In this Issue

Abstract

Modern strategic rivalry among countries of the world is associated with a number of factors: territorial disputes and competition for global dominance through regional leadership in various spheres. In addition, many countries perceive as a threat the mutual strengthening of their presence in regions that they consider to be their zones of influence. One of the significant trends of our time is the process of macro-regionalization and consolidation of regions into larger macro-regions based on the strengthening of trade, economic and logistical interconnectedness, interdependence of security issues, and the activation of humanitarian contacts. At the same time, there is an increase in the importance of military-political issues in the context of increased great-power competition and the intensification of international conflicts. In the last decade, political and economic processes in the Middle East, South Caucasus, Central Asia, South Asia, Asia-Pacific and other regions have become increasingly competitively interconnected. This is manifested in both the strengthening of economic interaction and in the growth of military and political risks and threats. The interweaving and, in some cases, even the clash of strategic interests of great, regional, as well as medium and small countries in the emerging macro-regions, gives their study a special analytical and research value. In the articles of this volume, the authors define the features of the emerging macro-region and the type of relations between states in the cooperation-rivalry format, which presupposes the participation in structuring the world order of a larger number of participants, represented not only by great powers, but also by regional and middle powers, and also takes into account the nature of the relations between them.