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The Yugoslav Wars’ Implications On Romanian Security, Nikolaos Tzifakis

Nikolaos Tzifakis

This paper perceives Romania as an integral part of the Balkan sub-regional security complex and attempts to evaluate the implications of its participation in Balkan affairs on its security. More precisely, the article discusses the effects that the Yugoslav (Croat-Serbian, Bosnian and Kosovar) wars had on Romanian security and presents Bucharest’s endeavor to manage its insecurity. The research demonstrates that Romania envisaged the management of its insecurity by upholding its application for membership in Western security structures (NATO, WEU) rather than by institutionalizing Balkan cooperation. Considering that NATO and Yugoslavia were adversaries throughout the 1990s, the paper discusses Bucharest’s dilemma …