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Modern international security is a heterogeneous sphere that includes both state and nonstate actors. Legal status of some non-state actors is not always clear. This can be attributed mostly to the dynamics of the global processes. The emergence of new actors, their fast transformation and shift from old forms of activity to the new ones often outpace political and legal assessment of their nature, the impact on some other international trends and the implications of their use that may arise. States and international organizations together with business and non-governmental foundations have started to turn to private security actors more frequently. The fact that traditional methods of state violence are complemented by non-traditional forms influences the idea of violence in the society at large. The efficiency of non-state security actors and the speed they provide services with sometimes exceed the ones of civil servants' and outmaneuver state machine. However these advantages do not contribute to the legitimacy of these non-state actors. As a result during a certain period of time, sometimes a significant one, new actors perform having just a partial legitimacy and a vague accoun tability. Various approaches towards regulation of the abovementioned actors within the framework of national and regional legislation clarify their status in a way. But these measures are not enough for them to obtain legal status under the International Law so far. To address the problem a complex approach that would combine the existing International Law mechanisms with the developing self-regulation methods is needed.

This article presented as a review to the textbook of the Doctor of History Shakhalilov Shamansur, The History of International Relations: Driving Forces, Global Tendencies. Moscow State University Press, 2015. The author focuses readers attention on the regularities of formation, development and peculiarities of legal regulation of international relations, considers these relations as an ongoing, highly controversial and multidirectional developing process of the formation of the world system of States and international relations, explores the driving forces, events and phenomena, who had in his time, and many still have a decisive influence on international policy the leading powers of the world in the framework of nonlinear processes of globalization and the current, seriously flawed by today's standards, world order and system of international law. The article draws readers attention to everything presented in the tutorial main substantial characteristics and patterns of international relations in their historical context. Emphasizes the inadmissibility of violations of principles and norms of functioning of the traditional system of international law; analyses the factors of influence on the world trends of globalization processes is the gradual destruction of the boundaries between national and international levels of government and governance, the increasing role of supranational political actors. Attention is drawn to the increasing importance in international Affairs information and communication technologies and social networks, expanding the access of citizens to discuss government decisions on international issues. Article will help not only students, but all interested in the patterns, principles and features of international practices in different historical periods and in different civilization. Will foster in the reader a holistic view of the system of international relations and diplomatic activities, to learn, to understand the origins, motivations and basic principles of foreign policy in different historical and structural conditions, a deeper understanding of the relevant definitions, concepts, norms and traditions of international relations and the professional culture in diplomacy.

The article looks into the Syria crisis in the context of emerging multipolar, polycentric system of international relations. The author focuses on Washington's attempts to maintain its dominance in world affairs by any means, by consciously destabilizing political situations in certain countries to weaken them and then act according to the "divide and rule" principle. Syria is no exception. In this context, the author lists methods implied before in a number of specific regions aimed at destabilizing situations in different countries and describes specific objectives that the US and its allies are seeking to achieve thereby. The author also shows how these methods have been used in Syria. At the same the article says that objective trends in the world system, including emergence of new centers of political and economic power and, as a consequence, formation of a democratic multi-dimensional system of international relations, lead to a situation when the methods used by Washington to destabilize internal political situations, cease to work properly. The most powerful levers of political, economic, financial and informational pressure lose their effectiveness. In the case of Syria, the new political realities literally "squeezed" Washington into political and legal sphere, and instead of US bombardment of Syria the world saw an agreement on the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons which was carried out under international community control. It is emphasized that these trends will only be strengthened, and multipolar world order will gradually neutralize new Western attempts to destabilize regions for gaining geopolitical advantage. This in turn gives a chance to create an atmosphere for a process of finding a comprehensive political solution to the crisis in Syria, which Russia is currently making efforts to launch.

