Review: The research subject is trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Bahrain at the present stage. The author analyzes not only the current spheres of cooperation between the two countries, but also the potential spheres. The author characterizes the economic system of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The author successively considers three “baskets” of trade and economic cooperation: fuel and energy sector, high technologies, and investments. The research methodology includes the system and structural-functional approaches. The author uses institutional and comparative methods, synthesis and event-analysis. Long-term cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Russian Federation is strategically important in the context of realization of national interests of both countries. For Moscow, Manama is an appropriate base of accessing the GCC’s markets and pursuing the policy aimed at achieving results in the political sphere via economic instruments. For the Kingdom of Bahrain, relations with Russia are the element of the national economic security and the part of the strategy aimed at diversification of markets and basic partners within strategic manoeuvering from the medium and small states theory. 

Keywords: high technologies, diversification, investment, cooperation, Bahrain, Russia, security, economy, fuel and energy complex, national interests

Review: The research subject is the relations between the Azerbaijan Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran in terms of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The authors analyze the position of Iran prior to the escalation of the situation and during the first conflict on the territory of Azerbaijan SSR. The authors focus on the relations between Iran and independent Azerbaijan in 1991 – 1994 and cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. The paper analyzes the relations between Azerbaijan and Iran in the 21st century. The authors use the methods of historical scientific research, particularly, the principle of historicism, which implies the study of interrelations of two states since the moment of its formation, and the analysis of the Iranian leadership’s position on this issue. The authors also use the chronological method to study sources in chronological order; the method of comparative analysis, and the principle of objectivity, which helps detect the key tendencies of development of Iran’s relations with both aggrieved parties. The set of these methods helps come to the following conclusions: Azerbaijan and Iran, the two countries with access to the Caspian Sea, have been approaching since the collapse of the USSR. There have been certain prerequisites for the creation of a strong geopolitical alliance between secular Baku and Shiite Tehran. But Iran’s position on the Karabakh issue has been quite ambiguous. At the present time, Iran is more pro-Armenian. It considers Armenia as a strategically important partner, thus aggravating tense relations with Azerbaijan. However, the relations between Azerbaijan and Iran depend on the paradigm of regional international problems. 

Keywords: The post-Soviet period, the Soviet period, aggravation of international conflict, International relations, The Republic of Armenia, The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Islamic Republic of Iran, The Republic of Azerbaijan, Political settlement, Military operations

Review: The research subject is the topical issues of sovereignty and national self-determination in Spain in autonomous communities of Catalonia and the Basque Country in the context of globalization. Globalization is the catalyst of various processes, which sometimes oppose each other. Such are the processes of “the erosion of sovereignty” on the one hand, and the aspiration of some states to strengthen their sovereignty and avoid the influence of the processes, which endanger this sovereignty. This problem is urgent for many countries, for example, for Spain. This problem has aggravated due to the active position of political forces of Catalonia on this issue and the referendum on sovereignty of this region. The author uses the methods of indirect and instrumental monitoring. It is based on the information acquired from various printed and electronic sources. The author also uses the method of analysis of documents and comparative analysis. Besides, the author uses the method of direct observation: the author interviews foreign scholars of the problem in the Basque Country (the University of the Basque Country) and Spain (the Complutense University of Madrid). The author concludes that the globalization processes have significant impact on the transformation of the traditional understanding of sovereignty. This process is especially visible in the context of political and economic development of the European Union. This is one of the factors of the aggravation of the problem of the Basques and the Catalans in Spain. The structure of this problem is being complicated due to the above mentioned transformation. Besides, the author concludes that the main feature of the modern struggle for self-determination for both the Basques and the Catalans is the transition from armed methods of struggle to political struggle. Therefore, such organizations as ETA are unlikely to appear in the future. The struggle will be held in the scope of the leading political forces of the regions, the state and the European Union. 

Keywords: state, globalization, state boundaries, Catalonia, Basque Country, autonomy, self-determination, sovereignty, independence, autonomous community