Conflict and Security Community on the Balkans

On the present-day Balkans conflicting desires for self-determination and for recognition of legitimate rights of the new states are confronted, which might lead to new regional frictions. The conflict on the territory of former Yugoslavia has affected a specific attitude-profiling of the Balkan states and reconfirmed the existence of Balkan security community, which makes it impossible to view national security outside the regional Balkan framework. Using various means, each of the Balkan states strives to overcome the afflictions brought about by the latest Balkan crisis and create conditions for strenthening its national security

Croatian Foreign Policy: From State Building to the Regional Power

Within the theory of international relations, an opinion that the small countries almost do not have a foreign policy of their own, can often be heard. Croatian foreign policy in the short period of time went to long way of creating stable and useful relations with the world, which could promote Croatian national interest and ensure the peace, security and prosperity in this part of the world. Analysing relations with the neighbouring countries, the approaches of Europe, and strengthening the national security through international activities the author shows that Croatian foreign policy built a new model of relations and promotes itself as an important partner in new European relations

Relations between the big powers: USA, Russia and China

The relations within the big-power triangle: USA, Russia and China will determine to a high degree both global and regional trends, the issues of peace and security, as well as the character of international cooperation. Russia is certain to occupy a prominent place in American politics. NATO eastward expansion, closer links with the Baltic states, and the American economic-political incursions into the former Soviet republics in Central Asia should be regarded as a kind of post-cold-war response to this still impressive Russian military potential. It is, at the same time, a concrete expression of the existing opposing geostrategic interests, and the Balkan region can expect a similar fate. America has continued its constructive political involvement regarding relations with China which is regarded by the USA as a country that might seriously jeopardise American global leadership accompanied by calls to China to become an equal and responsible member of the international community and part of the new global order. Human rights issues in China have been raised and clear warnings given that America would oppose any attempt at a forcible incorporation of Taiwan into the People’s Republic of China. Croatia, as a small country should look for some scope for action within the triangle of great powers, aware of the place it occupies as a country situated in Central Europe, on the Mediterranean and in Southeastern Europe

Relations between the big powers: USA, Russia and China

The relations within the big-power triangle: USA, Russia and China will determine to a high degree both global and regional trends, the issues of peace and security, as well as the character of international cooperation. Russia is certain to occupy a prominent place in American politics. NATO eastward expansion, closer links with the Baltic states, and the American economic-political incursions into the former Soviet republics in Central Asia should be regarded as a kind of post-cold-war response to this still impressive Russian military potential. It is, at the same time, a concrete expression of the existing opposing geostrategic interests, and the Balkan region can expect a similar fate. America has continued its constructive political involvement regarding relations with China which is regarded by the USA as a country that might seriously jeopardise American global leadership accompanied by calls to China to become an equal and responsible member of the international community and part of the new global order. Human rights issues in China have been raised and clear warnings given that America would oppose any attempt at a forcible incorporation of Taiwan into the People’s Republic of China. Croatia, as a small country should look for some scope for action within the triangle of great powers, aware of the place it occupies as a country situated in Central Europe, on the Mediterranean and in Southeastern Europe

U.S. Policy in the Southeast Europe

Following the disintegration of the socialist system in Europe and the end of the bloc-based relations, American politics has changed the course of its operation. In present-day circumstances, southeast Europe is becoming increasingly prominent in American foreign-policy projections, particularly during Clinton’s administration. Clinton has defined a clear-cut policy towards Europe’s southeast due to its vicinity to certain neuralgic points of American engagement (Near East, the Caspian region, the Gulf, eastern Mediterranean). In this way American politics has proved its leading global role. At the time of scarcity of foreign-policy events, Clinton’s team has thus been served on a platter a major foreign-policy arena, in which its engagement – which has all the symptoms of a long-lasting one – has not proved too costly

The Post-Socialist European Countries and their International Relationships

Raspad socijalizma i mogućnost stvaranje nove Evrope otvorio je prostor za nova razmišljanja o zemljama Istočne i Srednje Evrope. Optimistički pogledi zamijenjeni su skepticizmom, koji se sudario sa realnostima novih odnosa u postsocijalističkom svijetu. Samo razvijanjem demokracije i prihvaćanjem svih demokratskih oblika koji su već odavno ugrađeni u zapadnoevropski politički i gospodarski život Istočna Evropa može postati dio Evrope. Autor naglašava da su sva domaća sredstva nedostatna i da ni jedna nova zemlja nije u stanju postavljene ciljeve sama rješavati vlastitim sredstvima, da bez vanjske pomoći ni jedna od njih neće moći održati postojeći pravac razvoja, a možda čak ni postojeće državne okvire. Promatrajući razvoj novih evropskih država u neposrednoj budućnosti, može se zaključiti da će njihovo glavno usmjerenje biti Evropa, pri čemu kao početnu mogućnost treba iskoristiti sve oblike postojeće ili neke buduće regionalne suradnje među novim državama.The collapse of Socialism and the possibility of creating a new Europe have opened up an area for new thinking concerning the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. Optimistic views have been supplanted by a scepticism which clashed against the reality of new relationships in the post-socialist world. Only through developing democracy and accepting all democratic forms which have been a part of the West European political and economic life can Eastern Europe too become part of Europe. The author stresses that domestic means do not suffice and that no new country is able to achieve the aims that it has set to itself by using only its own resources. Without aid from the outside none of these countries can maintain the existing direction of its development nor, perhaps, its existing state borders. Observing the development of the new European states one concludes that their immediate aims are to maintain their direction towards Europe. That purpose immediately requires that all forms of existing and possibly future regional cooperation between the new states ought to be taken advantage of

NATO: between Crisis Stabilisation and Global Challenges

Ukoliko bi se NATO-va transformacija htjela vidjeti kao dugoročan proces onda je moguće ustvrditi da će se i političke i vojne koordinate akcije usmjeriti oko dva glavna pravca koji će ujedno biti i temeljni znaci raspoznavanja NATO-a u slijedećem razdoblju. Stabilizacija i globalizacija mogu se već sada pokazati kao dvije odrednice oko kojih teče splet glavnih aktivnosti i koje će dominirati u nastupu NATO-a prema vani, ali koje će isto tako odrediti tempo unutarnjih političkih i strategijskih rasprava i diskusija vezanih uz transformaciju samog NATO-a.If NATO transformation is seen as a long-term process it is possible to predict for both political and military coordinates of the action to be focused on two main processes, which will present the main NATO recognition characters in the next period. Stabilization and globalization present two focal points which will dominate NATO\u27s outward appearance in the future, determining at the same time the rate of political and strategic discussions on NATO transformation