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Kazakhstan's foreign policy has been characterized by continuity for a long time. The country has been balancing between Russia, the West and China. In the context of the transformation of world politics and economy, as well as aggravation of relations between the West and Russia, the adjusting foreign policy priorities and its specific content are getting especially important for Kazakhstan. The realization of a special military operation by Russia has greatly impacted Kazakhstan's foreign policy. Kazakhstan is under strong political pressure from the West. It requires Kazakhstan to change its foreign policy course and join anti-Russian policy. The study is aimed to identify new trends in Kazakhstan's foreign policy, both in the relations with Russia and the West as well as countries of Central Asia. For this purpose, the statements of the first persons of the state, reflecting the priorities, were analyzed. A special attention was also paid to Kazakhstan's policy towards Russia, which remains a key partner. In the conclusion, the author identified the key priorities: an intensification of relations with the West, a search for new approaches to cooperation with Central Asian countries and preservation of balancing between Russia and the West.

The purpose of this paper is to redress the relative shortage of small power studies, expand the theoretical understanding pertaining to this peculiar type of states and reassert the term 'small power' in the relevant literature. The field of international relations (IR) that is devoted to small powers is limited, at least when compared to the material available for larger powers, as small powers were seemingly neglected during the Cold War era. However, small powers today have increased in numbers, as has their impact on the international system; hence, it is imperative that all pertinent definitions and attributes of small powers are examined in order to challenge the consistency and credibility of the term 'small state' over 'small power', as different connotations apply in either case. Adapted from the source document.

Excerpts from radio address, Feb. 9, 1951.

The article examines one of the directions of the foreign policy of the Czech Republic - the Balkan one. Based on the analysis of government documents on foreign policy, it is noted that this vector cannot be considered a priority. Nevertheless, the development of the situation in the Balkans is of considerable interest in Czech society. The main topic discussed in the article is the integration of the Balkan states into the European Union. The article reveals the connection between the foreign policy strategy of the Czech Republic and the current state of the Czech political scene, where the discussion on the recognition of Kosovo's independence plays a significant role. In connection with the active use of the «southern Balkan route» by migrants, certain problems of the migration policy of the Czech Republic are considered in the context of the fight against illegal migration. The main research method is content analysis of foreign policy documents of the Czech government and speeches of Czech politicians. The author concludes that the Czech Republic actively supports the process of European integration of the Balkan states, considering it an indispensable condition for the stable economic and political development of all countries in the region and a guarantee of the preservation of peace and security in Europe as a whole.

The past decade has witnessed the investment of considerable energy and ingenuity in the refinement of the categories of foreign policy determinants proposed in James Rosenau's famous essay, "Pre-theories and Theories of Foreign Policy." A sizable literature on foreign policy behavior is now developing, based upon empirical tests of the explanatory power of such variables as size, wealth, degree of political accountability, decision-maker attributes, environmental stimuli, etc. Surprisingly little attention in the field of comparative foreignpolicy, however, has been directed at specifying more precisely and in operational form the concept ofissue area—an important component of Rosenau's "pre-theory" and an analytic concept that has received much attention in the public policy field. Moreover, among those scholars who do employ the concept there is little consensus as to the merits of a content based as opposed to a process oriented treatment of issue area or to the implications for empirical research of selecting one approach over the other. This essay seeks: 1) to review the foreign policy literature that attaches major importance to issue area; 2) to assess the merits of alternative treatments of the concept in terms of their contribution to the development of a theory of comparative foreign policy; and 3) to specify the conditions under which different issue area approaches can be used most profitably in comparative foreign policy research.

The purpose of the study is to determine the conceptual features of Spain's foreign cultural policy based on the analysis of legal documents and communication activities of cultural institutions. Research methodology. The most important results were the generalisation and systematisation of facts based on various documents, the study of which was carried out with the help of cognitive and content analysis. The institutional and communication approach helped to consider the system of foreign cultural diplomacy based on the presentation of the activities of a number of relevant organizations using the structural-functional method. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the analysis of the experience of Spain's implementation of the main principles of foreign cultural policy. Conclusions. Currently, in relation to foreign cultural policy, Spain adheres to European principles: the country has a fairly developed legal framework and an effective mechanism for promoting its culture. The Spanish experience in the implementation of cultural policy is not unique, but it can be considered successful, in particular with regard to the creation of separate institutions, the main activity of which is aimed exclusively at promoting information about the country, its history, culture, and language. Official documents outline the significance of the country's foreign cultural policy as an independent direction of activity. The analysis of documents also makes it possible to follow the evolution in the implementation of cultural policy and its impact on various spheres of society, the effectiveness and success of its provisions. The stages of the formation of the cultural sector as an independent one, in accordance with the adopted documents and the activities of the institutions, testify to the relationship between them and the continuity of the principles on which they are based.

Review essay of the book "To make a world safe for revolution: Cuba's foreign policy" by Jorge Dominguez. According to Baloyra, the connection between foreign policy and domestic legitimacy is particularly robust in the case of Cuba