Geo-economics and neoliberalism: theory, methodology, practice

Objective : to identify the dialectical contradiction between geo-economy and neoliberalism under the increasing geo-economic competition and the changing nature of international economic policy, the essence of which in practice manifests itself in the simultaneous course of two multidirectional processes – globalization and regionalization. Methods: to achieve the research goal, mainly qualitative methods of analysis and mixed (interdisciplinary) approaches were used, providing a deep understanding of modern economic processes. They include a historiographical overview, analysis of key geo-economic projects and policy instruments, as well as a study of the conflict between neoliberal and geo-economic paradigms. Results : the multidimensional nature of the “geo-economy” concept is revealed; the essence of the conflict between neoliberalism and geo-economics at the present stage is shown. The main trend of geo-economic policy is revealed: foreign economic activity of many countries, despite its neoliberal component, is increasingly based on geo-economic policy to achieve global influence through the latest technologies, dynamic innovations and ensuring the country security. The main projects of geopolitical actors (the Chinese “One Belt, One Road” initiative, the European “Global Gateway” program) focus on geo-economic relations and strengthening strategic positions and technological sovereignty. The main instruments of geo-economic policy are identified. Scientific novelty : for the first time, the dialectical contradiction between geo-economy and neoliberalism was systematically investigated, which allowed the development of methodological tools for analyzing modern global economic processes. Practical significance : the study results can be used to develop a foreign economic policy that takes into account the balance between globalization and regionalization, as well as to assess the effectiveness of geo-economic instruments in the face of modern challenges. The main conclusions can also be used to study modern global processes in the global economy and politics.