DEFENCE COOPERATION MODELS AT THE NORTHERN AND ON THE EASTERN FLANKS OF THE EU (NORDEN AND VISEGRAD GROUP EXPERIENCE)

Abstract

The article compares two subregional cooperation formats in the fi eld of defense, which were organized by the Nordic and Central European countries – the Visegrad Group and the Nordic Defense Community (NORDEFCO). In order to determine the features of these two formats a number of criteria were identifi ed. The development of defense contacts between the countries within these two subregional groupings over the past of two decades has been traced. In particular, up-to-date specifi c projects of cooperation have been described, successful and unsuccessful examples have been given and the most sensitive and promising areas have been drawn. The article also focuses on two overlapping trends – European and Euro-Atlantic integration, on the one hand, and sub-regional cooperation, on the other. It is important to underline that sub-regional defense projects and programs are not able to contend with the EU and NATO projects and most likely to complement, rather than compete them. At the same time, emerging centrifugal tendencies within the European Union, as well as the growing euroscepticism in Western countries, are able to stimulate a variety of sub-regional forms of defense cooperation. In the face of increased uncertainty and lack of confi dence in «big» European integration such «small» subregional defence projects have some chance to succeed.

Keywords

• norden
• nordic countries
• scandinavia
• nordefco
• visegrad group
• subregional groupings
• defence cooperation
• nato
• eu battle groups