Armenia, the Regional Powers, and the West: Between History and Geopolitics PDF
Preview Armenia, the Regional Powers, and the West: Between History and Geopolitics
Armenia, the Regional Powers, and the West This page intentionally left blank Armenia, the Regional Powers, and the West Between History And Geopolitics Alla Mirzoyan ARMENIA, THE REGIONAL POWERS, AND THE WEST Copyright © Alla Mirzoyan, 2010. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2010 978-0-230-61866-4 All rights reserved. First published in 2010 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN® in the United States – a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-38124-1 ISBN 978-0-230-10635-2 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9780230106352 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data. Mirzoyan, Alla. Armenia, the regional powers, and the West: between history and geopolitics / Alla Mirzoyan. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-349-38124-1 (alk. paper) 1. Armenia (Republic)—Foreign relations. 2. World politics—1989– I. Title. DK687.54.M57 2010 327.47590182'1—dc22 2009029520 A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library. Design by MPS Limited, A Macmillan Company First edition: April 2010 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To my parents This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 Research Landscape 4 Basic Parameters of Armenia’s Security Environment 9 Chapter Outline 16 1 Russia: “The Indispensable Ally?” 21 Introduction 21 History and Perceptions 22 The Battle of the Narratives 25 1991–1998: The Deem Reality 30 1998–2005: The End of Platonic Love 39 Conclusion 53 2 Turkey: “The Other” 55 Introduction 55 A Glance at History 59 1991–1998: The Chimera of “Pragmatism” 62 1998–2005: A Never Ending Story? 89 Conclusion 106 3 Iran: “The Permanent Alternative” 107 Introduction 107 Careful Engagement 108 Conclusion 132 viii Contents 4 The West: “Ambiguous Modern” 135 Introduction 135 Armenia and the United States 137 European Institutions 161 Conclusion 173 Conclusion: “Ideational Redlines” and “Structural Dynamics” 175 Notes 179 Bibliography 215 Index 239 Acknowledgments This book represents a culmination of my doctoral dissertation and research. I would like to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to those who accompanied and inspired me through the process of writing it. To Mohiaddin Mesbahi, whose near-infinite knowledge of the region, geopoli- tics, and theory has opened for me new horizons of thinking and looking at the world. To Charles MacDonald, whose keen perspective, kindness, and patience greatly facilitated my transition into the doctoral program. To Damian Fernandez, whose passion and probing mind forced me to look more deeply into my research. To Brian Nelson, whose vitality, humor and wonderful seminars in political and social theory inspired me to venture into new avenues of knowledge. I would also like to thank Antonio Jorge, Nicholas Onuf, and John Clark for their kindness and guidance. This research could not have been completed without the gener- ous support from Florida International University Dissertation Year Fellowship and the Department of International Relations. I would also like to thank IREX Short-Term Travel grants for providing me with an opportunity to travel to Armenia for research. My profound appreciation goes to my friends and family: my brother, Armen, without whose love and support this work would not have been possible; my dear friend Majid Al-Khalili whose intelligent insights, wise advice, and continuous support have been indispensable; Rita Sabat whose grace and strong spirit has motivated me; Misak and Goar Sargsians whose kindness and hospitality I will never forget; and Andrew Correa for making me laugh when I most needed it. Throughout this project I could always count on encouragement, love, and support of my husband and dear friend, Alexander Barder. His intel- ligence and knowledge has been a source of inspiration. This work is forever entwined with the birth of my son, Robert, who changed my life. Most important, I would like to deeply thank my parents, Robert and Roza Mirzoyan, for being my guiding light. I dedicate this work to them.
The list of books you might like
