.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Central Asia
  topic: keywords
subject: Belt and Road Initiative
  topic: keywords
subject: Global Gateway
  topic: keywords
subject: transport policy
  topic: keywords
subject: logistics
  topic: keywords
creator: Zhak Manukyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Zhak Manukyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-07-06
publication date: 2025-07-06
starting page: 66
ending page: 99
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.1.066

How Islam Rules in Iran: Theology and Theocracy in the Islamic Republic, by Mehran Kamrava, Cambridge University Press, 2024, 354 pp.
type: item
subject: Book Review
  topic: section
creator: Suren Tadevosyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Suren Tadevosyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-07-06
publication date: 2025-07-06
starting page: 151
ending page: 154
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.1.151

The Renewed Impetus to the European Union Enlargement: An Opportunity for Closer Ties between the EU and Armenia
type: item
description: Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has triggered a renewed impetus for the EU’s Enlargement Policy, which has acquired geopolitical significance with the unprecedented inclusion of three Eastern partners under this framework, together with the revitalization of negotiations with the Western Balkans. Following Aldecoa’s understanding of enlargement as a process that implies a restructuring of the EU’s political system, there is also a need to address internal reforms to accommodate this new wave of accession. The consideration of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine as candidate countries has changed the raison d’être of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP). Originally conceived for states without clear prospects of EU integration, the ENP’s purpose has shifted, effectively opening the door for further integration of other Eastern Partnership countries into the European Union. In this context, Armenia is enhancing its relations with the EU, seeking closer integration, and even sparking debates in the country about formally requesting membership. Major challenges ahead may include the need to consolidate democracy, reverse its economic and military integration with Russia, and reach a peace agreement with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: European Union
  topic: keywords
subject: Enlargement
  topic: keywords
subject: Armenia
  topic: keywords
subject: European Neighbourhood Policy
  topic: keywords
subject: Eastern Partnership
  topic: keywords
creator: Eduardo Garcia Cancela
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Eduardo Garcia Cancela https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-07-06
publication date: 2025-07-06
starting page: 25
ending page: 44
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.1.025

Building Bridges: Kuwait’s Subtle Diplomacy and Humanitarian Soft Power in a Fractured Region
type: item
description: Amidst the global transitions towards a multipolar order in the 21st century, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are emerging as a crucial regional bloc aiming for wider global relevance. Among these, Kuwait, despite being a ‘small state,’ has gained respect and stature through its diplomatic acumen, playing roles as a mediator and aid giver, while committing to multilateralism. This paper examines how Kuwait’s foreign policy posture has evolved within the region’s geopolitical structure, with a primary focus on its soft power projection through subtle diplomacy. Using a historical framework, this study highlights the emergence of Kuwait as a stabilizing actor amidst growing regional rivalries through a comparative analysis. The author concludes that despite internal structural constraints and geo-strategic external pressures, Kuwait’s nuanced foreign policy approach is a good example of how small-state diplomacy can shape larger regional dynamics. Thereby, this article contributes to a broader understanding of how small states exercise global agency in regions where great power competition and intra-regional rivalries intersect.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Small-state diplomacy
  topic: keywords
subject: geopolitics
  topic: keywords
subject: soft power
  topic: keywords
subject: GCC
  topic: keywords
subject: hedging
  topic: keywords
subject: balancing
  topic: keywords
creator: Radhika Lakshminarayanan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Radhika Lakshminarayanan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-07-06
publication date: 2025-07-06
starting page: 45
ending page: 65
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.1.045

Polarization, Transactionalism and Small States in the International System: Navigating a Fractured Order
type: item
description: It is widely recognized that the global order is undergoing significant strategic transformations. While these shifts are frequently attributed to heightened geopolitical competition, relatively less scholarly attention has been directed towards the internal dynamics within states, particularly the role of political polarization, in amplifying international tensions. Increasingly polarized domestic politics, coupled with nationalist orientations toward foreign policy, compromise bipartisan consensus and foster transactional, self-interested behavior in international relations. This paper examines the relationship between domestic political polarization and transactional approaches to foreign policy, focusing especially, though not exclusively, on the administration of US President Donald Trump. It explores how these tendencies undermine established international security norms, institutions, and mechanisms. Additionally, the article assesses current and anticipated responses from small states as they adapt to the profound transformations reshaping the international system.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Asia-Pacific
  topic: keywords
subject: multipolarity
  topic: keywords
subject: New Zealand
  topic: keywords
subject: polarization
  topic: keywords
subject: transactionalism
  topic: keywords
subject: multilateralism
  topic: keywords
creator: Rouben Azizian
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Rouben Azizian https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-07-06
publication date: 2025-07-06
starting page: 7
ending page: 24
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.1.007

