National Security and Military Issues in the Transcaucasus

The leaderships of the three internationally recognized states 1 that emerged in Transcaucasia in the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991—Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia—have faced enormous difficulties in enhancing their national security since independence. All these countries found themselves in poor condition to begin establishing themselves as full-fledged members of the international community, and without exception their national security has deteriorated sharply over the past three years. All have had to face the reality of their insignificance in the international order and have had to accept painful and frequently substantial restrictions on their sovereignty.