SECURITY ORIENTED FOREIGN POLICY: A THEORETICAL APPROACH
SECURITY ORIENTED FOREIGN POLICY: A THEORETICAL APPROACH

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the role that foreign policy may play in the realm of security. More specifically it explores a double security role of foreign policy, both in the international and national dimension. In exploring such role, the article focuses on the foreign policy of small states as a unique category of states which may demonstrate somewhat a unique foreign policy behavior. It considers several theoretical approaches which explain not only the behavior of a small states foreign policy in attempt to enhance its security (both externally and internally), but also the potential threats it faces, and the effect that such threats may produce over the security role of foreign policy. The focus is on two particular threats to security, namely on political and societal threats, as two non-traditional threats. Then a relationship between such potential threats and the responsive behavior of foreign policy is analyzed within the context of small states. The article employs the systematic literature review methodology, which, building on existing knowledge, would allow the assessment of the collective evidcence which exists in the field of foregin policy’s security role, when it comes to small states. The use of such methodology allows the synthetization of relevant existing research in function of advancing the scholastic knowledge on the small states’ foreign policy role in enhacing state security.

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