From Yalta to the Unknown: State Foreign Policy Features in the Transitional Period of the International Relations System
type: item
description: States face increased geopolitical volatility and uncertainty during transitional periods in the international relations system. Ensuring national security and strategically strengthening a country’s position internationally have emerged as the primary objectives of state foreign policy. States should be keen to form significant relationships with countries with similar long-term interests. Clear identification and consistent pursuit of national interests are crucial, as genuine partnerships can only develop when shared strategic priorities are recognized and effectively advanced. A state committed to its national interests naturally attracts authentic allies and accurately identifies its adversaries, whereas neglecting these interests leads to isolation and vulnerability. Within this context, a fundamental task of state foreign policy is the implementation of strategic initiatives that enhance a state’s global position without sacrificing core interests for the sake of external actors. As the international system moves towards an uncertain future, decisive interest-based foreign policy is essential for the states that aim to gain a stable and influential role in the new world order.
subject: Discussion Article
  topic: section
subject: international relations system
  topic: keywords
subject: world politics
  topic: keywords
subject: international legal system
  topic: keywords
subject: foreign policy
  topic: keywords
subject: national interest
  topic: keywords
creator: Shavarsh Kocharyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Shavarsh Kocharyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-07-06
publication date: 2025-07-06
starting page: 136
ending page: 150
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.1.136

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on International Relations: Are Current Paradigms Still Relevant?
type: item
description: This paper examines the increasing influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on International Relations (IR), with a particular emphasis on its transformative impact across the political, economic, and military-security spheres. It critically examines various scientific and theoretical discourses that define AI, situating these debates within key international relations (IR) paradigms—realism, liberalism, neoliberalism, and constructivism. The study explores how AI is reshaping the global balance of power, accelerating arms races, and enabling new forms of cooperation, while also introducing complex legal, political, and ethical challenges, especially in the context of international humanitarian law. Special attention is paid to the implications of AI for foreign policy decision-making processes and how technological advancements are reshaping established practices and norms. Furthermore, the paper contrasts anthropocentric and technocentric approaches, evaluating whether traditional IR theories and methodologies are sufficient to interpret, explain, and analyze the profound geopolitical and geo-economic transformations induced by AI. Ultimately, it assesses the capacity of IR scholarship to understand the realities of an increasingly AI-driven international system.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Artificial Intelligence
  topic: keywords
subject: International Relations
  topic: keywords
subject: decision-making process
  topic: keywords
subject: foreign policy
  topic: keywords
subject: theoretical paradigms
  topic: keywords
creator: Vrezh Kardumyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Vrezh Kardumyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-07-06
publication date: 2025-07-06
starting page: 116
ending page: 135
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.1.116

International North–South Transport Corridor: A Renewed Horizon of Trade Connectivity Between India and Russia
type: item
description: In the context of shifting geopolitical alignments and evolving regional strategies, Indo-Russian trade relations are entering a new phase of strategic relevance. This paper examines the potential of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as both an instrument for enhancing bilateral trade and a broader geopolitical lever. Two central questions guide the analysis: first, how the INSTC can redefine the scale, efficiency, and scope of economic exchange between India and Russia; and second, how it may influence regional power dynamics amid growing global fragmentation. As Western powers increasingly employ trade as a tool of political coercion, and Russia seeks to recalibrate its international partnerships, the INSTC emerges as a critical avenue for fostering strategic autonomy and connectivity. Beyond its economic utility, the corridor reflects a shared ambition to challenge existing power asymmetries and reinforce multipolarity. This study situates the INSTC within a wider set of developments, including China’s expanding footprint, India’s commitment to a rules-based international order, ongoing geopolitical tensions, and Russia’s pursuit of a rebalanced global security architecture. Against this backdrop, a careful reassessment of the INSTC’s strategic value is necessary to understand its implications for the future of Eurasian connectivity and order.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Russia
  topic: keywords
subject: India
  topic: keywords
subject: transit corridor
  topic: keywords
creator: Sandeep Tripathi
creator: Urvashi Singh
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Sandeep Tripathi, Urvashi Singh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-12-10
publication date: 2025-12-10
starting page: 141
ending page: 159
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.2.141

