Conference paper
Geopolitical Determinants and the Protection of Ethnic Minorities in the South East Europe
Marta Zorko
orcid.org/0000-0002-8458-7384
; Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The region of South East Europe, which is also known as the Balkans, although the term is lesser and lesser used, whose borders haven't been unambiguously defined, according to the recent EU documents and decisions, undoubtedly forms integral part of Europe. Regardless that fact, perception of the region of South East Europe is acutely negative. The region is perceived as one of acute insecurity, conflicts and undeterminable ethnic-cultural borders. At the same time the region is seen as an area with the high level of conflicts, particularly at the ethnic level as well as an area with the tendency to crumble state territory with the goal of creating the autonomous units. The article defines geopolitical determinants of the region as well as particular ethnic minorities in the region trying to prove that ethnic borders are not undeterminable, only they are incompatible with the state borders in that area. Also, if the region is perceived as an integral part of the big European community (regardless terms or forms it might have in the future), which is seen in the EU documents, it is maybe also possible to direct the regional processes related to the minority issues toward more European model of thinking and managing the ethnic differences.
Keywords
geopolitical determinants of the South East Europe; Balkans; ethnic minorities in the South East Europe; protection of ethnic minorities in the South East Europe
Hrčak ID:
291313
URI
Publication date:
21.9.2008.
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