ABSTRACT
The east European region has undergone breathtaking changes since the Soviet empire began to unravel at the close of the 1980s. The rapid disintegration of the unpopular and illegitimate Communist regimes was accompanied by a democratic upsurge in each state. Four important variables must be considered in order to understand eastern Europe's predicament and to trace the evolution of international relations in the region since the fall of Communism: domestic political developments, market-oriented economic reforms, ethnic and nationality relations, and changing international conditions. The pace of economic transformation has differed significantly between the east European states. Economic developments in the region have resulted in a growing differentiation between the central and south east European countries. The evolution from a simple bi-polar to a complex multi-polar European system will seriously effect the stability and the security of the continent.
