The countries of the Post-Soviet Space (i.e. the fifteen former Soviet republics which together once made up the USSR) are faced with a number of common security problems, in relation to various cultural, economic, military and/or political issues. In this one hour course, we will briefly survey six international organizations that have been created to deal with security issues throughout much of Eurasia: the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Measures in Asia (CICA), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Eurasian Group (EAG) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

SUGGESTED READING

• Stephen Aris et al., Russia and Regional Organizations, Russian Analytical Digest, Number 76 (April, 15, 2010). Available online at: https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/115180/Russian_Analytical_Digest_76.pdf

COURSE OUTLINE

• Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), established in 1991.
• Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), established in 1992.
• Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), established in 1996.
• Conference on Interaction and Confidence Measures in Asia (CICA), established in 1999.
• Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), established in 2000.
• Eurasian Group (EAG), established in 2004.

PLANNED LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Understand the history of security organizations in the Post-Soviet Space.
2. Comprehend the various security issues that have arisen in the Post-Soviet Space.
3. Appreciate the aims and structures of six key regional associations operating in the Post-Soviet Space.