The article analyzes the influence of the parliamentary elections in Georgia in October 2016 to Russian-Georgian relations. Ruling party “Georgian Dream” (GD) overwhelmingly won the elections and it shows that the current policy towards Moscow will not be radically revisited. At the same time we can expect GD’s policy will be less flexible, than it was before. So the limits of normalization between Russia and Georgia will be more evident.

This article examines the role of energy factor in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy in the period from 2008 to 2015. Detailed analysis of the impact of EU policy on diversification of energy supplies to European countries for the development of «hydrocarbon strategy» of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy exposes the differences between the Baku and Brussels on ways of resolving the problem of diversification of gas supplies to Europe. The article also examines the specific goals pursued by the Azerbaijani authorities, initiating the creation of new gas pipelines TANAP and TAP, and helps to understand the position of Baku regarding the project of creating a «TRANS-Caspian pipeline.» In general, the foreign policy of Azerbaijan in the energy sphere is admitted in the article as quite successful. This policy allowed Baku to go through the implementation of various infrastructure projects to a wider gas security as a part of the European market.

In this paper the author considers policy of the European Union in the Central Asia. The author analyzes an updated EU strategy for the Central Asia and emphasizes its pragmatism, based on individual economic interests of the Central Asian countries in promoting bilateral relations. In the offered paper is also considered the evolution of the EU policy in the Central Asia.

The article treats a history and present state of Russian-Egyptian relations in different spheres and aspects: politics, economy, commerce, military-technical cooperation, tourism and so on. The author is examining the consequences of “the arab spring” in Egypt and in the Middle East region and what is their impact on development of these relations. The article covers the last steps undertaken by the leadership of both countries in order to boost mutual ties and cooperation. The trends and perspectives of the Russian- Egyptian relations in the light of the present events in the Middle East are considered.

The article takes a look at the history and origin of the main Jewish paramilitary organizations in the British Mandate of Palestine (1921–1948). One of the myths often used in Western and Israeli propagandistic literature describes Israel as a very weak state that after obtaining its sovereignty became extremely vulnerable to the heavily armed Arab hordes that invaded it immediately after the declaration of the Israeli State. However, the analysis above shows that the first Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948–1949 was not a battle between young David against the giant Goliath. By the time of the creation of Israel all the Jewish paramilitary organizations operating in Yishuv – “Haganah”, “Irgun” and LEHI – united creating the IDF. The national army of the newborn State met all the requirements of its time, was much better equipped, trained, mobilized and armed than the soldiers of all the neighboring Arab countries, which objectively predetermined their crushing defeat.

At present, the majority of countries are involved in regional economic associations. National economies are attracted primarily to the neighboring countries and regions. MENA countries have generally failed to seriously implement most PTAs. On the political front, concerns over the distribution of gains from integration across and within countries, issues of national sovereignty, and the cost of adjustment resulting from increased competition, all constrained intra-MENA FTAs. On the economic front, Arab countries have not had sufficient incentives to integrate because of similar production structures sheltered by high levels of protection. The research is focused at proceedings and prospects of integration process in the Arab Maghreb.

South Korea is one of economic wonders of the late twentieth century. War-torn desolated and poverty-stricken country in the 1950s with a per capita income less then Haiti, Ethiopia, India or Yemen, achieved unprecedented economic development and legendary growth that brought her from one the most backward countries into an economic giant by the 1980s and later on one of the most advanced countries in the world in the 21^st century. The process was characterized by rapid industrialization, phenomenal growth rates and incremental social transformation.
The paradigm of Korean path was under scrutiny from politicians and academicians and many studies were devoted to this issue. The paper is briefly highlighting major schools of thoughts analyzing Korea´s model from different angles – developmental concept, new institutionalism, cultural school of values, historical trajectory theory and of international relations concept. The study does not have an ambition to go deeply into historical perspectives and developmental cycles of Korean economic success that are very well covered in a number of economic expertizes. Instead, the paper focuses on some selected aspects that, though sometimes forgotten to get a due attention, but substantially subscribed on the Korea´s industrialization successful story. The study includes considerations of the applicability of Korean model on other countries and brings also a brief insight into the modernization period that followed the path of democratization of the country after 1987.

The article atempts to retrace the establishment of the terrorist group “Islamic State” (IS, ISIS) by analyzing its structure, ideological and propaganda pratices, economic foundation and sources of recruitment.

The paper analyzes the problem of the growth of Islamic radicalism in Central Asian states. It is noted that Islam, as a religious movement, began to spread on the territory of Central Asia at the end of VII - early VIII centuries. А clear distinction is noted between the heavily Islamized sedentary peoples (Uzbeks, Tajiks) and weakly Islamized nomadic peoples (Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Turkmen). It is pointed out that this division is still true. It is said that the revival of political Islam in the most active form began in the second half of 1980 - the beginning of the 1990s, during perestroika and continues to the present. It is considered how this process takes place in some Central Asian countries. Conclusions and recommendations are given at the end of work.

The author considers, in the broad Middle East perspective, the impact of the ISIS and its activities on the situation in the North Caucasus. An analysis is suggested of the recent trends in Russian Islamic community and in the whole Ummah as well as challenges to Russia from the ISIS. The article also proposes some recommendations aimed to reduce security threats to our country.

The article deals with the definition of culture as a system of social values, and from this position – of intercultural communication. Are studied certain results of the intercultural communication; the classification of its species is done; are marked some its particular qualities in the modern era of electronic media. It is shown that intercultural communication is now mainly the form of information warfare.