The Security-Development Nexus concept

The concept of ‘security–development nexus’ and closely related terms, such as ‘securitization of development’ and ‘developmentalization of security’, entered the lexicon of international studies after the end of the Cold War. However, a retrospective analysis demonstrates conclusively that the idea of interdependence of security and development emerged long before the collapse of bipolar world order. This paper reconstructs history of this idea, traces its origins and the path of its evolution – often winding and unnoticeable – and detects the substantial changes in its content. The research reveals that during entire period of the bipolar confrontation provision of development assistance to underdeveloped regions served as one of the key instruments of the superpowers’ foreign policy aimed at fostering and consolidating strategic partnerships and alliances. In the meantime, against the background of an ideological and geopolitical confrontation of the Cold War a novel interpretation of the ‘nexus’ emerged and became very relevant later in the realities of the XXI century.