International economic cooperation as an object of public administration: semantic analysis and paradigm evolution

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive study of the theoretical and methodological foundations and applied aspects of public administration of international economic cooperation (IEC) under conditions of global geopolitical instability. It is determined that the contemporary architecture of the global economy is undergoing a fundamental transformation, shifting from the state of «Great Moderation» to functioning within a BANI world (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, Incomprehensible), where economic interdependence no longer guarantees security but becomes an instrument of hybrid influence. Based on the semantic analysis method, the concept of international economic cooperation is deconstructed, and an authorial periodization is proposed, comprising three stages: instrumental-commercial, crisis-adaptive, and the modern value-security stage. It is proven that the key characteristic of the current stage is the rapid «securitization» of economic relations, where priorities of national security and political loyalty of partners prevail over criteria of economic efficiency. The article critically analyzes the evolution of management paradigms. It is substantiated that the classical model of New Public Management, focused on market deregulation and service delivery, has demonstrated its institutional incapacity in the context of wartime and the disruption of global supply chains. The necessity of transitioning the domestic public administration system to the New Public Governance paradigm is argued. It is proven that the network approach, based on the concept of «co-creation» and the formation of shared Public Value, allows the state to effectively perform the role of a strategic coordinator of complex interaction networks between the government, business, and international donors. Significant attention is paid to the analysis of the latest tools of economic diplomacy, particularly the phenomena of «friend-shoring» and «economic statecraft». It is established that Ukraine’s integration into the European Union Single Market is a form of near-shoring, which requires not only legislative approximation but also deep structural adaptation.
The main scientific result of the study is the development and substantiation of the author's conceptual governance model «3S» (Security, Sustainability, Synergy). The model is based on a three-level architecture: the Security level serves as the foundation and implies critical infrastructure protection and foreign investment screening; the Sustainability level ensures regulatory interoperability with European ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards; the Synergy level offers tools for digital interaction through platform solutions. It is concluded that the implementation of this model will allow transforming Ukraine’s role from an object of geopolitical confrontation into an active entity shaping the regional economic security architecture.