Foreign relations of Guatemala

Summary

Guatemala's major diplomatic interests are regional security and increasingly, regional development and economic integration.

Diplomatic relations edit

List of countries which Guatemala maintains diplomatic relations with:

 
# Country Date[1]
1   El Salvador 21 March 1821
2   Honduras 1821
3   United States 4 August 1824[2]
4   Colombia 15 March 1825
5   France 2 March 1831
6   United Kingdom 12 July 1837
7   Costa Rica 18 August 1839
8   Chile 8 August 1840[3]
9   Belgium 1841
10   Dominican Republic 31 August 1844
11   Nicaragua 15 May 1845
12   Germany 25 June 1847
13   Mexico 6 September 1848
14   Netherlands 22 March 1856
15   Peru 20 April 1857
16   Spain 29 May 1863
17   Italy 25 February 1864
18   Austria 28 February 1870
19   Turkey 18 July 1874
20   Denmark 30 April 1880
21   Serbia 1 July 1882
22   Portugal 20 August 1884
23   Ecuador 6 May 1890
  Venezuela (suspended) 22 June 1891[4]
24   Cuba 30 April 1902
25   Brazil 21 November 1906
26    Switzerland 14 December 1906
27   Uruguay 16 March 1907
28   Paraguay 1 May 1907
29   Argentina 7 October 1918
30   Luxembourg 7 November 1924
31   Czech Republic 20 March 1930[5]
32   Sweden 9 December 1930
  Republic of China[a] 15 June 1933
33   Poland 18 November 1933[6]
34   Panama 25 January 1935
35   Japan 20 February 1935
  Holy See 11 March 1936
36   Norway 18 August 1938
37   Russia 19 April 1945
38   Israel 15 May 1948
39   Haiti 1948
40   Bolivia 1952
41   Thailand 7 March 1957
  Sovereign Military Order of Malta 11 December 1957
42   Canada 16 September 1961[7]
43   South Korea 24 October 1962
44   Grenada 16 July 1966
45   Greece 20 July 1966
46   Finland 18 August 1967[8]
47   Egypt 7 September 1970
48   Morocco 15 March 1971
49   India 16 May 1972
50   Philippines 21 June 1972
51   Australia 7 January 1974
52   Iraq 2 February 1978
53   Suriname 9 May 1979
54   Bangladesh 7 October 1983
55   Algeria 31 January 1990
56   Jordan 31 January 1990
57   Lebanon 31 January 1990
58   Hungary 11 October 1990
59   Romania 7 December 1990
60   Belize 11 September 1991
61   Jamaica 11 December 1991
62   Barbados 27 January 1992
63   Antigua and Barbuda 3 February 1992
64   Bahamas 30 March 1992
65   Saint Lucia 1 April 1992
66   Indonesia 29 April 1992
67   Guyana 1 May 1992
68   Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 14 May 1992
69   Singapore 1 December 1992
70   United Arab Emirates 15 December 1992
71   Cyprus 17 December 1992
72   Croatia 22 December 1992
73   Saint Kitts and Nevis 1992
75   Vietnam 7 January 1993
76   Ukraine 12 January 1993
77   Seychelles 13 January 1993
78   Latvia 14 January 1993
79   Iran 25 January 1993
80   Malaysia 27 January 1993
81   Maldives 27 January 1993
82   Estonia 3 February 1993
83   Kyrgyzstan 10 February 1993
84   Guinea 12 February 1993
85   Namibia 19 February 1993
86   Albania 9 March 1993
87   Belarus 11 March 1993
88   Moldova 6 April 1993
89   Cameroon 14 April 1993
90   Slovakia 15 April 1993
91   Federated States of Micronesia 13 May 1993
92   Iceland 5 August 1993
93   Oman 10 October 1993
94   Slovenia 25 November 1993
95   Lithuania 14 December 1993
96   Bulgaria 14 January 1994
97   Trinidad and Tobago 25 May 1994
98   Ghana 26 September 1994
99   Azerbaijan 1 November 1994
100   South Africa 12 January 1995
101   Benin 14 November 1995
102   Andorra 27 November 1995
103   Malta 11 December 1995
104   Kuwait 12 December 1995
105   Cambodia 26 January 1996
106   Turkmenistan 22 August 1996
107   Mozambique 4 February 1997
108   Armenia 29 June 1998
109   New Zealand January 1999
110   North Macedonia 21 November 2001
111   Nigeria December 2001
112   San Marino 14 February 2002
113   Brunei 30 June 2004
114   Ireland 2004
115   Mongolia 3 July 2006
116   Mali 7 July 2006
117   Burkina Faso 21 July 2006
118   Cape Verde 25 July 2006
119     Nepal 8 August 2006
120   Tajikistan 20 August 2006
121   Gambia 5 September 2006
122   Mauritius 7 September 2006
123   Montenegro 27 September 2006
124   Nauru 6 December 2006
125   Equatorial Guinea 18 December 2006
126   Uzbekistan 9 February 2007
127   Qatar 27 February 2007
128   Zimbabwe 2 March 2007
129   Tunisia 19 March 2007
130   Botswana 7 May 2007
131   Bahrain 21 May 2007
132   Libya 5 September 2007
133   Samoa 20 September 2007
134   North Korea 26 September 2007
135   Monaco 2 November 2007
136   Niger 13 November 2007
137   Laos 20 February 2008
138   Kenya 25 September 2008
139   Bosnia and Herzegovina 9 September 2009
140   Dominica 12 August 2009
141   Georgia 27 April 2010
142   Solomon Islands 8 March 2011
143   Tuvalu 20 May 2011
144   Kazakhstan 2 September 2011
145   Pakistan 14 October 2011
146   Ethiopia 20 June 2012
147   Sri Lanka 26 February 2013
148   Zambia 19 March 2013
149   Fiji 13 September 2013
150   Ivory Coast 13 March 2014
151   Senegal 29 September 2015
152   Liechtenstein 22 December 2015
153   Saudi Arabia 21 April 2017
154   Marshall Islands 20 June 2017
155   Djibouti 28 February 2018
156   Gabon 31 December 2022
157   Palau 19 January 2023
158   East Timor 3 April 2023
159   Angola 22 September 2023
160   Togo 22 September 2023

