This transnational project studies the economic diplomacy of Finland, Sweden and Switzerland towards the rise of the main oil producing countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) from the oil crisis (1973) to the oil glut (1986).Our Hypothesis is that unlike the big Western power, who could use their military clout as an entry to the markets, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland "weaponized" neutrality as a political economic resource. We draw upon “new diplomatic history” that considers that there is no clear-cut separation between the “state” and “society”. Our methodological point of departure is grounded in Historical Social Network Analysis (HSNA) which holds that social action is interdependent and these interdependencies form channels of information that in turn shape the policies taken. Our source material consists of embassy, trade, finance and foreign ministry records; records of business associations, including chambers of commerce and records of private companies.

2023

2027