Publisher's Synopsis
The demise of the Soviet Union in December 1991 was followed by various attempts to create new forms of integration for the new states of Eurasia. The authors analyse in detail how the national elites in the independent states have conceived their regional policies. Regional integration is commonly considered to have a positive content - as the creation of political stability or the development of economic links - but each integration project is encountering serious opposition. They are generally seen as a serious limitation to the newly acquired independence, without it necessarily being considered that they enhance regional stability. In this volume, cultural factors are also taken into account in explaining the difficulties of creating cohesive regional institutions.
