In the void left by the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was created as a structure that would coordinate the foreign and security policies of member states, develop a common economic space, and provide for an orderly transition from the Soviet Union to the

Belarus is located on the borders of Russia, Lithuania, Poland and the Ukraine - a position which, in combination with the ambitions of its president, points to its importance as a major geopolitical player. These essays focus on Belarus's place in the evolving European security environment.