CHAPTER -2 END OF BIPOLARITY (NEW TOPIC)

Democratic Politics and Democratization – CIS

CIS- Commonwealth of Independent States . It was the organisation of the newly independent
countries formed post the disintegration of USSR. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a
regional organization established on 8 December 1991 by Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan joined
on 21 December 1991. The CIS aims to promote the coordination of its members in the realm of trade,
finance, law-making, and security, and to support cooperation on democratization and cross-border
crime prevention. It participates in UN peacekeeping forces.

The Commonwealth of Independent States has 9 members, plus two States which are
taking part in some activities:

DATE COUNTRY STATUS

Belarus
8 December 1991 Full members
Russia
8 December 1991 Ukraine de facto participating; officially not a member
Armenia

Azerbaijan

Kazakhstan

21 December 1991 Kyrgyzstan Full members

Moldova

Tajikistan

Uzbekistan
21 December 1991 Turkmenistan unofficial associate member
MAP OF CIS COUNTRIES

BRIEF HISTORY OF CIS STATES

1) On 8 December 1991, the leaders of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine signed a “Creation Agreement”
on the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the creation of CIS as its successor entity. At the same time
they declared that the new organization would be open to all republics of the former Soviet Union, as
well as other nations sharing the same goals. The “Creation Agreement” abolished the USSR and
stated that all the member States were sovereign and independent nations.
2) On 21 December 1991, the leaders of eight former Soviet Republics (Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) joined the CIS. Georgia
joined two years later, in December 1993, while the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania,
chose not to take part.
3) The Creation Agreement remained the main constituent document of the CIS until January 1993,
when the CIS Charter was adopted. The charter formalized the concept of membership: a member
country is defined as a country that ratifies the CIS Charter Although Ukraine was one of the three
founding countries and ratified the Creation Agreement in December 1991, Ukraine did not ratify the
CIS Charter and formally is not a member of the CIS.
4) In September 1993 the Heads of the CIS States signed an Agreement on the creation of Economic
Union to form common economic space grounded on free movement of goods, services, labour force,
capital.
5) Three months later, on 3 December 1993, Georgia joined the Commonwealth.
6) In order to facilitate further integration, the Agreement on deepening of integration in economic and
humanitarian field of four countries (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia) and Agreement on
creation of Commonwealth of Sovereign Republics (Belarus and Russia) with creation of corresponding
coordinating bodies were signed in 1995.
7) In October 2000 the Heads of five countries (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan)
signed an Agreement on the creation of Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC). At present Armenia,
Moldova and Ukraine have the status of the observer under EAEC. In October 2005 Uzbekistan made
the statement to join this organization.
8) In September 2003 Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine signed an Agreement on Formation of
CES (Common Economic Space).
Integration of the countries in the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States is executed
through its coordinating institutions (charter bodies, executive bodies and the bodies of branch
cooperation of the CIS).
Charter Bodies of the CIS:

Council of the Heads of States

Council of the Heads of Governments

Council of Foreign Ministers

Council of Defense Ministers

Council of Commanders-in-Chief of Frontier Troops

Inter-Parliamentary Assembly

Economic Court

GULF WAR
With the disintegration of USSR and the end of cold war left open only two possibilities like either
the remaining would dominate and create a “unipolar system” bringing in multipolar system where
no one power could dominate. The US Hegemony was established to show the overwhelming
superiority of it’s military power. Through this this the US Hegemony was established
and this led to the emergence of “New World Order”.

The process for the establishment of US Hegemony started in August 1990 when Iraq invaded
Kuwait. The United Nations tried all diplomatic avenues to convince Iraq to quit it’s aggression but
failed. Hence UN mandated the liberation of Kuwait by force. A massive coalition force of 660,000
troops from 34 countries fought against Iraq and defeated it under UN’s ‘Operation Desert Storm’
but it was led by the US because 75 per cent of the coalition forces were from the US only. This war
is popularly known as the First Gulf War establishing the US hegemony. The use of smart
bombs or computer operated bombs in first gulf war showed the huge technological gap between
US and other existing powers or countries. Due to the use of computer operated bombs this war is
also known as “Video Game War” or “Computer War”.