Small states in international relations: Some theoretical aspects

One of the important trends in the development of international relations in the second half of the 20th — early 21st centuries is the growing importance of small states in international relations. From passive “pawns” in the big political games of the great powers, they are turning into active players capable of pursuing their own national interests in the international arena. During the Cold War period, European neutral states acquired an unique experience of fruitful cooperation in international organizations, peaceful mediation and peacemaking. Multilateral diplomacy, renunciation of the use of force, striving for a peaceful political resolution of conflicts predetermine, to a certain extent, interest in studying the experience of small countries. The decline in the ability of the leading great powers to resolve conflicts effectively on the periphery of the international system, on the other hand, the capability of small countries to generate new ideas and norms in international relations create preconditions for a further increase in the role of small countries in international relations. It is necessary to study not only the great powers, but also the small countries that make up the vast majority of states, if we want to understand the nature of international relations in general, the formation and behavior of modern coalitions and alliances in particular. This article aims to identify the main stages of the study of small states in international relations, to analyze the main approaches to the definition of the concept of “small state”, to consider the factors of formation of the foreign policy of small states through the prism of some theories of international relations, to find out the features of the foreign policy behavior of small countries in international relations.