Abstract: The object of the research is the participation of American youth in socio-political life of the country in 2020. The authors consider the main prerequisites and processes of youth participation in protests. The article contains the review and analysis of the most significant reasons of youth participation in protests. The authors study the growth of protest sentiment in the U.S. as a result of the recent escalation of socio-political and socio-cultural conflicts strengthened by the range of political, ethnic, and race factors and the COVID-19 pandemic. Special attention is given to the analysis of the role and importance of youth participation in the presidential election campaign in 2020, and the peculiarities of the influence of social media on the involvement of youth into the election process and protest movement. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the fact that the role of youth is socio-political life in the U.S. in the context of the escalation of socio-political and socio-cultural processes, aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, hasn’t been studied sufficiently enough in Russian academic discourse. The main conclusion of the research is as follows: the growth of protest sentiment in the U.S. is the result of the recent escalation of socio-political and socio-cultural conflicts aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is obvious that the role of youth in the modern political life in the U.S. will keep steadily growing.  

Keywords: political participation, COVID-19, social networks, protests, presidential elections, American Youth, Donald Trump, social conflict, American society, USA

Abstract: The subject of research is the mutual influence of the development of the South Caucasus countries’ transport system, and international political and economic cooperation of actors. The author emphasizes that, despite all contradictions, the “international regime” system allows the Russian Federation to participate in the work of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway transport corridor. Based on the complex mutual influence theory, the author focuses on the problem of this system influencing the development of transport networks after the Nagorno-Karabakh war. The research methodology is based on the case study method which helps the author not only to analyze the activities of the parties to the conflict, but also to forecast the strategy of each of political actors of the “international regime” in the South Caucasus in the field of railway transport cooperation. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the institutional approach to the problem of conflict settlement by means of cooperation between the South Caucasian states involved in the area of interest in the field of transport logistics. Based on the research, the author concludes that for Russia, joining the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars transport corridor gives a new opportunity for mutually beneficial cooperation. Moreover, transport corridors, created by other countries in the South Caucasus, are not “competitors” within the international regime. The transformation of the movement of goods with the optimisation of routes, linking the actors, will directly or indirectly promote the economic capacity development and the interdependence of participants, which will lead to the decrease of security problems. Thus, in the long-term perspective, it can be seen that the unification of transport networks in the region will help the actors to mute conflicts and contradictions.   

Keywords: international regime, cooperation, BTK, South Caucasus, Turkey, Russia, railway, interdependence, Karabakh war, transportation corridor

Abstract: The subject of research is quantitative and qualitative characteristics of representation of the issue of Pan-Turkism in the Mass Media. The authors study two trends of development of the Pan-Turkism ideas: on the other hand, marginalization, on the other hand - actualization, which corresponds with the periods of crises (wars, epidemics, political crises). As an alternative to separatist movements, the authors name the increase of the role of transborder cooperation in the context of Eurasian integration with the help of the Eurasian Economic Union, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Eurasian Economic Community, and the project of transborder regional cooperation Big Altai. The purpose of the research is to characterise the main media trends of presentation of the Pan-Turkism issue in the Mass Media. The authors demonstrate the assessment of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of media coverage of the ideas of Pan-Turkism (the dynamics of referring; the activity of media in the number of messages and mediaindex, the level, categories, genres, the most remarkable newsworthy events; the role of international social, religious, educational organizations; the position of countries, regions, public figures, government and social organizations and institutions in the media coverage of the Pan-Turkism ideas). The scientific novelty consists in the fact that the context of references to the Pan-Turkism ideas in the media, as well as the media trends in this field which are being formed, almost haven’t been studied. The main conclusions of the research are about the information agenda, formed mainly by the Russian federal Internet media, aimed at the coverage of the Pan-Turkism issues. The most active in the formation of the Pan-Turkism agenda are the Russian pro-government and pro-Armenian media. Turkey, Armenia, Syria, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh have a negative image in the media materials in the context of Pan-Turkism. Russia, the U.S., China. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, as well as such political figures as Recep Erdoğan, Vladimir Putin, Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Vovayi Pashinyan are referred to in a positive context.   

Keywords: content analysis, mass media analysis, nationalism, Pan-Turanism, Pan-Turkism, Pan-ideologies, Great Atai, Central Asia, Turkey, Russia

Abstract: The author of the article empirically studies the way countries are competing for establishing diplomatic relations with a non-governmental actor. The author focuses on the government of the Kurdistan region which uses its soft power to attract the attention of countries. Among other instruments, hydrocarbon fuels (oil and gas) were the main driving force of the Kurdistan region’s soft power. The author proves that economic and hydrocarbon ambitions have made the countries transform their traditional understanding of global diplomacy which inspires some former antagonist states to rebuild their relations with a non-governmental actor even more, and even to consider it as their close partner. The conclusions of the research correspond with the idea that the Kurdistan region will more actively participate in global diplomacy as it is rich in oil and gas resources.   

Keywords: KRG, Gas, oil, Non-state actor, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Hydrocarbon, Diplomacy, Soft power, economic ambitions, independent

Abstract: The purpose of the article is to analyze the most active western and pro-Russian non-governmental organizations working in Serbia. In the Mass Media and non-governmental sphere, the influence of Russia is rudimentary, and is often hampered by the supporters of the Euro-Atlantic ideas. The maintenance and development of a positive image in the face of information war led by Western countries against Russia, requires constant attention of Russia’s foreign policy agencies in their work with Serbian government and social structures. The active work of the government and civil society is needed for mutual promotion of cultural achievements in Russian and Serbian cultural space. The research methodology is based on the comparative approach. The author arrives at the conclusion that Western NGOs have huge financial capacities to influence the society of Serbia. They create, promote and develop their own NGOs through local contractors, whilst pro-Russian NGOs are authentic projects of pro-Russian Serbs which typically lack money and wide public action and whose projects don’t get wide information or financial support. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the fact that it is one of the first attempts to comprehensively analyze and assess the work of non-governmental organizations in modern Serbia.  

Keywords: information policy, NATO, West, USA, Serbia, Russia, Non-governmental organizations, information space, lobbyism, youth