Foreign relations of Antigua and Barbuda

Summary

Antigua and Barbuda maintains diplomatic relations with the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the People's Republic of China, as well as with many Latin American countries and neighbouring Eastern Caribbean states. It is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, Petrocaribe and the Eastern Caribbean's Regional Security System (RSS).

As a member of CARICOM, Antigua and Barbuda supported efforts by the United States to implement UN Security Council Resolution 940, designed to facilitate the departure of Haiti's de facto authorities from power. The country agreed to contribute personnel to the multinational force which restored the democratically elected government of Haiti in October 1994.

In May 1997, Prime Minister Bird joined 14 other Caribbean leaders and President Clinton for the first-ever US-regional summit in Bridgetown, Barbados. The summit strengthened the basis for regional co-operation on justice and counter-narcotics issues, finance and development, and trade.

Antigua and Barbuda is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered under Article 98).

Disputes – international: none

Illicit drugs: considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as a drug-money-laundering center.

Diplomatic relations edit

List of countries which Antigua and Barbuda has diplomatic relations with:

 
# Country Date[1]
1   Canada 1 November 1981[2]
2   South Korea 1 November 1981[3]
3   United Kingdom 1 November 1981[4]
4   United States 1 November 1981[5]
5   India 1981[6]
6   Malaysia 1981[7]
7   Brazil 2 February 1982[3]
8   Guyana 3 February 1982[8]
9   Colombia 18 March 1982[9]
10   Germany 4 May 1982[3]
11   France 6 May 1982[3]
12   Netherlands 11 May 1982[3]
13   Sweden 11 June 1982[3]
14   Venezuela 11 June 1982[3]
15   Iraq 14 September 1982[3]
16   Japan 4 October 1982[3]
17   China 1 January 1983[3]
18   Belize 4 February 1983[10]
19   Jamaica 8 February 1983[11]
20   Portugal 20 March 1983[12]
21   Syria 18 April 1983[3]
22   Israel 22 June 1983[3]
23   Barbados 19 September 1983[13]
24   Saint Kitts and Nevis 19 September 1983[14]
25    Switzerland 14 December 1983[3]
26   Saint Lucia 1983[15]
27   Costa Rica 16 January 1984[3]
28   Mexico 14 September 1984[16]
29   Argentina 7 December 1984[17]
30   Austria 25 March 1985[3]
32   Greece 10 June 1985[3]
33   Peru 24 June 1985[3]
34   Italy 20 August 1985[3]
35   Bolivia 26 August 1985[3]
36   Norway 14 October 1985[3]
37   Denmark 27 October 1985[3]
38   Belgium 30 October 1985[3]
  Holy See 15 December 1986[18]
39   Uruguay 27 April 1987[3]
40   Spain 27 June 1988[3]
41   Suriname 10 October 1989
42   Algeria 1 November 1989
43   Russia 5 January 1990
44   Chile 10 August 1990[3]
45   North Korea 27 November 1990
46   Guatemala 3 February 1992
47   Nicaragua 20 February 1992[3]
48   Ukraine 17 March 1993[3]
49   El Salvador 18 March 1993[3]
50   Latvia 19 March 1993
51   Estonia 4 June 1993
52   Slovenia 15 June 1993[3]
53   Armenia 25 August 1993[3]
54   Cuba 6 April 1994
55   North Macedonia 21 February 1995[3]
56   Azerbaijan 5 April 1995[3]
57   Panama 27 September 1996[19]
58   Czech Republic 31 January 1997
59   Haiti 11 June 1997
60   Kuwait 9 July 1998[3]
61   Croatia 15 June 1999
62   Slovakia 21 June 1999
63   Turkey June 1999[20]
64   Belarus 18 May 2000
65   Ireland 19 May 2000
66   Bulgaria 7 June 2001
67   Maldives 25 March 2002
68   South Africa 17 February 2004[21]
69   Iceland 11 March 2004
70   Cyprus 22 July 2004
71   Malta 23 July 2004
72   Lithuania 23 September 2004[22]
73   Hungary 16 May 2005
74   Poland 13 September 2005[23]
75   Thailand 7 July 2006[24]
76   Oman 5 October 2006
77   Qatar 9 October 2006
78   Bahrain 20 October 2006
79   Singapore 12 December 2006
80   Saudi Arabia 12 February 2007
81   United Arab Emirates 4 May 2007
82   Morocco 3 July 2007[25]
83   Libya 31 August 2007
84   Luxembourg 26 September 2007
85   Dominican Republic 5 October 2007[26]
86   Kazakhstan 16 November 2007
87   Botswana 6 December 2007
88   Finland 26 September 2008
89   Ecuador 10 August 2009[27]
90   Brunei 21 December 2009
91   Cambodia 28 April 2010
92   Egypt 7 July 2010
93   Philippines 16 July 2010
94   Georgia 7 April 2011
95   Montenegro 11 April 2011
96   Tajikistan 12 April 2011
97   Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 June 2011
98   Andorra 3 June 2011[28]
99   Indonesia 23 September 2011[29]
100   Moldova 18 November 2011
101   Mongolia 19 June 2013
102   Vietnam 8 November 2013
103   New Zealand 6 October 2014[30]
104   Fiji 20 February 2015
105   Iran 1 October 2015
106   Paraguay 21 September 2016
107   Pakistan 23 September 2016
108   Lebanon April 2017[31]
109     Nepal 25 July 2017
110   Jordan 27 September 2017
  Cook Islands 9 November 2017[32]
111   Romania 5 April 2018[33]
112   Liechtenstein 25 September 2018
113   Serbia 28 September 2018
114   San Marino 12 December 2018[34]
115   Monaco 28 February 2019[35]
  Kosovo 24 July 2019[36]
116   Rwanda 10 December 2019
117   Ethiopia Before March 2020[37]
118   Ghana Before March 2020[37]
119   Kyrgyzstan 3 June 2021[38]
120   Uzbekistan 13 June 2022
121   Kenya 23 June 2022[39]
122   Cape Verde September 2022[40]
123   Nigeria 10 August 2023[41]
124   Benin 12 December 2023[42]
125   Australia Unknown
126   Bahamas Unknown
127   Dominica Unknown
128   Grenada Unknown
129   Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Unknown
130   Trinidad and Tobago Unknown
131   Zambia Unknown[43]

