“Geopolitical and Security Dimensions of ASEAN Functioning”
Students Name: Borova Yuliia Yuriivna
Qualification Level: magister
Speciality: International Relations
Institute: Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences
Mode of Study: part
Academic Year: 2021-2022 н.р.
Language of Defence: англійська
Abstract: Regional organizations are set up to promote cooperation, political and economic integration or dialogue between member states within a given geographical or geopolitical region. For the analysis of such an organization, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was chosen in order to thoroughly study the features of geopolitical and security dimensions of its functioning. It includes ten countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Brunei. ASEAN was formed during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, when mutual support and assistance between countries in the region was especially needed to protect their national and regional security. Today, a new challenge for ASEAN countries is the geopolitical confrontation between the United States and China in the region of Southeast Asia. Therefore, assessing the threat to regional security and the unity of ASEAN itself, its members try to maintain a neutral position and balance between China and the United States. Other contemporary security challenges include the escalation of territorial disputes between some ASEAN countries and China in the South China Sea, terrorism, arms smuggling, human trafficking, drug trafficking, illegal migration and piracy. Given the efforts of ASEAN countries to combat contemporary threats, the study is relevant in terms of experience in applying organizational mechanisms to address geopolitical and security challenges to regional peace and stability. Study object – ASEAN as a model of regional cooperation between the countries of Southeast Asia. Scope of research – geopolitical and security dimensions of ASEAN functioning. Goal of research to study the geopolitical and security dimensions of the functioning of ASEAN as a model of regional cooperation in Southeast Asia. In this paper, the sources of research on the issues of geopolitical and security dimension of the functioning of ASEAN, in particular Ukrainian and foreign, were studied. It was determined that this topic has been studied both in Ukraine and abroad by the following scientists: B. Novoshitsky, O. Shergin, A. Korolev, E. Bavier, M. Vakkumbura and others. It is worth noting that in order to study the problem, the works of mostly foreign scientists than domestic ones were studied, as there is still a lack of research on this topic in Ukraine. In the paper is revealing the main preconditions for the creation of ASEAN, namely the deterioration of the regional countries position in the world economy, China’s support for pro-communist forces in Southeast Asia and increasing the presence of US troops in the region. It is discovered that the main areas of cooperation of ASEAN member countries are economic, socio-cultural and security sectors. It is noted that the central problem in the areas of ASEAN’s activities is the appropriate balance between national sovereignty and the requirements of regional cooperation, as ASEAN is based on the principle of non-interference in the affairs of member states. The influence of geopolitical confrontation of leading international actors, in particular the United States and China, on the interaction of ASEAN states is analyzed. It was found that the aggravation of relations between them divides the ASEAN countries into two camps, as some have partnerships with China, others with the United States. The rivalry between the United States and China in Southeast Asia is forcing ASEAN, a multilateral alliance, to seek ways to mitigate the negative effects of the conflict in order to maintain control over regional processes [2]. In paper is identified the basic principles of security activities of ASEAN countries, in particular the principle of comprehensive security, which includes the introduction of mechanisms for peaceful settlement of conflicts and confidence-building measures between ASEAN member states. It was founded that poverty, low economic development and unemployment motivate citizens to migrate illegally, join pirate gangs, work informally, trade in arms and drugs, and contribute to the spread of transnational crime in the region. The security interaction of ASEAN member states with non-regional countries, including the United States, China, Japan, Australia, India and Russia, was also studied. The US-China rivalry in Southeast Asia has been found to force ASEAN, a multilateral alliance, to seek ways to mitigate the negative effects of the conflict in order to maintain control over regional processes. Key words: ASEAN, geopolitics, security, regional relations, cooperation. References. 1. 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