The Influence of External Actors on Foreign Policy in the Post-Soviet Space

Transnistria’s Order of Friendship: Legitimacy Through Diplomatic Practice

“…So far, most research has focused on de facto states' ties to their patrons and 'parent states', that is, the de jure states from which they have broken away (Deudney & Ikenberry 2009;Souleimanov et al 2018), or on structurally determined interactions with great powers such as the United States (Coggins 2011;Pegg & Berg 2016). While the list of recipients of the Order of Friendship confirms that Transnistria's main external reference point is Russia (Gnedina 2015;Nitoiu 2018), it also indicates that de facto states regularly foster ties with each other (Isachenko 2012;Kosienkowski 2012;Toomla 2016) and with other international actors, including the Catholic Church (Comai 2017;Pacher 2019). Secondly, state awards, despite their pedigree and ubiquity, have never received focused attention in International Relations scholarship.…”