This thesis provides an insight in the Belarusian foreign policy response to the self-proclaimed independence of Abkhazia. The conclusion of the research question: "how has Belarusian foreign...Show moreThis thesis provides an insight in the Belarusian foreign policy response to the self-proclaimed independence of Abkhazia. The conclusion of the research question: "how has Belarusian foreign policy responded to the case of Abkhazia’s self-proclaimed independence?" is that the response can be divided into three time periods of ignoring, partially recognizing and opposing Abkhazia. The main causes identified for the way Belarus responded can be found in the EU - Russia conflict rather than the Abkhazian case individually.Show less
Much has been written about dissident regions such as Abkhazia, South Ossetia or Transnistria. Unfortunately until today little attention is given to Gagauzia, a dissident region that rejected the...Show moreMuch has been written about dissident regions such as Abkhazia, South Ossetia or Transnistria. Unfortunately until today little attention is given to Gagauzia, a dissident region that rejected the current Moldovan rapprochement towards the EU in its local referendum, organized in 2014. In contemporary academic literature very little is known about the influence of dissident regions like Gagauzia, Transnistria or Abkhazia on the EU rapprochement of their sovereign nation. Along with interviews and other primary sources a model is provided to discover the influence of the three mentioned dissident regions on the EU rapprochement. This research, at least, enriches the current existing academic literature regarding Gagauzia, at the same time it deeply emphasises the limited influence of dissident regions on sovereign nations’ EU rapprochement.Show less
The cases of de facto states in the South Caucasus, including the subject of this paper, Abkhazia, demonstrates that successful state-building is possible under non-recognition and with the lack of...Show moreThe cases of de facto states in the South Caucasus, including the subject of this paper, Abkhazia, demonstrates that successful state-building is possible under non-recognition and with the lack of international sovereignty. Moreover, the very existence of such political bodies erodes the international rule of law and undermines basic principals of international relations and foundations of the Westphalian world order. While the Russian aspect of the case receives plenty of attention little discussion is dedicated to the Abkhaz nation's struggle for status, independence and the validity of their claims. Therefore, this research aims to identify and analyze the feasibility of those policy instruments of the Abkhaz government that are independent from other actors and would possibly contribute to the republic's final goal; to gain wider recognition and engage in international trade in order to end Abkhazia's long-lasting isolation and stabilize the area.Show less
This thesis is about explaining stereotypes, the creation and use of stereotypes and its relation to imagology. These concepts are then applied on the movie Tangerines by Zaza Urushadze about the...Show moreThis thesis is about explaining stereotypes, the creation and use of stereotypes and its relation to imagology. These concepts are then applied on the movie Tangerines by Zaza Urushadze about the Georgian - Abkhaz conflict of 1992-1993.Show less
The study of NATO’s discourse during the crises in Abkhazia, South Osetia and Crimea ofers a posibilty to analyse the way NATO presents itself and influences its identiy. By means of a discourse...Show moreThe study of NATO’s discourse during the crises in Abkhazia, South Osetia and Crimea ofers a posibilty to analyse the way NATO presents itself and influences its identiy. By means of a discourse analysis of NATO’s published texts during these two crises, this thesis wil elaborate on the role discourse has played in the shaping of NATO’s identiy. This thesis wil show that the identiy presented by NATO is that of an organisation that is mainly concerned with international norms and values. However, when confronted with a perceived threat by Rusia to the organisation itself, this identity also includes an emphasis on the miltary background of the organisation, which responds to a foreign threat. The identiy of NATO is thus more nuanced than frequently described and lies in the midle of the two identies that are most often atributed to NATO by the existing literature.Show less
