Religious Factor in International Relations of the Countries of Southeast Asia

Relevance. The countries of Southeast Asia in the modern world arena are not only a source of a developing economy, but also a source of conflict in Asia due to the transformation and politicization of the Islamic movement and the penetration of the ideas of the "Islamic State" into socially unprotected segments of the population, which is actively used by politicians to achieve their goals, including those of a foreign policy nature.
Purpose. is to consider the dynamics of international cooperation between the countries of Southeast Asia, taking into account the religious factor and determine the strategic directions of this interaction.
Objectives: to characterize the traditional directions of international relations of the countries of Southeast Asia; to analyze the manifestations of the politicization of Islam in the foreign policy of the countries of Southeast Asia; to consider the dynamics of ethnopolitical conflicts in Southeast Asia and to show their connection with the Islamic State group.
Methodology. The comparative analysis method was used to compare the foreign policy of the Southeast Asian countries; the method of systems analysis made it possible to investigate the relationship of individual sociospiritual and political factors with the general tendency of an increase in the influence of the Muslim factor on the foreign policy of the Southeast Asian countries.
Results. As a result of the analysis of the foreign policy strategies of the Southeast Asian countries, it was proved that Indonesia and Malaysia are experiencing the strongest influence of the Muslim factor not only in domestic but also foreign policy, which entails the spread of radical Islamism and terrorism, which threatens the economic growth of the region and thus causes concern for such major players like the USA, China and Russia.
Conclusions. The Muslim factor has recently become a determining factor in the policy of the Southeast Asian countries, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia, which have made their choice between the United States and Western countries and consistent criticism of the policies of Western countries that is obligatory for the potential "leader of Muslims of the whole world". But the struggle for leadership in the Islamic world is only unfolding with renewed vigor, and Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia have entered this struggle.

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