"The new kid on the block": Faroese foreign affairs - between hierarchy and network

One intriguing political innovation increasingly evident this century is the appearance of non-sovereign states in the international political arena. For example, several of Canada’s provinces (Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia) have their own international representations; as demonstrated in the previous chapters of this book Nordic and other European regions today also pursue their own version of a foreign policy through international collaboration and networks. Within the larger context set by the superpowers such as USA, China, India, and Russia, there is an emerging mosaic of smaller states, microstates, provinces, dependent territories and regions all participating in the international arena and pursuing their own interests. These may be offshoots of larger phenomena such as globalization and/or the end of the Cold War but nevertheless create many new constellations in international politics. One such offshoot is the development of Faroese foreign affairs. This chapter outlines some of the strategies and constraints the Faroes face in their endeavours.