Abstract: The events of the Arab Spring have had a significant impact on the world stage, extending its influence beyond the Arab region, leading to dramatic changes in the political landscape of the Middle East. This article analyses assessments of the Arab Spring and its impact on French foreign policy. The paper examines the key factors that shaped France's approach to the Arab Spring events, including geopolitical interests, economic ties, historical relations with the Arab world, and domestic political considerations. The aim of the paper is to analyse the key assessments, approaches and interpretations of the French expert community in relation to the Arab Spring events. The object of the study is French foreign policy in the context of the Arab Spring events and its impact on France's relations with Arab countries. The subject of the study is the assessment of the ‘Arab Spring’ by the French expert community. The methodological basis of the article is based on the system approach. The scientific novelty of the work is due to the fact that it treats the events of the Arab Spring as a turning point for French foreign policy in the Middle East, leading to a revision of previously established approaches. The authors concluded that the events of the Arab Spring have become a serious challenge for France's foreign policy, requiring a flexible response and adjustment of previously established approaches. The results of the study contribute to the understanding of the peculiarities of France's foreign policy course in the Middle East region, and also make it possible to assess the impact of the Arab Spring on the transformation of foreign policy priorities of one of the leading states of the European Union.

Keywords: international relations, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, France, Union for the Mediterranean, European Union, Middle East, arab spring

Abstract: This article reviews the basic functions and interactions of the state with diverse stakeholders on a global level to identify the sources of conflict on a contemporary setting. The subject of this research is the measurement of state capacity as an outcome of governance largely influenced by the process of globalization and its repercussions on conflict prevention. The goal consists on finding possible solutions to the contemporary capacity-sovereignty dilemma under the relationship of the state with international policy brokers to shield its functions from foreign interference and threats without undermining its international participation and growth. The core definitions and characteristics of governance are determined to reveal the peculiarities and limitations of the state in preventing conflicts. The interactions of the state with a wide array of stakeholders on a global level are analyzed to assess the nature of their outcomes in relation to governance and state capacity. The capacity and legitimacy of international policy brokers in conveying the national interests of the state in the framework of international cooperation are reviewed. In order to achieve the set research goal, the author reviews the core functions of the state when interacting with international stakeholders of different configurations. In order to create the necessary conditions for conflict prevention, this work recommends the development of flexible government procedures to shield the core functions of the state as unimpeded cooperation is carried in all areas. This article provides a theoretical framework applicable to a wide array of contemporary nations for supporting the examination and elaboration of dedicated mechanisms in the conflict prevention area by reviewing the elemental processes of the state rather than analyzing particular conflicts and their causes.

Keywords: Government processes, Regulations, Global actors, International development, State capacity, International cooperation, Globalization, Governance, Conflict resolution, Sovereignty

Abstract: This article examines the customary law of the North Caucasus peoples, which had emerged in the distant past and partially remains in the current legal consciousness and legal practice of highlanders of the region.  As the subject of research, customary law, includes studying the primary and secondary conflicts, bases of conciliatory procedures, practice of blood vengeance as one of the scenarios of evolution of the primary conflicts into secondary, etc. In the course of studying the highlanders' adat, the author answers the question on the role of legal heritage in the modern legal practice and theory of law. The article is prepared on the basis of the collected by the author field ethnographic materials in the number of North Caucasus republics – Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Adygea, North Ossetia; as well as the materials on Ingushetia, obtained by other researchers. Using the methods of historical reconstruction and historical analysis, the author examined the problem of the emergence and development of the highlanders’ adat. The conclusion is made that up until now, the legal culture of North Caucasus peoples is not anachronism. The norms of adat successful “work” in the cases when it is possible. Legal heritage of the highlanders, aimed at settlement of conflicts in the communities, is the ultimate achievement of North Caucasian culture, and may be viewed not only as an element of the past, but also a part of modern and even future cultural field of the region. With regards to Northern Caucasus, we can speak to application of certain legal pluralism.

Keywords: Islam, blood vengeance, customary law, peoples of the North Caucasus, customary law, reconciliation, conflicts, Russia, national movements, mediators

Abstract: The subject of this research is the discourse of national identity in Russia and in France. The author examines several aspects of the issue, such as the context of the transition of national identity into the central topic of public debate in both countries (in the 1970s in France, at the turn of the XX and XXI centuries in Russia), as well as the main concepts that constitute the core of the subject of the debate, and specifics of the language used in debates. Special attention is paid to the official discourse - statements and program articles of the leaders of the state. The research methodology is based on social constructivism, the research method is based on comparative analysis of the discourse. This method allowed the author to reveal the dynamics in the content of views on national identity, and to determine the similarities and differences of discourse in both countries. Contrary to the widespread idea of the criterion difference between the French (civil, political) and Russian (cultural and ethnic) understanding of the nation, the study revealed many common threads in the discourse of both countries: the idea of greatness, sovereignty, cultural wealth, glorious past, and the special role of language - and the assertion of the need to protect all this, including by force of arms, in the face of globalization, American political and cultural domination, law quality of the mass-appeal culture, as well as the threats of international terrorism.    

Keywords: “multiethnicity”, citizenship, culture, national identity, nation-state, nation, France, Russia, multiculturalism, discourse

Abstract: The article analyzes a number of important problems of social anthropology and ethnology, which were touched upon in the monograph by M.N. Guboglo "Anthropology of Trust", and still requiring to be discussed. The background of instability, which is typical for most countries of the contemporary world, requires us to pay close attention to the realities of interaction between different peoples. Standing out among the topical issues of ethnic contact study and the practices of their resolution is the need for establishing academically-grounded cooperative relations between central government authorities and the populations of regions with complex ethnic and national composition - otherwise it often transitions into conflict. The usage of theoretical - historiographical method allowed the author to examine the problems of interaction of power and ethnicity from a fresh point of view. The theoretical and methodological analysis of the problem of interaction between ethno-national communities and power structures leads the author to a well-founded conclusion that the problem of interethnic interactions, aside academic research, also require the development of practical measures to prevent conflicts which are specific to each situation. The author stresses the conclusion that it is necessary to consider the factor of frustration under the conditions of instability of the social environment that easily grows into acute conflicts of an interethnic nature.

Keywords: ethno-regional identity, interethnic interaction, justice, social instability, frustration, conflict, trust, ethnopolitical practices, conflict prevention, ethnos

Abstract: This article focuses on the modern definition of and paradigms of geopolitical studies that reflect the multidimensional nature of the geopolitical space in the era of globalization. The goal of this article is to form the concepts of the paradigm basis of modern political science studies, and on the subject field and the borders of political science. The subject of this study are the definitions and paradigms of the modern political science studies. It is shown that the definition of paradigm is the communicative basis of scientific work, and involves the usage of mental constructs of the perception of reality, forming the foundation of the scientific society's self-organization. The methodological basis of the research is a systemic, structural and functional, comparative political approaches, methods of analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, observation. The article considers the system transformation of the geopolitical definitions, provides the definition for this transformation that is appropriate for modern realities. The author presents a system of geopolitical paradigms that reflects global political processes. The author also indicates the connection between the system of paradigms and the "wave" evolution theory of geopolitical thought. In conclusion of the study, the author formulates the most general paradigm of modern geopolitics.

Keywords: geopolitical definition, interests, diplomacy, international relations, global insecurity, world politics, Russia, geopolitics, security, geopolitical paradigms