Qatar's foreign policy priorities in relation with the European Union

Qatar's remarkable economic growth in the last two decades has transformed it from a small, non-influential country into an effective player in regional and global level. Qatar's new approach to achieve economic diversification and sustainable development, especially after the Arab Spring, has led Qatari policymakers to exploit the capacities and experiences of other countries. In this regard, Europe is an important partner for Qatar. This article aims to examine Qatar's relations with the European Union based on current and future Qatari priorities and interests, from the perspective of bilateral and region-to-region relations. The main question is, what are Qatar's foreign policy priorities for developing relations with the European Union? This study hypothesizes that the Qatar's main priority in expanding relations with the European Union is to develop socio-economic relations. By using the descriptive-analytical approach, it was concluded that, Qatar's defense-security reliance on the United States and its efforts to achieve economic diversity and sustainable development have led Qatar's foreign policy priorities in relation with the EU, toward socio-economic interactions. This approach has made the European Union the largest exporter of goods and services, the most important supplier of modern technologies and, most importantly, the supplier of the diversification necessaries for socio-economic development of Qatari society.