"Frozen conflicts" in Europe

Abstract

Often forgotten but simmering "frozen conflicts" continuously mark the political map of Europe. All located in South Eastern Europe, the Black Sea area and Transcaucasia, these conflicts run along ethnic, national, cultural and linguistic lines, separating communities. This insightful book offers a rare critical analyses of the cases of Northern Cyprus, Transnistria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Kosovo, and Crimea. The constructive dealing with the negative consequences of 'frozen conflicts' in Europe requires taking into account the peculiarities of each case. These unresolved conflicts poison not only the regional security but impede the attainment of a united, free, peaceful, secure and prosperous Europe. The call for pragmatic solutions to promote reconciliation has as of yet remained unheard. Offering comparisons between the cases and recommendations for dealing with the conflicts, the international legal perspective on less than universally recognized states and two positive European examples of post-conflict reconciliation are provided.