Шляхи інтеграції країн Балтії до європейських та євроатлантичних структур: досвід для України

Abstract

The topic of integration of the three Baltic states into Euro-Atlantic structures is interesting primarily because today they are the only example of achieving full membership in the EU and NATO among the countries that were once part of the USSR. It is no secret that some other post-Soviet states have repeatedly stated their intentions to join these international structures. Thus, the experience of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia is in many ways unique and this fact alone deserves close attention of researchers. Speaking about the relevance of the topic, we must not forget that in domestic science there are very few works on their development in the post-Soviet period. In most expert publications, the authors, guided by a "pragmatic" approach, tend to absolutize the importance of economic factors, refraining from analyzing political processes in the region. Therefore, the study of the development of the Baltic States in the post-Soviet period - the evolution of priorities and strategies for implementing their domestic and foreign policies - is now gaining not only purely scientific but also practical importance as an important element in forming an effective national security strategy.