The Evolution of US Policy towards the Southern Caucasus

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of American policy in the Southern Caucasus since 1991. It begins with a discussion of the principal drivers of that policy. A discussion of the evolution of the policy since the end of the Cold War follows. The article argues that US policy in the region has been ad hoc and inconsistent, reflecting ideological considerations (democracy promotion in Georgia), economic interests (access to Caspian Basin energy product and the development of US relations with Azerbaijan), US minority lobbying (US policy towards the Karabagh conflict), and idiosyncratic leadership preference (the personal relationship between Presidents Bush and Saakashvili). This amalgam reflected the weakness of strategic drivers and notably Russia’s inability to act on its hegemonic aspirations in the region. As Russian power increases, and its effort to rebuild its influence in the Southern Caucasus grows, the strategic framing of US policy may also be expected to strengthen.

Keywords

US Foreign Policy, Southern Caucasus, Russo-Georgian War, CIS, NATO.

Citation

Khelashvili, George and Macfarlane, S. Neil, “The Evolution of US Policy towards the Southern Caucasus”, Uluslararası İlişkiler, Volume 7, No 26 (Summer 2010), p. 105-124.

Affiliations

• George Khelashvili, Former Assistant Professor, Tbilisi State University and a Doctoral Candidate, University of Oxford
• S. Neil Macfarlane, Lester B. Pearson Professor, University of Oxford, Department of Politics and International Relations