Georgian Foreign Policy towards the North Caucasus

Abstract

Researching Georgian foreign policy towards the North Caucasus is essential as it offers insights into regional security, cross-border challenges, conflict resolution efforts, and the dynamics of small states' foreign policy behaviour. Understanding Georgia's approach to this strategically significant region can have broader implications for regional stability and cooperation in the South Caucasus and beyond. Against this background, this study seeks to explore the national role conceptions of Georgia in relation to the North Caucasus region as perceived by the leaders of the country over the course of the last three decades. The fact that nowadays in Georgia, there is no tangible foreign policy strategy towards this region seems puzzling, given the significance of the region for the national security of Georgia. In order to observe and identify the national role conceptions as perceived by the presidents of Georgia, this thesis employs the role theory to look for the trends in the foreign policy rhetoric of the leaders of the country. Utilising discourse analysis on various different sources, this thesis came to the conclusion that there were three main roles that presidents perceived for Georgia over the years in relation to the region of the North Caucasus. These are the role of stabiliser,...