Bilateral relations edit

Country Formal Relations Began Notes
  Andorra 27 November 2007
  • Andorra does not have an accreditation to Guatemala.
  • Guatemala is accredited to Andorra from its embassy in Madrid, Spain.
  Argentina
  Armenia 29 June 1998

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 29 June 1998.

  Azerbaijan 1 November 1994[9]
  • Azerbaijan is accredited to Guatemala through its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.[9][10]
  • Guatemala is accredited to Azerbaijan through its consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.[9][11]
  Australia

There are four Australia–Guatemala bilateral treaties. Guatemala has an embassy in Canberra, Australia.[12] The Australian embassy in Mexico has consular responsibility for Guatemala.[13] Trade between the two countries is A$32 Million.[14]

  Belize 11 September 1993 See Belize-Guatemala relations

Guatemala has a longstanding claim to a large portion of Belize. The territorial dispute caused problems with the United Kingdom and later with Belize following its 1981 independence from the UK. In December 1989, Guatemala sponsored Belize for permanent observer status in the Organization of American States (OAS). In September 1991 Guatemala recognized Belize's independence and established diplomatic ties, while acknowledging that the boundaries remained in dispute. In anticipation of an effort to bring the border dispute to an end in early 1996, the Guatemalan Congress ratified two long-pending international agreements governing frontier issues and maritime rights.

In early 2000 the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry proposed a border settlement that would transfer more than half of Belize's territory to Guatemala. Following a spate of border incidents, both sides agreed during talks under OAS auspices in November 2000 to confidence-building measures to reduce tensions. They followed that with an agreement on opening substantive discussions on the dispute. Both Guatemala and Belize are participating in the confidence-building measures, including the Guatemala-Belize Language Exchange Project.

In September 2010, the Guatemalan Congress overwhelmingly gave its approval for a referendum to be held; giving the people of Guatemala a say in whether or not that country’s claim to Belize should be taken to the International Court of Justice. Under the special agreement (compromise) signed in December 2008 by Belize and Guatemala it was agreed that if the people of both nations approved, by way of a simultaneous referendum on the same day, that the dispute would proceed to the ICJ. The outcome of any ruling handed down by the ICJ will be final and binding, regardless of in whose favor the ruling is handed down.

  Bolivia 1952
  • Guatemala is accredited to Bolivia from its embassy in Lima, Peru.
  • Bolivia is accredited to Guatemala from its embassy in San José, Costa Rica.
  Brazil 21 November 1906
  • Brazil has an embassy in Guatemala City.
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Brasília.
  Canada 16 September 1961
  • Canada has an embassy in Guatemala City.[15]
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Ottawa and a consulate-general in Montreal.[16]
  Chile 8 August 1840
  • Chile has an embassy in Guatemala City.
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Santiago de Chile.
  Republic of China (Taiwan) 15 June 1933
  • As of March 2023, Guatemala is one of 13 nations who recognize the legitimacy of the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan under the One China policy.[17]
  • The ROC has an embassy in Guatemala City.
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Taipei, on the island of Taiwan.
  Costa Rica 18 August 1839
  • Costa Rica has an embassy in Guatemala City.
  • Guatemala has an embassy in San José.
  Cuba 30 April 1902 See Cuba–Guatemala relations
  • Cuba has an embassy in Guatemala City
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Havana
  El Salvador 21 March 1821
  France 2 March 1831
  • France has an embassy in Guatemala City.
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Paris.
  Guyana 1 May 1992
  Honduras 1821
  India 16 May 1972 See Guatemala–India relations
  • India maintains an embassy in Guatemala City.[22]
  • Guatemala has an embassy in New Delhi.
  Indonesia 29 April 1992
  • Indonesia is accredited to Guatemala from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Jakarta.[23]
  Israel 15 May 1948
 
