Regionalism in Broader Eurasia

Drawing on a wealth of research on regionalism, this book offers a new insight into the role of regional entities as key building blocks of international society after the end of the Cold War. Exploring the dynamic nature of regional relations, the author defines several categories of regions with different forms of cohesion and integration: the EU’s top-down model led by visionaries and governments; East Asia’s bottom-up approach centred on supply chains rather than institutions; regions limited to only free trade; and, finally, regions without a sense of regionalism – such as the Middle East. Though the analysis concentrates on the broader Eurasian landmass, it can be applied to all regions and regional integration entities. Challenging notions such as the preponderance of certain forms of regional integration, and investigating the causes and challenges of clashes between different regional integration projects (as in Ukraine), this book concludes with a re-definition of some general principles of regional cooperation and integration. Students of international relations, researchers of regional cooperation and integration from a political science or economic point of view, historians in general, and scholars of international relations theory can all benefit from the insights in this book.

The views expressed in this book are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.

This book offers a clear framework for understanding regionalism. It is essential reading for those seeking insight into the future of international cooperation.

Ivan Krastev

Chairman, Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia, Albert Hirschman Permanent Fellow,

Institute for Human Sciences, IWM Vienna



This book by Mario Apostolov explores the contemporary variants of regionalism in Europe and Asia. From hopeful beginnings in the immediate post-Cold War aftermath, each region has become more complex today. From top-down European institutions to bottom-up Asian cooperation, regionalism has become a formidable, but much neglected, force in today’s world.

André Liebich

Honorary Professor of International History and Politics at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Switzerland