The polilicaltremors experienced in international rclations since 1989significantly altered political geography of Eurasia, sweeping away at thesame time the international system that had bcen built up over many yearsand certainties that many people believed to be inviolate. Within less thanseven years since the World had heard Gorbachev's rise to power in Moscow,he cam c to supervise the disintegraıion of the lası of the great empires.Instead, within the vast area once govemed centrally from Moscow, suddenlyemerged i5 new states, 'some of which, in modem times, have never enjoyedthe status of independent actors in international politics'.l