ABSTRACT

Following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and much of their surrounding regions have been placed in the midst of a rapid and directionless geopolitical evolution. The end of the Cold War has upset many of the old faultlines in the Mediterranean and the Middle East and the strategic environment is more diverse and uncertain. The traditional definition of security in military terms is obviously inadequate in the post-Cold War era. Economic, social, demographic and environmental problems have a considerable impact on national security and political stability. An important issue that needs to be tackled for methodological, as well as substantive reasons, is the lack of a single, agreed definition of the political and geographic boundaries of the Mediterranean.