From the Editor

Abstract

I am delighted to introduce the 36th volume of Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review (LFPR). Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review is a double-blind peer review journal which aims to publish research articles on foreign and security policy of the Baltic states as well as Central and Eastern European and Northern European countries. LFPR is also open to the researchers that cover various topics on foreign and security policy of European countries and beyond, especially focusing on Central Eastern European and Northern European regions. The journal is published in cooperation with the Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy of Vytautas Magnus University. Financially, the journal is supported by Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Editorially, it is an independent open access journal. Much of this issue focuses on small states‘ foreign and security policy, including cases of Lithuania and Montenegro. In the latest volume we have also included scientific articles on some widely discussed topics of international relations: think tanks‘ role in foreign policy decision-making and NATO‘s military missions. In her article „Securitization and Lithuania’s National Security Change“ Ieva Karpavičiūtė discusses the security threat perception and securitization of existential threats in Lithuania. The paper applies O. Waever’s securitization theory and focuses upon the most recent dynamics in security policy of Lithuania taking into consideration the hybrid nature of security threats and the reaction to hybrid security elements such as: cyber security, information security, and international terrorism. Benas Brunalas suggests an original approach to foreign policy analysis and examines phenomenon of fear in Lithuanian‘s foreign policy. He claims that states‘ behaviour in international politics can be explained via their psychological and emotional aspects. The author presents a case study of Lithuania‘s relations with Russia.and suggests that the formation of Lithuanian foreign policy, with regard to Russia, is affected by the emotion of fear. Dovydas Rogulis attempts to analyse how NATO military interventions in Kosovo, Libya and Afghanistan have affected its relations with Russia. The author applies the critical geopolitical approach and claims that NATO military interventions in Kosovo, Libya and Afghanistan have negatively affected its relations with Russia. Danguole Bardauskaite focuses on American think tank experts‘ and US foreign policy‘s towards the Middle East perception of the region and its construction, with a particular focus on the process of Othering. The author suggests that the Lithuanian Foreign Policy Review vol. 36 (2017) DOI: 10.1515/lfpr-2017-0006