ABSTRACT
As small states surrounded by former superpowers, the three South Caucasian republics have to cope with external pressure and influence while trying to retain their independence and foreign policy priorities. As a result, each has its own distinct foreign policy orientation: Georgia is outspokenly pro-US, Armenia is proRussian, and Azerbaijan has a more balanced outlook but with very close ties to Turkey. Russia’s external relations are not discussed in much detail in this chapter, as the North Caucasus is not as crucial in foreign policy considerations – mainly because Russia does not want any other third party to interfere in its internal affairs.