Digital Inclusion VS Digital Sovereignty: RRI as a Platform for Integrating Ethics into Geopolitics
type: item
description: The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has intensified the global tension between digital inclusion, which advocates for equitable access to technology, and digital sovereignty, emphasizing national control over data and infrastructure. This article examines how Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) can reconcile these competing imperatives by embedding ethical principles, such as inclusivity, sustainability, precaution, and reflexivity, into technology governance. Through qualitative case studies in education (e.g., Kenya’s eLimu and India’s DIKSHA platforms) and healthcare (e.g., WHO’s pandemic data-sharing protocols), the study demonstrates that RRI fosters participatory design, balances sovereignty with global collaboration, and mitigates systemic biases. Findings reveal that rigid sovereignty policies often exacerbate inequalities, while RRI-driven frameworks enable marginalized communities to co-create solutions, ensuring culturally relevant and ethically aligned technologies. The analysis highlights RRI’s potential to transform geopolitical competition into equitable governance, advocating for its institutionalization through international mechanisms such as the UN’s Global Digital Compact. By prioritizing social justice, RRI redefines sovereignty as a stewardship obligation, ensuring AI development uplifts, rather than undermines, vulnerable populations. The article concludes that integrating RRI principles into both global and local agendas is crucial for dismantling digital hierarchies and promoting inclusive innovation.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: AI ethics
  topic: keywords
subject: global governance
  topic: keywords
subject: digital inclusion
  topic: keywords
subject: digital sovereignty
  topic: keywords
subject: responsible research and innovation
  topic: keywords
subject: social justice
  topic: keywords
creator: Oleg Gurov
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Oleg Gurov https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2025-07-06
publication date: 2025-07-06
starting page: 100
ending page: 115
doi: 10.46991/jia.2025.1.1.100

Gevorg Ghukasyan, The Armenian Lobby of Europe: TheEssence and Context of Ethnic Lobbying
type: item
description: The purpose of the work is to highlight the transnational political role of ethnic lobbying in modern political processes, assess the structural-operational possibilities of the European Armenian lobby, the characteristics of its activities, identify lobbying entities and understand the scope of their influence and the possibility of role in RA-EU relations. The role of the institution of ethnic lobbying in the process of political modernization was evaluated. At the same time, the possibilities of ethnic lobbying to act as an operator of "soft power" were considered, the possibilities of lobbying in the conditions of the value system of multiculturalism were revealed, the chain of interaction and interaction of the "homeland-diaspora-host state" triangle was systematically characterized. The lobbying structures of the Armenian diaspora in Europe and the main directions and tools of their activities were identified, and the political behavior of the EU regarding the Karabakh problem was revealed. The intra-European perception of ethnic lobbying, the institutional and legislative possibilities of lobbying and its variety of ethnic lobbying in the EU have been analyzed. The monograph is intended for political scientists, historians, Armenologists, the governing body, professors and students of RA higher educational institutions, as well as the general reading public.
subject: Book Review
  topic: section
subject: diaspora
  topic: keywords
subject: ethnic lobbying
  topic: keywords
subject: European Union
  topic: keywords
subject: soft power
  topic: keywords
subject: modernization
  topic: keywords
subject: multiculturalism
  topic: keywords
subject: transnational political processes
  topic: keywords
creator: Gegham Petrosyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-11-29
publication date: 2024-11-29
starting page: 72
ending page: 75
doi: 10.46991/BYSU.D/2024.15.3.072

Formation and Transformation of National Role Concepts in Contemporary International Relations
type: item
description: The purpose of this article is to assess the significance of national role conceptions (NRCs) in the analysis of states' foreign policy by highlighting their internal and external dimensions. The article evaluates the significance of role theory in the context of different schools of international relations. The article compares existing definitions of NRCs and identifies their specific limitations, including the limitation of engagement levels, the assumption of internal consensus, and the neglect of role dynamics. The article proposes a new definition of NRCs that includes a dynamic and collective understanding of a nation's strategic goals, considering both internal cultural and social factors as well as external environmental shifts and influences. As a result, the analysis of NRCs is proposed as an effective tool for addressing theoretical and practical issues in international relations, with the goal of explaining and predicting foreign policy behavior.
subject: International Relations
  topic: section
subject: role adaptation
  topic: keywords
subject: geopolitical changes
  topic: keywords
subject: power shifts
  topic: keywords
subject: strategic interests
  topic: keywords
subject: global structures
  topic: keywords
subject: international relations
  topic: keywords
creator: Suren Tadevosyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-11-29
publication date: 2024-11-29
starting page: 12
ending page: 25
doi: 10.46991/BYSU.D/2024.15.3.012

