Riikidevaheline

Riikidevaheline is an Estonian term that designates relations, actions and arrangements that occur between sovereign states. In political science, diplomacy and international law, the word is used to describe interstate interactions such as treaties, negotiations, trade agreements and security arrangements, as distinct from domestic governance or non-state actors.

The term is formed from riik (state) plus the genitive plural suffix -ide and vaheline (between). It appears in compound phrases such as riikidevaheline koostöö (interstate cooperation) and riikidevaheline leping (interstate treaty). The adjective agrees with the noun it modifies.

Riikidevaheline generally refers to formal, government-to-government relations. It covers bilateral as well as multilateral interactions. In Estonian academic and policy-language, it is common for discussing diplomacy, cross-border security, border regimes, and international agreements between states. In broader international discourse, rahvusvaheline is often used to denote the global or cross-border dimension beyond state-to-state relations, while riikidevaheline emphasizes the interstate level.

Historical notes: The concept aligns with the long-standing framework of interstate relations that underpins modern international order. In Estonia and other post-Soviet contexts, riikidevaheline discourse has shaped debates on Baltic cooperation, European Union integration, and regional security.

See also: rahvusvahelised suhted; rahvusvaheline õigus; diplomaatia; riikidevaheline koostöö; rahvusvaheline organisatsioon.