Western Balkans Geopolitical Significance: The United Arab Emirates' Perspective

What is it about?

The subject of the study is the relationship between entities in the Western Balkans and the United Arab Emirates as a process of adaptation to a new international environment and, consequently, the adoption of new roles and positions. The research question adopted is: What are the new role and the Western Balkans position from the perspective of the dynamics of relations between the countries of this region and the United Arab Emirates? To find an answer to the research question, appropriate scientific measures and methods were adopted, based on the theory of adaptation and international roles, using quantitative and qualitative methods. The answer to the posed research question is the statement that the Western Balkans, from their relations with the United Arab Emirates perspective, achieve a stronger role and position as a connector of strategic North-South transport and energy routes. However, the condition for the long-term increase in the importance of the Western Balkans is anchoring in the membership of the European Union and the Three Seas Initiative (3SI). The answers and the results obtained are significant because the problem under consideration concerns the processes of shaping a new international order. In addition, the presented research paper is innovative and based on original data. Thus, the results of the completed research described in this article set future directions of research focusing on the interdependence of processes taking place in the Western Balkans-Middle East-Caucasus triangle.

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Photo by Faruk Kaymak on Unsplash

Photo by Faruk Kaymak on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The presented innovative research, based on original data, generated discoveries important not only for the countries and entities of the Middle East and the European Union or other transatlantic actors but also for the Middle East and China. The most important results of the conducted research show that the Western Balkans are gaining greater geopolitical importance due to the growing rivalry of powers in this region as an area connecting the North and South and the war in Ukraine, which affects the shaping of the new world order. The growing dynamics of the presence of the United Arab Emirates in the Western Balkans shows the processes of diversification of alliances and mutual influence in terms of adaptation to the dynamically changing international situation and, consequently, the adoption of new roles and positions. Answering the research question posed, the research results confirm that from the perspective of the United Arab Emirates, the Western Balkans, and the new dynamics of events, the new role and position of the Western Balkans will be strengthened. However, the condition is quick integration with the European Union and the implementation of joint projects under the Three Seas Initiative.

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