Qatar’s mediation between the United States and Venezuela

18 Jul 2024

Mediation has long been a foundation of Qatar’s foreign policy and a key strategy garnering prestige within the international system.

Over the past decade, Qatar has skillfully directed complex geopolitical landscapes, using its distinctive position as a credible and impartial actor to facilitate vital negotiations in an increasingly changing international arena.

Some might call it the “Qatari way” nevertheless, Qatar has found a winning formula that enables it to work with opposing ideological players earning the world’s respect and establishing a strong reputation as an unparalleled regional mediator. This in turn has positioned the Gulf nation as a diplomatic heavyweight expanding its geopolitical influence.

Last month high level talks between the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly and Nicolas Maduro’s right-hand man, Jorge Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez, advisor to President Joe Biden, took place in Doha.

Qatar has assumed a leading role in the mediation between the White House and the Venezuelan government. In spite of the urgent calls for organizing transparent elections in Venezuela in 2024, both countries have been barely in contact and the distance between them continued to grow, until Qatar stepped in to fill the void left by Colombia which was mediating between the two, making Qatar indispensable to Washington as a go-to nation that can mediate with both, state and non-state actors and parties, such as Iran and the Taliban.

This is hardly not the first time Qatar mediates in an international or a regional political issue. Doha is increasingly flexing its diplomatic muscles. Qatar played a crucial role in evacuating U.S. personnel and Afghan civilians from Kabul airport which was a major factor for President Biden decision to name Qatar a major non-NATO ally in early 2022. Last year Qatar was successful in a high-profile prisoner exchange between the United States and Iran.

The prisoner swap was a conclusion to delicate negotiations involving Qatar for almost two years, which secured the freedom of five U.S. citizens in exchange for five Iranian citizens as well as the release of $6 billion in Iranian assets that were frozen in South Korea under U.S. sanctions.

In 2007 Qatar mediated in the Yemeni conflict and reached a cease-fire declaration, in 2010 it mediated between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of Chad which culminated in the Doha Agreement being signed, in 2011 it mediated an agreement to stop the armed conflict between Djibouti and Eritrea, in 2011 it mediated between the Sudanese government and the Darfurian armed movements which resulted in the Doha peace agreement for Darfur being signed, in 2020 it mediated between the United States and Taliban and hosted the negotiations between the Afghan parties, in 2021 it mediated between Somalia and Kenya to restore diplomatic relations, Qatar mediated successfully an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to exchange dozens of children displaced by the conflict, and in 2022 it mediated between the Chadian Transitional Military Council and Chadian political and military movements just to name a few of its global mediation efforts.

Officials from the United States, the EU, and the UN have praised the country for its global diplomatic efforts.

More importantly, security and stability are critical drivers to Qatar’s interest in mediation from an external and internal viewpoint. A central part of Qatar’s mediation efforts and prosperity is built upon a geostrategic concern. Qatar exports its liquefied gas, which flows through the Strait of Hormuz, linking regional stability with Qatari national security. This combination of its geographical location and wealth leaves it with no option but to pursue an independent foreign policy.

A point of contention in the United States is Qatar hosting the Hamas leadership. Nevertheless, it is important to note that Qatar established Hamas’ office in Doha at the request of the Obama administration which feared that Hamas might move its offices to Iran after leaving Syria due to its civil war. However, this provided an opportunity for mediation between the group and its adversaries providing Qatar with a level of influence over the group.

Let’s say that Hamas’ leadership was in Tehran on October 7th, the United States and Israel would have to contend with the fact that they must work with Iran to free Israeli hostages, which is a far less attractive proposal than the current one. Hence, calls from both Democrats and Republicans in the United States to re-evaluate their strategic partnership with Qatar, looking to score cheap political points against the Gulf nation, need to re-assess their priorities and political perspectives. 

Dr. Shaher Zakaria is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Lusail University – Doha, Qatar.