Bilateral relations edit

Country Formal Relations Began Notes
  Belize 4 February 1983

Antigua & Barbuda and Belize are two of fifteen commonwealth realms, members of: the Association of Caribbean States, the Caribbean Community, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Commonwealth of Nations, ECLAC, EU-CARIFORUM, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the Organization of American States, and the United Nations. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 February 1983.[44]

  Canada 1 November 1981

Antigua & Barbuda and Canada are two of fifteen commonwealth realms, members of: the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States, and the United Nations. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1967.[45][46]

  • Antigua and Barbuda is accredited to Canada from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States and has a consulate-general in Toronto.
  • The Canadian High Commission in Bridgetown, Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda.[47]
  China 1 January 1983

Both countries have established diplomatic relations.[48]

  Cyprus 21 July 2004
  Denmark 28 October 1985

Denmark is represented in Antigua and Barbuda by its Consulate General in New York and an honorary consulate in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda.[50]

  Guyana 3 February 1982
  India

Both countries have established diplomatic relations and have an Extradition Arrangement.[52][53]

  Ireland 19 May 2000

Ireland is represented in Antigua and Barbuda through its embassy in Washington DC, United States.[54][55]

  Israel 22 June 1983

Israel is represented in Antigua and Barbuda through its embassy in Dominican Republic.[56]

  Malta 23 July 2004
  Mexico 14 September 1984
  • Antigua and Barbuda has a non-resident ambassador accredited to Mexico from its capital in St. John's.[58]
  • Mexico is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda from its embassy in Castries, Saint Lucia and maintains an honorary consulate in St. John's.[59]
  New Zealand
  South Africa 26 June 2004
  South Korea 1 November 1981

The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Antigua and Barbuda began on 1 November 1981.[62]

  Spain 27 June 1988

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 June 1988.

  Turkey Feb. 3, 1982[63] See Antigua and Barbuda–Turkey relations
  United Kingdom 1 November 1981

Both countries have established diplomatic relations. Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations.

  United States 1 November 1981

Relations between Antigua and Barbuda and the United States have been friendly since Antigua and Barbuda's independence from the United Kingdom in 1981.

The United States has supported the Government of Antigua and Barbuda's effort to expand its economic base and to improve its citizens' standard of living. However, concerns over the lack of adequate regulation of the financial services sector prompted the US Government to issue a financial advisory for Antigua and Barbuda in 1999. The advisory was lifted in 2001, but the US Government continues to monitor the Government of Antigua and Barbuda's regulation of financial services.

The United States also has been active in supporting post-hurricane disaster assistance and rehabilitation through the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the Peace Corps. US assistance is primarily channelled through multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), as well as through the USAID office in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Antigua and Barbuda is strategically situated in the Leeward Islands near maritime transport lanes of major importance to the United States. Antigua has long hosted a US military presence. A former US Navy support facility, turned over to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in 1995, is now being developed as a regional coast guard training facility.

Antigua and Barbuda's location close to the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico makes it an attractive transshipment point for narcotics traffickers. To address these problems, the United States and Antigua and Barbuda have signed a series of counter-narcotic and counter-crime treaties and agreements, including a maritime law enforcement agreement (1995), subsequently amended to include overflight and order-to-land provisions (1996); a bilateral extradition treaty (1996); and a mutual legal assistance treaty (1996). In addition, Antigua and Barbuda receives counter-narcotics assistance and benefits from US military exercise-related and humanitarian civic assistance construction projects.

In 2005, Antigua and Barbuda had 239,804 stay-over visitors, with nearly 28% of Antigua and Barbuda's visitors coming from the United States. It is estimated that 4,500 Americans reside in the country.

In 2005 both countries disputed a World Trade Organization ruling over gambling law. In 2007 relations were strained when Antigua and Barbuda demanded sanctions worth $3.4bn imposed on the US for its failure to obey the WTO gambling ruling stating that "while we realise this is a significant step for Antigua and Barbuda to take, we feel we have no choice in the matter".[66] Nevertheless, relations between the two countries are still strong.

  Venezuela 15 June 1982

Antigua and Barbuda enjoys close relations with Venezuela. As of June 2009 it became a formal member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) international co-operation organisation and the Caribbean oil alliance Petrocaribe. In 2009 Antigua and Barbuda received US$50 million from Venezuela because of the country's membership of these initiatives.

"We have benefited from these relationships and so we will continue to forge these alliances, whether it is with Venezuela, Cuba or whoever else that we feel is in the interest of Antigua and Barbuda and the sub-region," said the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Baldwin Spencer.[67]

See also edit

References edit

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  62. ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea-Latin America and Caribbean". Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  63. ^ "Relations between Turkey and Antigua and Barbuda". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey.
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  67. ^ "NO APOLOGIES: Spencer defends ties with Venezuela". Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
  • "U.S. Relations With Antigua and Barbuda". US Department of State. 7 February 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
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  •   This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook. CIA.
  •   This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
  •   This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.

External links edit

  • History of Antigua and Barbuda – U.S. relations