The foreign policy of great powers and reform in the Middle East (No. 14)

 Abstract

The collapse of the bi-polar system resulting from the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, transformed security concepts in the Middle East. Increasing territorial disputes within the region created too much concerns about external threats against the secure flow of energy resources. Kowait crisis in 1990-91 was the beginning of the direct military presence of great powers in the region. This military presence not only continued as a result of subsequent events such as September 11 attacks, afghan war and the US attack on Iraq, but also has had significant effects on the region lacking to more tension and insecurity.

The September 11 event and the increasing growth extremist and particularistic tendencies in the Middle East challenged the US hegemonic efforts for establishing a unipolar system. These challenges forced US statesmen as well as European, Russian and Chinese policy - makers to consider the issues of establishing peace and security and conducting reforms in the region at the top of their foreign policy agenda in the early 21th century.

This volume tries to study the foreign policy of the great powers in the region and to explore their commonalities and differences. The first chapter, “Reformed in the Middle East: A Necessity for Adopting an Interregional Approach” studies the growth of religious and ethnic extremis in the Middle East, considering it a protest against to explore appropriate ways for implementing reforms in the regional countries based on potential national and native models. The second chapter, “The European Union’s Approach to the Middle East” analyses and identifies the main factors influencing the EU’s Middle - Eastern policies. The author tries to explain the economic, political and cultural status of the Middle East region and its importance in EU priorities.

The third chapter, “The US Hegemony and Political – Economic Reforms in the Middle East”, studies the US policy for democracy promotion based on military and non-military approaches. The fourth chapter, “Russian Foreign Policy towards the Middle East”, argues that Moscow in its new Middle Eastern policy has attached more importance to security factor compared to political and economic ones.

The fifth chapter, “The Greater Middle East Plan; Absolute Security through Absolute Dominance”, argues that the greater Middle East plan has a completely military - security nature aiming at ensuring the absolute security of great powers’ interests in exploiting regional energy resources.

The last chapter of part one, “Reforms in Arab Countries and Expansion of Relations between China and Arabs” which has been written by former China’s ambassador in Turkey, studies the development of the Middle East from China’s point of view.

The second part of the book reflects the discussions made in a roundtable held in the foreign policy research department on the subject of “The Greater Middle East Plan: Goals and Prospects”.

Content

_ Preface / Dr Mahmood Vaezi

Part One: Articles

_ Reformed in the Middle East: A Necessity for Adopting an Interregional Approach /Maryam Javan Shahraki

_ The European Union’s Approach to the Middle East /Dr Mahmood Vaezi

_ The US Hegemony and Political - Economic Reforms in the Middle East /Shani Hormozi

_ Russian Foreign Policy towards the Middle East /Dr Davood Kiani

_ The Greater Middle East Plan; Absolute Security through Absolute Dominance /

_ Reforms in Arab Countries and Expansion of Relations between China and Arabs /yao auangi

Part Two

_ Roundtable: “The Greater Middle East Plan: Goals and Prospects”