Some General Manifestations of Transition Periods of International Relations System
type: item
description: During the period of operation of the international relations system (IRS), the main actors of international relations (superpowers) that formed that system, despite the deep contradictions that exist among themselves, have a common interest in maintaining the current system, because it provides them with a privileged position in world politics. Guided by this common interest, the superpowers restrain each other and, with joint efforts, restrain actions of other actors in international relations that could undermine the existing system. During the transition period of the IRS, on the one hand, the deterrence mechanism ceases to function, and on the other hand, the superpowers seek to use or provoke processes that will strengthen themselves and weaken the positions of their opponents in the struggle for the new IRS. The expression of the transformation of the interests of the superpowers are the general manifestations of the transition periods of the IRS 1 - an increase in the number of local and regional armed conflicts and their intensity; 2 - increase of genocide and other crimes against humanity; 3 - disregard of international law by actors of international relations and non-state organizations; 4 - discrediting of universal structures of international cooperation and decline in effectiveness of activities; 5 - a world war in which the victorious superpowers establish a new IRS. The listed manifestations, so far with the exception of the world war, are also characteristic of the current transitional period from Yalta-Potsdam to the new IRS.
subject: International Relations
  topic: section
subject: system of international relations
  topic: keywords
subject: world politics
  topic: keywords
subject: armed conflicts
  topic: keywords
subject: genocide
  topic: keywords
subject: crimes against humanity
  topic: keywords
subject: international legal system
  topic: keywords
subject: structures of international cooperation
  topic: keywords
subject: interests of superpowers
  topic: keywords
creator: Shavarsh Kocharyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-11-29
publication date: 2024-11-29
starting page: 5
ending page: 11
doi: 10.46991/BYSU.D/2024.15.3.005

Armenian Experience in the Usage of Stratagems (General Overview)
type: item
description: Chinese, Greek, and Roman examples of the use of stratagems are known from the history of the Ancient World. The leaders, especially those experienced in military fields, used various tricks to achieve their goal. There are well-known examples of the use of stratagems in the Armenian military art, the use of which is an opportunity to ensure success in achieving numerical and technical superiority of the enemy. We often encounter actions that distract the enemy's attention, make an unexpected attack and cause panic, blocking. There are memorable examples of strategies from the history of military operations in 1991- 1994: similar technologies were used during the liberation of Shushi, Karvachar, Sanasar, Akna. The possession of strategic skills and their proper use in military operations and operations of local importance can be of great importance for achieving your own goals, bending the advantage of another person in your favor and, of course, the successful conduct of military operations. In this sense, a deep and comprehensive study of the field, identification, development, systematization of effective experience with a positive result can be useful for future achievements.
subject: Political science
  topic: section
subject: stratagem
  topic: keywords
subject: art of war
  topic: keywords
subject: trick
  topic: keywords
subject: ruse
  topic: keywords
subject: disinformation
  topic: keywords
subject: special operations
  topic: keywords
subject: manipulation
  topic: keywords
subject: special operation
  topic: keywords
subject: rival
  topic: keywords
creator: Hayk Nazaryan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-11-29
publication date: 2024-11-29
starting page: 50
ending page: 60
doi: 10.46991/BYSU.D/2024.15.3.050

