Russian Impact on foreign policy process of Caucasian Republics

In recent years, relations between the Russia Federation and the south littoral states have experienced some developments. While Russia is continuing its main role in the area, the role of other regional and international actors, such as United States and NATO is increasingly challenging the Russian interests in its vital backyard, the Near Abroad, as called by Russians. To face these challenges and secure its national security and vital interests, Russia is trying to find an effective and less expensive solution. Considering the new conditions of the region, wherein Moscow is unable to discard all rivals from the Central Asia and especially Caucasus political arena, Russian policy and effectiveness has directed and seems to be continued toward not letting its rival strategies achieve their expected results. Russia is also trying to utilize from its privileged economic, political, military situation in the region to control foreign policy behavior of the Caucuses republics in order to eliminate those factors that are in Russian view contradicting with its national security and interests. In this way Russia hopes preventing or delaying the region in its integration with the West political and security structures.