At the origin of the International Law Department were such eminent scientists, diplomats and teachers as V.N. Durdenevsky, S.B. Krylov and F.I. Kozhevnikov. International law studies in USSR and Russia during the second half of the XX century was largely shaped by the lawyers of MGIMO. They had a large influence on the education in the international law in the whole USSR, and since 1990s in Russia and other CIS countries. The prominence of the research of MGIMO international lawyers was due to the close connections with the international practice, involving international negotiations in the United Nations and other international fora, diplomatic conferences and international scientific conferences. This experience is represented in the MGIMO handbooks on international law, which are still in demand. The Faculty of International Law at MGIMO consists of seven departments: Department of International Law, Department of Private International and Comparative Law; Department of European Law; Department of Comparative Constitutional Law; Department of Administrative and Financial Law; Department of Criminal Law, Department Criminal Procedure and Criminalistics. Many Russian lawyers famous at home and abroad work at the Faculty, contributing to domestic and international law studies. In 1947 the Academy of Sciences of the USSR published "International Law" textbook which was the first textbook on the subject in USSR. S.B. Krylov and V.N. Durdenevsky were the authors and editors of the textbook. First generations of MGIMO students studied international law according to this textbook. All subsequent books on international law, published in the USSR, were based on the approach to the teaching of international law, developed in the textbook by S.B. Krylov and V.N. Durdenevsky. The first textbook of international law with the stamp of MGIMO, edited by F.I. Kozhevnikov, was published in 1964. This textbook later went through five editions in 1966, 1972, 1981, 1987. In 1994 the International Law Department together with the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepared new textbook, reflecting the development of international law in the 1960-1990s. In 2000 "International Law" textbook appeared, which was prepared exceptionally by the Department of International Law at MGIMO. In 2005 "European international law" textbook was published. It became the first textbook in Russian Law studies dedicated to the international legal aspects of interstate cooperation in Europe. Quarterly magazine "Moscow Journal of International Law" has made significant contribution to the development of the MGIMO international law school. Y.M. Kolosov, who is the Honored Scientist of Russia and professor of international law, was the founder of the magazine. He has been its editor in chief up to present.

Russia's cooperation with international community in finding ways of addressing global energy security, serves its national interests on international arena. International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy (IIEPD) was established at MGIMO University in February 2000, in accordance with the decision of the Academic Council of the 30 th of November 1999 and in the framework of an agreement with the International Academy of the fuel and energy complex. IIEPD combines two important aspects of foreign policy studies - energy and diplomacy. For the first time in Russia it launched a multi-level training in the field of energy diplomacy and geopolitics, and international energy cooperation. The immediate cause of the creation of IIEPD was an urgent demand on the part of major government agencies and leading oil, gas and energy companies for specialists with qualifications necessary to address the issues in the international energy cooperation and integration of the Russian fuel and energy sector in the world economy: - Energy Policy and Diplomacy; - International law; - World Economy and Finance; - International Management and Marketing. The idea of creation of the International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy was supported by the State Duma and the Federation Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Economic Development. The Supervisory Board is headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

The article discusses the research and development achievements of MGIMO-University and lays out a framework for further development. The author the responses of the humankind to the challenges of history are bound with acute contradictions and chaos in social and international relations. Among the main tools for soothing the contradictions are education and science. The author dwells upon the issue of educating students for Foreign Service. The education programs should include a following subject triad: history of international relations, international law and macroeconomics. This suggestion reflects the developments in worlds top universities. Among the key competencies required for work at Foreign Crevice are inter cultural communication, political psychology and negotiation skills. Th earticle out lines a program for getting MGIMO University to the top of world league tables. This goal is fairly new for Russian higher education; nevertheless it finds great support and encouragement on the part of Russian government in the form of laws and development programs. The government sets a goal of making 5 to 10 Russian universities world's best. The 70 years history of excellent research, education and training is a good ground for MGIMO to achieve this goal.

Современная обстановка, характеризующаяся процессами либерализации, глобализации, сокращения военных потенциалов, привела к быстрому увеличению числа частных военных и охранных предприятий (ЧВОП). В связи с этим возник вопрос о законности их деятельности с точки зрения международного права. В статье рассматриваются текущее состояние и перспективы международно-правового регулирования индустрии ЧВОП, роли и месте России в его формировании. The current situation, which can be characterized by the processes of liberalization, globalization and reduction of defense budgets, resulted in a rapid growth of the number of private military and security companies (PMSС). In this connection, a question arose of legitimacy of their activities from the point of view of international law. The article considers the current status and the prospects of international legal regulation of the PMSC sector and, the role and place of Russia in its formation.

Современная обстановка, характеризующаяся процессами либерализации, глобализации, сокращения военных потенциалов, привела к быстрому увеличению числа частных военных и охранных предприятий (ЧВОП). В связи с этим возник вопрос о законности их деятельности с точки зрения международного права. В статье рассматриваются текущее состояние и перспективы международно-правового регулирования индустрии ЧВОП, роли и месте России в его формировании. The current situation, which can be characterized by the processes of liberalization, globalization and reduction of defense budgets, resulted in a rapid growth of the number of private military and security companies (PMSС). In this connection, a question arose of legitimacy of their activities from the point of view of international law. The article considers the current status and the prospects of international legal regulation of the PMSC sector and, the role and place of Russia in its formation.