The Middle Powers’ Perspectives on Regional Security and the Rise of Minilateralism in the Indian- Pacific Region

Abstract

There have been significant changes to the world order, and the end of the cold war brought a unipolar era. However, the new millennium and the rise of multipolarity have made cooperation much more difficult. The Growing acceptance of "minilateralism," an idea in international relations that includes small groupings of nations cooperating to solve problems or achieve common objectives has emerged in the Indo-pacific region among countries such as Australia, India, Japan, and South Korea. Minilateralism breathes new life into the current state of global cooperation. It has the potential to improve interstate relations and produce creative solutions because of how plain and relatively simple it is. The majorities of the minilateral groupings, however, are still in their infancy and will face numerous obstacles before they can be deemed successful. The recent geo-political turbulence in the Indo-Pacific region has been evident during the past years, with the creation of new nomenclature, new strategic alignments, and the emergence of minilateral groups like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) & the trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS). These forums are a result of the shifting geopolitical dynamics in the area, and they will therefore have strategic ramifications for the area. The Indo-Pacific's growing Middle Power presence necessitates a change in how the region's nations approach the Great Power Competition and territorial conflicts. Middle Powers stand out for their dedication to multilateralism and diplomacy, with minilateralism emerging as a more common strategy. Major Powers are now more willing to cooperate when dealing with international issues and talks when like-minded middle power states demonstrate presence in the region and are supported by smaller states. In this research, both qualitative and quantitative data will be used to analyze the research to analyze the role of the middle powers and the ramification it has on regional security for Sri Lanks‟s foreign policy.