Dinner hosted by Israeli Ambassador to Guatemala Joshua Shai, in honor of President of Guatemala Enrique Peralta Azurdia, at his residence in Guatemala, 1964.
  • Israel maintains an embassy in Guatemala City.[24]
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Jerusalem.

In May 2018, Guatemala was the second country after the United States to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.[25]

The first COVID vaccines to arrive in Guatemala were received from donations sent by Israel.[26]

  Mexico 6 September 1838 See Guatemala–Mexico relations; Guatemalan immigration to Mexico

Diplomatic relations between Mexico and Guatemala began in 1838 after the dissolution of the Federal Republic of Central America.

  Morocco 15 March 1971
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Rabat.
  • Morocco has an embassy in Guatemala City.
  Nicaragua 15 May 1845
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Managua.
  • Nicaragua has an embassy in Guatemala City.
  Panama 25 January 1935
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Panama City.
  • Panama has an embassy in Guatemala City.
  Paraguay 1 May 1907
  • Guatemala is accredited to Paraguay from its embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • Paraguay is accredited to Guatemala from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.
  Philippines 21 June 1972
  • Guatemala is accredited to Philippines from its embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
  • Philippines is accredited to Guatemala through its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.
  Russia 19 April 1945 See Guatemala–Russia relations
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Moscow.
  • Russia has an embassy in Guatemala City.[29]
  South Korea 24 October 1962[30]
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Seoul, South Korea.[31]
  • South Korea has an embassy in Guatemala City.[32]
  Spain 29 May 1863 See Guatemala–Spain relations
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Madrid.[33]
  • Spain has an embassy in Guatemala City.[34]
  Sweden 9 December 1930
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Stockholm.
  • Sweden has an embassy in Guatemala City, which is also accredited to El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
  Thailand 3 March 1957
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Bangkok.[35]
  • Thailand is accredited to Guatemala through its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.
  Turkey 18 July 1874 See Guatemala–Turkey relations
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Ankara and an honorary consulate in Istanbul.[36]
  • Turkey has an embassy in Guatemala City.[36]
  • Trade volume between the two countries was 63.5 million USD in 2019 (Guatemalan exports/imports: 10/53.5 million USD).[36]
  United Kingdom 12 July 1837
  • Guatemala has an embassy in London.[37]
  • United Kingdom has an embassy in Guatemala City.[38]
  United States 4 August 1824 See Guatemala–United States relations

Relations between the United States and Guatemala traditionally have been close, although at times strained by human rights and civil-military issues. U.S. policy objectives in Guatemala include:

The United States, as a member of "the Friends of Guatemala", along with Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Norway, and Venezuela, played an important role in the UN-moderated peace accords. The United States strongly supported the six substantive and three procedural accords, which, along with the signing of the December 29, 1996 final accord, form the blueprint for profound political, economic, and social change. To that end, the U.S. government committed over $500 million to support peace implementation since 1997.

In recent years the number of violent crimes reported by U.S. citizens has steadily increased, though the number of Americans traveling to Guatemala has increased.

Most U.S. assistance to Guatemala is provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) offices for Guatemala. USAID/Guatemala's current program builds on the gains of the peace process that followed the signing of the peace accords in December 1996, as well as on the achievements of its 1997–2004 peace program. The current program works to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives by focusing on Guatemala's potential as Central America's largest economy and trading partner of the United States, but also recognizes the country's lagging social indicators and widespread poverty. The three areas of focus for USAID/Guatemala's program are modeled after the Millennium Challenge Account areas—ruling justly, economic freedom, and investing in people.

  Uruguay 16 March 1907 See Guatemala–Uruguay relations
  • Guatemala has an embassy in Montevideo.
  • Uruguay has an embassy in Guatemala City.
  Venezuela 31 October 1890

Multilateral relations edit

The Central American Ministers of Trade meet on a regular basis to work on regional approaches to trade issues. In March 1998, Guatemala joined its Central American neighbors in signing a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). In 2000 it joined Honduras and El Salvador in signing a free trade agreement with Mexico, which went into effect in 2001. Guatemala also originated the idea for, and is the seat of, the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN).