The Prerequisites for Establishing the Republic of Armenia State Policy in the Field of Biosecurity
type: item
description: In the modern era, the biological factor has assumed a crucial role in almost all spheres of activity of the individual, society, state and nation. The 21st century is unique in its scientific and technical progress and virtualization processes, which were initially notable for their negative aspects. One of the most serious threats is the growth of biological terrorism and biological disasters, which pose a serious threat to the stable functioning and normal development of states, societies and individuals. New directions have been added to the military-political and economic spheres of state competition, defining the place and role of the biosecurity system in the context of the country's national security. The main objective of the article is to study the priorities, priority areas and problems of the state policy of the Republic of Armenia in the field of biosafety, as well as control and prevention of biological threats and challenges, which are significantly increasing as a result of scientific and technological progress. To achieve the set goals, it is necessary to present the essence of biosafety and define the concept, to study international experience in ensuring biosafety, investigating the feasibility of their application in the process of ensuring biosafety in the Republic of Armenia, and also to consider issues of biosafety development in the Republic of Armenia. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year two billion people worldwide become ill with infectious diseases, of which 17 million die. Half of the world's population lives in areas endemic for infectious diseases or within natural foci. The growth of tourism, labor migration, trade turnover, as well as the evergrowing refugee problem contribute to the spread of infectious diseases and the emergence of epidemics, especially in countries where the level of health infrastructure is low.
subject: Political science
  topic: section
subject: national security
  topic: keywords
subject: biological security
  topic: keywords
subject: biological terrorism
  topic: keywords
subject: centralized management system
  topic: keywords
subject: dangerous biological factor
  topic: keywords
subject: biological weapon
  topic: keywords
creator: Bagrat Vardanyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-11-29
publication date: 2024-11-29
starting page: 61
ending page: 71
doi: 10.46991/BYSU.D/2024.15.3.061

Greater Eurasian Partnership: Armenia’s Dichotomous Choice
type: item
description: The article discusses the theoretical and conceptual foundations of the formation of the concept of the “Greater Eurasian Partnership” and the prospects for the participation of the Republic of Armenia in this global integration megatrend. The goals and objectives of the study include studying the dynamics of the transformation of the global world order, conceptualizing the idea of ​​the “Greater Eurasian Partnership” and its practical implementation, analyzing the integration and disintegration potential of small states involved in global mega-projects. In particular, the thesis is substantiated that the creation of the Greater Eurasian Partnership in a broad sense shifts the “center of gravity” of the world economy from the Euro-Atlantic or Anglo-Saxon axis to the east, into the strategic depths of the Eurasian continent. With such a transformation, bifurcation points and buffer zones of the Greater Eurasian space also undergo changes in parallel. The South Caucasus, especially Armenia, is at the center of bifurcation tensions, and Armenian statehood and Armenian society as a whole are faced with a dichotomous choice between the bifurcation point and the buffer zone.
subject: Political science
  topic: section
subject: Changing world order
  topic: keywords
subject: "Greater Eurasian Partnership"
  topic: keywords
subject: social bifurcation
  topic: keywords
subject: buffer zone
  topic: keywords
subject: regular attractor
  topic: keywords
subject: irregular attractor
  topic: keywords
creator: Khachik Galstyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-11-29
publication date: 2024-11-29
starting page: 26
ending page: 34
doi: 10.46991/BYSU.D/2024.15.3.026

Armenia and Central Asian Countries in the 1990s
type: item
description: After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the main task of the foreign policy of the newly formed states was the search for allies and economic partners. Five Central Asian countries made a relatively successful attempt at consolidation. It is explained in the article why Central Asia is mentioned, and not the Middle Asia we are used to. Politically, they were never on the list of priorities for Armenia, but economically, Turkmenistan was the third for our country, being the main supplier of gas. Armenia was not in the circle of the interests of those states, either. At the same time, there were a number of visits. The visit of the President of Turkmenistan Niyazov, in March 1996, which was the first in the list of the leaders of the countries who visited Armenia, is of historical significance. The visit of Kyrgyz President Akayev, who was the first among the heads of Muslim countries to visit the Genocide Memorial in Tsitsernakaberd, was also of interest. Mediation efforts of Kazakh President Nazarbayev aimed at the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, are mentioned. The issues of energy security are also addressed. The Armenian diaspora of Central Asian countries is also mentioned, which, unfortunately, has no political potential. Even today, the relations with those countries cannot be described as too warm․
subject: International Relations
  topic: section
subject: CIS
  topic: keywords
subject: Middle Asia
  topic: keywords
subject: Central Asia
  topic: keywords
subject: Independence
  topic: keywords
subject: doctrine
  topic: keywords
subject: visits
  topic: keywords
subject: agreement
  topic: keywords
subject: diplomatic relations
  topic: keywords
subject: supremacy
  topic: keywords
subject: economy
  topic: keywords
subject: gas
  topic: keywords
subject: region
  topic: keywords
creator: Gurgen Hovhannisyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-09-12
publication date: 2024-09-12
starting page: 27
ending page: 38
doi: 10.46991/BYSU:E/2024.15.2.027

