• Problems of foreign service and diplomacy in the post-Soviet context: the case of Armenia

    Author(s):
    Anna Drnoian, Vahram Ter-Matevosyan (see profile)
    Date:
    2021
    Subject(s):
    Twenty-first century, Armenia, Diplomatic history, International relations, History
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    diplomacy, Foreign policy, Institutions, IR, 21st century, History of foreign relations
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/yqzj-3a50
    Abstract:
    The institutional development of many post-Communist countries remains a daunting task. Since the early 1990s, some of them have managed to achieve visible results in eradicating corruption and enhancing the effectiveness and accountability of public institutions, while others still struggle with several systemic problems. Since regaining its independence Armenia has managed to transform some of its public institutions by carrying out large-scale reforms; however, much remains to be done. The present research examines the institutional features of Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) before the 2015 constitutional amendments, which changed the semi-presidential system of government to parliamentary democracy. It particularly looks at the MFA’s effectiveness in policy planning and formulation, its relation to the presidential administration, its recruitment strategies and the promotional prospects of the diplomatic staff. The study argues that for the past decade or so the impact of the MFA on foreign policy decisions has been limited, whereas the evaluation of recruitment and career promotion policies reveals several significant systemic deficiencies. Existing research on post-Soviet states concentrates mainly on diverse foreign policy and geopolitical problems and rarely pays attention to institutional considerations. The present research aims to address this gap.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Pub. DOI:
    https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2020.1866529
    Publisher:
    Informa UK Limited
    Pub. Date:
    2021-1-22
    Journal:
    Third World Quarterly
    Page Range:
    1 - 20
    ISSN:
    0143-6597,1360-2241
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    2 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved

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