Розкрито основні виклики й загрози європейській безпеці та стабільності в Західних Балканах. В центрі уваги – висвітлення геостратегічних інтересів на Балканах основних міжнародних гравців Заходу та Сходу: ЄС, США, Росії, Туреччини, Китаю, країн Перської затоки. Досліджено стан політико-економічної взаємодії основних акторів світової політики з країнами Західних Балкан, вплив цих процесів на регіональну безпеку, політичні процеси та темпи євроатлантичної інтеграції. Робиться висновок, що центральна ось геополітичного протистояння на Балканах пролягає сьогодні між ЄС та НАТО, з одного боку, та Росією – з іншого. Стверджується, що на стан безпеки в регіоні в подальшому будуть впливати також глобальні чинники, серед яких: конфронтація Росії та Заходу, перегляд відносин між Америкою та Європою, посилення конкуренції між США та Китаєм, загострення міграційної кризи та ін.
The major challenges and threats to European security and stability in the Western Balkans are revealed. Following the end of the "Yugoslav wars", it was the EU that led to comprehensive reforms aimed at stabilizing the political and economic development of the Western Balkans. However, the sluggish process of reforming the political systems of the post-Yugoslav space, as well as a number of internal problems within the European community, slowed down further European integration processes. This made it possible to deepen the presence of other countries– China, Russia, Turkey, the Persian Gulf countries, whose growing influence was projected in the Balkans.The focus is on the geo-strategic interests of international players from the West and the East in the Western Balkans (WB6), to which Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and partially recognized Kosovo belong. The author has studied the state of political and economic interaction of the main actors of world politics with the countries of the Western Balkans, the impact of these processes on regional security, political processes and the pace of Euro-Atlantic integration.The current activity of foreign political players in the region is said to be due to at least three factors. First, the growing transitional potential of the Western Balkans as the intersection point of transcontinental trade routes from East Asia to western Eurasia. Second, the geostrategic role of the Balkans as a middle zone for the supply of energy from Russia and Central Asia to Europe. Third, the region is a kind of enclave surrounded from all sides by EU Member States. This makes it an extremely attractive platform for promoting the economic, geopolitical and security interests of major international actors in other regions of Europe.It has been concluded that the central axis of geopolitical confrontation in the Balkans today lies between the EU and NATO, on one side, and Russia, on the other. Other actors have their own interest in being able to enter the EU markets and actively participate in European politics. At the same time, their influence on Balkan affairs reinforcescounter-European trends, strengthens autocratic political regimes, for which the experience of non-Western partners' political systems often seems more comprehensible and attractive. Security in the region will also be determined by global factors: the confrontation between Russia and the West, the re-examination of relations between the USA and Europe, increased competition between the USA and China, the escalation of the migration crisis, etc. ; Раскрыты основные вызовы и угрозы европейской безопасности и стабильности в Западных Балканах. В центре внимания – освещение геостратегических интересов на Балканах основных международных игроков Запада и Востока: ЕС, США, России, Турции, Китая, стран Персидского залива. Исследовано состояние политико-экономического взаимодействия основных акторов мировой политики со странами Западных Балкан, влияние этих процессов на региональную безопасность, политические процессы и темпы евроатлантической интеграции. Делается вывод, что центральная ось геополитического противостояния на Балканах проходит сегодня между ЕС и НАТО, с одной стороны, и Россией – с другой. Утверждается, что на состояние безопасности в регионе в дальнейшем будут влиять также глобальные факторы, среди которых: конфронтация России и Запада, пересмотр отношений между Америкой и Европой, усиление конкуренции между США и Китаем, обострение миграционной кризиса и др. ; Розкрито основні виклики й загрози європейській безпеці та стабільності в Західних Балканах. В центрі уваги – висвітлення геостратегічних інтересів на Балканах основних міжнародних гравців Заходу та Сходу: ЄС, США, Росії, Туреччини, Китаю, країн Перської затоки. Досліджено стан політико-економічної взаємодії основних акторів світової політики з країнами Західних Балкан, вплив цих процесів на регіональну безпеку, політичні процеси та темпи євроатлантичної інтеграції. Робиться висновок, що центральна ось геополітичного протистояння на Балканах пролягає сьогодні між ЄС та НАТО, з одного боку, та Росією – з іншого. Стверджується, що на стан безпеки в регіоні в подальшому будуть впливати також глобальні чинники, серед яких: конфронтація Росії та Заходу, перегляд відносин між Америкою та Європою, посилення конкуренції між США та Китаєм, загострення міграційної кризи та ін.
The article intends to highlight geopolitical aspects in the development of international tourism in Ukraine as a global phenomenon that carries out economic, social and international political action. The paper analyzes international tourist flows in Ukraine, their dynamics and spatial structure during 2000–2017 in particular, in the context of military-political aggression on the part of Russia and intensification of Ukrainian-Russian intergovernmental relations. It has been established that the current dynamics of the international tourist flow in Ukraine is characterized by a sharp decrease in the volume of international visitors, a decrease in the rates of development of tourism activity and the reformatting of the spatial structure of the inbound and outbound tourist flow. The question arises as to the expediency of tourism development during the military-political confrontation. The experience of holding Eurovision–2017 in Ukraine, which took place against the backdrop of the anti-terrorist operation, is highlighted. The conclusion is drawn about the constructive role of tourism as a factor of «soft power» that can influence the informing of the world about the «Ukrainian issue». In this sense, international tourist flows acted as channels of public diplomacy, reflecting the true situation in Ukraine, which is fundamentally different from the Russian mass media. Attention is drawn to the intensification of domestic tourism in Ukraine, taking place against the backdrop of deteriorating key indicators of economic and social development. It is argued that the growth of the weight of domestic tourism was also possible due to the growth of patriotic sentiment in Ukrainian society. In a sense, the development of domestic tourism is seen as a continuation of the struggle of the Ukrainian people for their independence and territorial integrity. Consequently, the constructive role of tourism lies not only in the presentation of the country to the world community, but also in the construction of a national identity within the country. In this way domestic tourism favors further development of the Ukrainian political nation. Key words: international tourism; actors of geopolitical influence; Russia–Ukraine international relations; regional structure of tourism flows in Ukraine; public diplomacy.
The article is devoted to the study of the features of the impact of tourism on the interaction of split nations. The focus is on the evolution of mobility regimes between China and Taiwan and their impact on the transformation of bilateral relations. The political processes that preceded the development of tourist contacts in the Taiwan Strait have been highlighted, the influence of tourist interaction on the establishment of peace and political stability in the region as well as the integration of China and Taiwan into a single tourist area have been explored. The main stages of the transformation of the foreign policy component of the tourism policy of China and Taiwan are traced. It is argued that China's tourism policy during the last ten years (2008-2018) has been accompanied by the active use of tourist flows as an instrument of economic, cultural and political integration of Taiwan. This was made possible by establishing direct transport links, visa liberalization, and the possibility of individual tourist trips to Taiwan. Such an activity led to the politicization of economic and tourism cooperation with China in Taiwan society, influenced the electoral process that became implicit in the «Sunflower Movement» in 2014. Freedom of travel for Chinese tourists to Taiwan has become a revolutionary transformation not only in the tourism industry on the island, but also a symbol of the transformation of relations between the two shores of the Taiwan Strait. It is concluded that China's tourism policy to create a spatial mobility regime with Taiwan is oriented towards the use of tourism as a global actor of economic and cultural integration, as well as foreign economic and political pressure.
Keywords: «divided nations», Taiwan-China relations, tourism, tourism policy.