Decarbonization Policy in the Eurasian Economic Union: Meeting the Challenge of Global Climate Change (comparative analysis)
type: item
description: The article examines the issues of decarbonization in the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union in the context of global challenges of climate change. The international regime for reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere is analyzed. Its impact on the global political agenda is determined. It is established that one of the main challenges to reducing emissions is the development of "green" types of energy, which should be understood as not only renewable energy sources, but also natural gas and nuclear energy. Through a comparative analysis of both energy systems and national programs for reducing greenhouse gas emissions of the EAEU member states, their potential for implementing the "energy transition" and decarbonization is determined. The challenges of economic development in the EAEU are shown through the prism of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Recommendations are given for improving cooperation between the EAEU member countries in the field of decarbonization and synchronizing strategic approaches in the field of climate management and sustainable development.
subject: Political science
  topic: section
subject: decarbonization
  topic: keywords
subject: climate
  topic: keywords
subject: greenhouse gases
  topic: keywords
subject: international regime
  topic: keywords
subject: Paris Agreement
  topic: keywords
subject: EAEU
  topic: keywords
subject: sustainable development
  topic: keywords
creator: Vahe Davtyan
creator: Silva Khachikyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-11-29
publication date: 2024-11-29
starting page: 35
ending page: 49
doi: 10.46991/BYSU.D/2024.15.3.035

The Necessary Conditions for the Formation of a Modern System of Public Administration
type: item
description: The article is devoted to the analysis of the necessary conditions for modernizing the public administration system. The article, in particular, showed that the vibrations of modernizing the modern public administration system come from the understanding of public administration concepts and their precise implementation. Vibrations activate the vitality of the system, the necessary conditions of which are state building, bureaucratic organization and stability in the context of continuous democratic reforms. The study of the subject has highlighted that without creating these conditions, it is not possible to achieve the establishment of a modern system of public administration. The article used the results of theoretical and empirical studies on the problem, and also referred to the assessments of the conditions undermining the viability of the modern public administration system. As a systemic condition of modern public administration, managerial culture was presented, as an institutional condition, the institutional establishment of state administration and local self-government bodies, and as a value condition, the activity of spreading and circulating new ideas. As a result of data collection and analysis, it was concluded that the systemic, institutional and value-based conditions ensuring the establishment of modern public administration have synergy, that is, their total result exceeds the sum of individual results. Synergy provides long-term effects, and the provision of individual conditions provides short-term effects. The results of the article can be applied in humanitarian and social science research, public administration and public policy development.
subject: Political science
  topic: section
subject: public administration
  topic: keywords
subject: concept of public administration
  topic: keywords
subject: ensuring bureaucratic stability
  topic: keywords
subject: administrative (administrative) organization
  topic: keywords
subject: state building
  topic: keywords
subject: administrative reforms
  topic: keywords
subject: local self-government
  topic: keywords
subject: indicator of effective administration
  topic: keywords
subject: democratic administration
  topic: keywords
creator: Katerina Altunyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-09-12
publication date: 2024-09-12
starting page: 49
ending page: 62
doi: 10.46991/BYSU:D/2024.15.2.049

The Diplomatic Mission of the Armenian Delegation in Berlin (April-June 1918)
type: item
description: The article highlights the diplomatic activities and strategic steps of the Armenian delegation in Berlin in the critical months in Armenian history in 1918 (April-June). After the end of the First World War and against the backdrop of the collapse of the Russian Empire, the Armenian delegation, in a difficult geopolitical situation, began its activities to ensure international recognition and support for the new independent Republic of Armenia. Based on the analysis of primary sources and diplomatic correspondence, the article reflects the efforts of the delegation during the period of research to strengthen Armenian statehood against the backdrop of continuing conflicting global interests, and also focuses on the delegation’s relations with the German authorities and the Ottoman Empire in the midst of war, tense international situation, assessing its impact on Armenia’s desire for independence and survival. The article sheds light on the challenges and opportunities faced by the Armenian delegates in Berlin at the most important stage in the history of the establishment of statehood.
subject: International Relations
  topic: section
subject: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
  topic: keywords
subject: Armenian delegation
  topic: keywords
subject: Transcaucasia
  topic: keywords
subject: German government
  topic: keywords
subject: Treaty of Batumi
  topic: keywords
creator: Nushik Petrosyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-09-12
publication date: 2024-09-12
starting page: 39
ending page: 48
doi: 10.46991/BYSU:D/2024.15.2.039

