CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2022
| Author | Kadic, Kenan |
|---|---|
| Title | When Russian linkages meet domestic interests: The Rise of the Russian vector in foreign policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Summary | This thesis aims to explain the rise of the Russian vector in Bosnian foreign policy. Bosnia and Herzegovina has traditionally been oriented to the West and the country’s main goal was integration into the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Over time and due to various reasons, this integration has stagnated and thereby opened the way for foreign actors to project their influence, mainly detrimental to Bosnia. Russia is one of those countries whose actions and presence in Bosnian foreign policy form the focus of this research. While there are several explanations that show the role and actions of Russia in Bosnia and Herzegovina, none of them seems sufficient. This thesis will argue that two, independent and complementary explanations are, in fact, better able to explain the presence of the Russian vector in Bosnian foreign policy. The first explanation views Russian influence through the lens of linkages, ranging from political to cultural, as the cause of the increased presence of the Russian vector in Bosnian foreign policy. The second explanation focuses on the role of some members of the Bosnian political elite whose interests significantly determine the degree of the Russian vector’s presence in Bosnian foreign policy. This thesis finds that it is rather the combination of the above two explanations that can provide a general conclusion about the presence of the Russian vector in Bosnian foreign policy. It contributes to the existing literature by integrating already existing, general explanations into a unique mechanism that highlights reasons behind the increased presence of Russia in Bosnian foreign policy. |
| Supervisor | Melnykovska, Inna |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2022/kadic_kenan.pdf |
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