Un « petit État » accède à la scène internationale : la trajectoire du Qatar

Abstract

The Emergence of Qatar as a Small State Actor A lthough Qatar is a clear example of a small state, it has successfully risen as a prominent international foreign policy actor using its considerable clout as one of the largest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG). This has made Qatar a unique example among smaller resource rich states. It has notably and intensely deployed soft power and mediation for ambitious security objectives, internal development, and visibility. Qatar’s foreign policy diverges from the norm of small state actors’ usual multilateralism, which is explainable by two factos. First, the role of energy relationships has proved very important in defining Qatar’s bilateralistic approach. Qatar supplies liquefied natural gas (LNG) on long-term contracts, allowing it to have strategically unique energy security relationships on a bilateral basis. Additionally, Qatar has personalized its foreign relations decision making processes rather than maintaining a bureaucratic structure, rendering classical and formalized multilateralism incompatible with Qatar’s current foreign policy approach. ■