History of Turkey: the Political Contours of the Hundred-Year Republic 1923-2023, R. Safrastyan, R. Melkonyan and others
type: item
description: During the years of independence of the Republic of Armenia in the Yerevan State University, tremendous work was done in the direction of publication of textbooks, educational manuals and methodological articles. In the newly independent Armenia, the necessity of creating textbooks in the field of history and political science was obvious, with the imperative to overcome the ideological "patterns" of the Soviet years. Here, in order to solve these problems, today Turkic students, specialists and readers interested in the complex issues of Turkish history and Armenian-Turkish relations is put on the table “History of Turkey: the political contours of the hundred-year-old republic in 1923-2023" third revised edition of the textbook.
subject: Book Review
  topic: section
creator: Mher Abrahamyan
creator: Aleqsandr Safaryan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-09-12
publication date: 2024-09-12
starting page: 76
ending page: 79
doi: 10.46991/BYSU:D/2024.15.2.076

Deepening Global Confrontation and Growing Competition between Russia and the West in 2022-2024 (using the BRICS and G7 countries as an example)
type: item
description: The conflict that began in 2022 between Russia and the United West headed by the United States has already led to such consequences for the global dominance of the West that the Western coalition has difficulties in competing with the international majority. To counter its competitors, the West has adopted a policy of inciting war and activating zones of instability around the world. Anticipating the inevitability of a clash and realizing the role of trade and economic wars in the 21st century, the real international majority decided to organize competing structures and platforms such as BRICS and others to counter the West. In fact, unlike Western structures, which geographically characterize themselves as the “golden billion”, they are an international minority, while the international majority has a global geographical presence in all continents of the world and complies with all the principles of a multipolar world.
subject: International Relations
  topic: section
subject: international majority
  topic: keywords
subject: Russian Federation
  topic: keywords
subject: the West
  topic: keywords
subject: aggressive minority
  topic: keywords
subject: conflict
  topic: keywords
subject: competition
  topic: keywords
subject: power centers
  topic: keywords
creator: Ashot Karapetyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-09-12
publication date: 2024-09-12
starting page: 19
ending page: 26
doi: 10.46991/BYSU:D/2024.15.2.019

Dynamics of Russian-Turkish Relations after the Second Karabakh War
type: item
description: The article makes a focus on the dynamics of Russian-Turkish relations after the second Karabakh war. 2020 was a vital year for Ankara, because being in a bad economic situation, as well as involved in various conflicts in different corners of the world, Turkey still managed to act as a new regional superpower and increase its role in the South Caucasus. Turkey is a vivid example of how by developing and implementing the right strategy, not possessing the necessary natural resources, having many problems within the country, the country can increase its role on several platforms and even present ambitions to be included in the global governance system. Turkey opposed the established international relations at a strategic level, putting forward the “World Is Bigger than Five” standpoint. At the regional level, by combining “soft power” with “hard power”, Ankara was breaking the established balance and increasing its presence as a result. Russian-Turkish relations have been analyzed in the context of concepts adopted by Turkey, as well as in the context of “offensive realism” and “strategic balancing” theories. It has been described how, by implementing a more active policy after 2016, Ankara managed to prevent anti-Turkish coalitions, balance regional rivals, and, if necessary, also ally with them.
subject: International Relations
  topic: section
subject: Russia
  topic: keywords
subject: Turkey
  topic: keywords
subject: world
  topic: keywords
subject: balance
  topic: keywords
subject: Karabakh
  topic: keywords
subject: soft power
  topic: keywords
subject: conflict
  topic: keywords
subject: relations
  topic: keywords
subject: economic
  topic: keywords
subject: policy
  topic: keywords
creator: Marut Vardazaryan
creator: Gevorg Harutyunyan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s) and the Journal Political Sciences:Bulletin of Yerevan University https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
date: 2024-09-12
publication date: 2024-09-12
starting page: 5
ending page: 18
doi: 10.46991/BYSU:D/2024.15.2.005