"Russia and Europe: Balancing cooperation with integration"

The fall of communism in Central/Eastern Europe and the collapse of the Soviet Union resulted in much optimism about security and stability in Europe and, indeed, world-wide. A ‘New World Order’ was proclaimed, but soon territorial fragmentation and ethnic conflicts in Europe’s eastern/southern lands overshadowed the emergence of a new European order, and the Russian Federation, due to its political and economic instability, became the primary focus of concern for most European countries. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the two most important European features since the end of the Cold War--cooperation and integration--in regard to the Federation, and to address the still unresolved question of how Russia can eventually be accommodated within Europe. Particular emphasis is placed on Europe’s security architecture, namely the EU, WEU, and NATO and the prospect of eastward expansion, as well as on developments in the OSCE, which is the only pan-European security body at the moment. It is argued that the elements of Western-Russian integration and cooperation in these institutions will significantly contribute to the emergence of a new European order, and perhaps even determine its structure