GEO-ECONOMICS: THEORY AND PRACTICE FOR SMALL COUNTRIES WITH TRANSITION ECONOMY /VIEW FROM GEORGIA/

Abstract

The book is aimed at demonstrating that the main theoretical approaches to the external economic behavior of small countries with a transition economy are insufficient to explain such important issues in the foreign economy of small states as an assessment of external economic threats and the choice of economic allies. Ignoring of the modern geo-economic paradigm is a serious obstacle to their accelerated development. The first chapter of the book is dedicated to the study of theoretical issues of geoeconomics. Based on the views of E. Luttwak and his critics the author analyzes the books and articles, which are devoted to the definition of the concept of modern geo-economics. On this basis, the author proposes his own version of the definition of geo-economics. The second chapter explores the identification and systematization of geoeconomic threats that directly affect the development of small countries with economies in transition (using the case of Georgia). The third chapter is devoted to the study of factors of regional economic integration in the South Caucasus in the context of geo-economic problems of Georgia. The author hopes that this book will contribute to academic discussions around the priorities and implementation of effective foreign economic policies of small countries with economies in transition.