ABSTRACT
The three areas of the wider European space explored in this book share little in common. They differ in size, in the number of their constituent states, and in the extent to which they are perceived, or perceive themselves, as distinct subregions of the Eurasian continent. The chapters of the book, which focus on the particular physical, historical, political and economic factors that shape each area and interstate relations therein, amply demonstrate this fact. The distinctiveness of east-central Europe, south-eastern Europe and the southern tier of the Trans-Caucasus and central Asia has led each of the authors to emphasize the need for caution in delimiting these areas as subregions. As Charles King reminds us, “thinking a region does not make it so.” It also underscores the impossibility of adapting a generic model of subregional cooperation to any particular area of the Eurasian continent.