Guatemala participates in several regional groups, particularly those related to the environment and trade. For example, US President Clinton and the Central American presidents signed the CONCAUSA (Conjunto Centroamerica-USA) agreement at the Summit of the Americas in December 1994. CONCAUSA is a cooperative plan of action to promote clean, efficient energy use; conserve the region's biodiversity; strengthen legal and institutional frameworks and compliance mechanisms; and improve and harmonize environmental protection standards.

Illicit drugs: Guatemala is a transit country for cocaine shipments; minor producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; active eradication program in 1996 effectively eliminated the cannabis crop; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (cocaine shipments).

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Diplomatic relations established as the Nationalist government on Mainland China. Relations continued on Taiwan, which the ROC took control of from Japan in 1945, after its retreat in 1949. See also One China and Political status of Taiwan.

References edit

  1. ^ "Relaciones Diplomáticas de Guatemala" (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  2. ^ "HISTORY OF THE U.S. AND GUATEMALA". 29 January 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Listado de paises con relaciones diplomatica". minex.gob.gt (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  4. ^ Libro amarillo correspondiente al año ...: presentado al Congreso Nacional en sus sesiones ordinarias de ... por el titular despacho (in Spanish). Venezuela. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. 2003. pp. 528–529.
  5. ^ Las relaciones entre Checoslovaquia y América Latina 1945-1989. En los archivos de la República Checa (in Spanish). Karolinum Press. 2015. p. 267.
  6. ^ "SERIA WYDAWNICZA: POLSKA SŁUŻBA ZAGRANICZNA 1918–1945 – materiały źródłowe" (PDF) (in Polish). p. 271. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  7. ^ "A Guide to Canadian Diplomatic Relations 1925-2019". 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Guatemala". Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  9. ^ a b c "Guatemala". mfa.gov.az. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  10. ^ "Azerbaijan Embassies in Guatemala". pickvisa.com. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  11. ^ "Guatemala Embassies in Turkey". pickvisa.com. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  12. ^ "Search results". protocol.dfat.gov.au. Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  13. ^ "Guatemala". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  14. ^ dfat.gov.au. Dept Foreign Affairs and Trade http://dfat.gov.au/trade/resources/Documents/guat.pdf. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-08-14. Retrieved 6 July 2017. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ "Embassy of Canada to Guatemala". GAC. 20 November 2008.
  16. ^ "Forbidden". canada.minex.gob.gt.
  17. ^ "President Ma meets Guatemalan Vice President Fuentes - Focus Taiwan". focustaiwan.tw. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  18. ^ Embassy of El Salvador in Guatemala (in Spanish)
  19. ^ "Forbidden". elsalvador.minex.gob.gt.
  20. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2016-07-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ "Forbidden". honduras.minex.gob.gt.
  22. ^ "Embassy of India Guatemala". indemguatemala.gov.in.
  23. ^ "The Opening of Guatemalan Embassy in Jakarta Marks New Phase of Indonesia-Guatemala's Bilateral Relationship". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia. 2019-12-10.
  24. ^ "Embajada de Israel en Guatemala". embassies.gov.il (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  25. ^ Heller Williams, Jeffrey (16 May 2018). "Guatemala opens embassy in Jerusalem, two days after U.S. Move". Reuters.
  26. ^ "1st vaccines arrive in Honduras, Guatemala from Israel". TurkishPress. 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  27. ^ Embassy of Mexico in Guatemala City (in Spanish).
  28. ^ Embassy of Guatemala in Mexico City (in Spanish).
  29. ^ Embassy of the Russian Federation in Guatemala City
  30. ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea-Latin America and Caribbean".
  31. ^ "알짜 유럽여행 정보 노리터 : 네이버 블로그". blog.naver.com.
  32. ^ Embajada de la República de Corea en Guatemala
  33. ^ "Homepage".
  34. ^ "Páginas - Embajada de España en Guatemala". exteriores.gob.es.
  35. ^ "Guatemala abre en Bangkok y Yakarta sus primeras embajadas en sureste de Asia" (in Spanish). 2019-12-09.
  36. ^ a b c "Relations between Turkey and Guatemala".
  37. ^ "Embassy of Guatemala to the United Kingdom". Embajada de Guatemala. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  38. ^ "British Embassy Guatemala City - GOV.UK". gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  39. ^ Menchu, Sofia (2020-01-17). "Guatemala's new president cuts ties with Venezuela, as promised". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-05-31.

External links edit

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala
  • Legal Opinion on Guatemala's Territorial Claim to Belize and MFA Library and GAR and Other Documents and Summary of Legal Opinion of 25 November 2008
  • Belize/Guatemala ICJ Compromis Signed at OAS in Washington, D.C. on 8 December 2008 and Compromis and Videos and U.S. Congratulations and U.K. Congratulations and Photographs and Compromis for Christmas of 8 December 2008 and Belize Leading Counsel of 19 December 2008