Between national and European foreign policy: the role of Latvia and Romania in the EU's policy towards Central Asia. Issue 3 (3rd July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bossuyt, Fabienne
• Is Part Of: Journal of southeast European and Black Sea studies. Volume 17:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 441
• Page End: 460
• Publication Date: 2017-07-03
• Subjects: European Union -- Central Asia -- Latvia -- Romania -- foreign policy; Balkan Peninsula -- Economic conditions -- 20th century -- Periodicals; Balkan Peninsula -- Politics and government -- 1989- -- Periodicals; Geopolitics -- Balkan Peninsula -- Periodicals; Black Sea Region -- Economic conditions -- 20th century -- Periodicals; Black Sea Region -- Politics and government -- 20th century -- Periodicals; Geopolitics -- Black Sea Region -- Periodicals; 330.9496
• DOI: 10.1080/14683857.2017.1361897
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1468-3857

Abstract

Abstract: This article explores whether and to what extent new member states of the European Union (EU) seek to pursue their national foreign policy goals towards Central Asia through the EU rather than bilaterally. To do so, it focuses on Latvia and Romania. While the article finds evidence of Romanian attempts to project its interests in the region onto the EU level, Latvia appears to rely more extensively on the EU level to pursue its goals towards Central Asia. Using insights from the literature on Europeanization of national foreign policy, the article explains this finding with reference to four variables that determine whether a member state will seek to upload its national foreign policy preferences onto the EU level, namely the perceived salience of the policy goals, the extent to which member states can carve out a niche, their perceived capabilities and the level of Europeanization of their national foreign policies.