The Euro-Asian World A Period of Transition

'The transition of the central Asian and Caucasian republics of the former USSR to independent statehood and the development of market economies has proven to be a difficult and often destabilising process which calls for expert analysis. The diversity of the post-communist tradition process and the relatively unbalanced dislocation of political and economic links to the Russian Federation form the subject matter of this excellent volume of essays. Dr Kalyuzhnova and Dr Lynch have brought together expert, stimulating analyses which confirm the status of Reading University's Centre for Euro-Asian Studies as one of the premier academic institutes dealing with this region.' - Carol Cosgrove-Sacks, Director of Trade, UN / Economic Commission for Europe and Visiting Professor, College of Europe, Bruges

'Collecting the research output of the Centre for Euro-Asian Studies at the University of Reading, Dr. Kalyuzhnova and Dr. Lynch provide the reader with an extremely valuable and well-documented analysis of peacekeeping, security and economic transformation issues in the fascinating area that spreads from Central Europe to Kamtchatka. The coherence of the whole book resides in important similarities of all changes that have affected the very structure of politics, economics, identity and foreign policy in the post-Soviet world. Beyond the country differences in the process of nation building and a dramatic fragmentation of the region in security terms, the comparative analysis exhibits that, finally, neither shock therapy nor gradualism has guided transition in Euro-Asia. Instead, an empirical approach has emerged which is coined as 'incentive-conscious rent-seeking', including some 'economic misconduct'. The book is required reading for any eastward-looking student, academic or investor.' - Wladimir Andreff, Professor of Economics at the University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne and former President of the European Association for Comparative Economic Studies (1997-1998)