Foreign relations of Antigua and Barbuda

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

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	Malaysia	1981 [6]
6	Australia	17 January 1982 [7]
7	Brazil	2 February 1982 [3]
8	Guyana	3 February 1982 [8]
9	Colombia	18 March 1982 [9]
10	India	2 April 1982 [10]
11	Germany	4 May 1982 [3]
12	France	6 May 1982 [3]
13	Netherlands	11 May 1982 [3]
14	Sweden	11 June 1982 [3]
15	Venezuela	11 June 1982 [3]
16	Iraq	14 September 1982 [3]
17	Japan	4 October 1982 [3]
18	China	1 January 1983 [3]
19	Belize	4 February 1983 [11]
20	Jamaica	8 February 1983 [12]
21	Nigeria	2 March 1983 [13]
22	Uganda	2 March 1983 [13]
23	Zambia	2 March 1983 [13]
24	Portugal	20 March 1983 [14]
25	Syria	18 April 1983 [3]
26	Israel	22 June 1983 [3]
27	Barbados	19 September 1983 [15]
28	Saint Kitts and Nevis	19 September 1983 [16]
29	Switzerland	14 December 1983 [3]
30	Saint Lucia	1983 [17]
31	Costa Rica	16 January 1984 [3]
32	Mexico	14 September 1984 [18]
33	Argentina	7 December 1984 [19]
34	Austria	25 March 1985 [3]
35	Greece	10 June 1985 [3]
36	Peru	24 June 1985 [3]
37	Italy	20 August 1985 [3]
38	Bolivia	26 August 1985 [3]
39	Norway	14 October 1985 [3]
40	Denmark	27 October 1985 [3]
41	Belgium	30 October 1985 [3]
–	Holy See	15 December 1986 [20]
42	Uruguay	27 April 1987 [3]
43	Spain	27 June 1988 [3]
44	Suriname	10 October 1989
45	Algeria	1 November 1989
46	Russia	5 January 1990
47	Chile	10 August 1990 [3]
48	North Korea	27 November 1990
49	Guatemala	3 February 1992
50	Nicaragua	20 February 1992 [3]
51	Ukraine	17 March 1993 [3]
52	El Salvador	18 March 1993 [3]
53	Latvia	19 March 1993
54	Estonia	4 June 1993
55	Slovenia	15 June 1993 [3]
56	Armenia	25 August 1993 [3]
57	Cuba	6 April 1994
58	North Macedonia	21 February 1995 [3]
59	Azerbaijan	5 April 1995 [3]
60	Panama	27 September 1996 [21]
61	Czech Republic	31 January 1997
62	Haiti	11 June 1997
63	Kuwait	9 July 1998 [3]
64	Croatia	15 June 1999
65	Slovakia	21 June 1999
66	Turkey	June 1999 [22]
67	Belarus	18 May 2000
68	Ireland	19 May 2000
69	Bulgaria	7 June 2001
70	Maldives	25 March 2002
71	South Africa	17 February 2004 [23]
72	Iceland	11 March 2004
73	Cyprus	22 July 2004
74	Malta	23 July 2004
75	Lithuania	23 September 2004 [24]
76	Hungary	16 May 2005
77	Poland	13 September 2005 [25]
78	Thailand	7 July 2006 [26]
79	Oman	5 October 2006
80	Qatar	9 October 2006
81	Bahrain	20 October 2006
82	Singapore	12 December 2006
83	Saudi Arabia	12 February 2007
84	United Arab Emirates	4 May 2007
85	Morocco	3 July 2007 [27]
86	Libya	31 August 2007
87	Luxembourg	26 September 2007
88	Dominican Republic	5 October 2007 [28]
89	Kazakhstan	16 November 2007
90	Botswana	6 December 2007
91	Finland	26 September 2008
92	Ecuador	10 August 2009 [29]
93	Brunei	21 December 2009
94	Cambodia	28 April 2010
95	Egypt	7 July 2010
96	Philippines	16 July 2010
97	Georgia	7 April 2011
98	Montenegro	11 April 2011
99	Tajikistan	12 April 2011
100	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1 June 2011
101	Andorra	3 June 2011 [30]
102	Indonesia	23 September 2011 [31]
103	Moldova	18 November 2011
104	Mongolia	19 June 2013
105	Vietnam	8 November 2013
106	New Zealand	6 October 2014 [32]
107	Fiji	20 February 2015
108	Iran	1 October 2015
109	Paraguay	21 September 2016
110	Pakistan	23 September 2016
111	Lebanon	April 2017 [33]
112	Nepal	25 July 2017
113	Jordan	27 September 2017
–	Cook Islands	9 November 2017 [34]
114	Romania	5 April 2018 [35]
115	Liechtenstein	25 September 2018
116	Serbia	28 September 2018
117	San Marino	12 December 2018 [36]
118	Monaco	28 February 2019 [37]
—	Kosovo	24 July 2019 [38]
119	Rwanda	10 December 2019
120	Ethiopia	Before March 2020 [39]
121	Ghana	Before March 2020 [39]
122	Kyrgyzstan	3 June 2021 [40]
123	Uzbekistan	13 June 2022
124	Kenya	23 June 2022 [41]
125	Cape Verde	September 2022 [42]
126	Benin	21 December 2023
—	State of Palestine	14 June 2024
127	Seychelles	23 September 2024 [43]
128	Bahamas	Unknown
129	Dominica	Unknown
130	Grenada	Unknown
131	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Unknown
132	Trinidad and Tobago	Unknown

Bilateral relations

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	Main article: Antigua and Barbuda–China relations Both countries have established diplomatic relations. [48]
Cyprus	21 July 2004	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 July 2004. [49] Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations.
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	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 February 1982. [51] Both countries are full members of Caribbean Community and of Organization of American States.
India		Main article: Antigua and Barbuda–India relations 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	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 July 2004. [57] Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations.
Mexico	14 September 1984	Main article: Antigua and Barbuda–Mexico relations 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		Both countries have established diplomatic relations. [60] Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations.
South Africa	26 June 2004	Both countries have established diplomatic relations. [61] Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations.
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 Turkish Embassy in Santo Domingo is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda. [64] Trade volume between the two countries was 12.5 million USD in 2019. [65]
United Kingdom	1 November 1981	Main article: Antigua and Barbuda–United Kingdom relations Both countries have established diplomatic relations. Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations.
United States	1 November 1981	Main article: Antigua and Barbuda–United States relations 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	Main article: Antigua and Barbuda–Venezuela relations 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

• West Indies Associated States
• Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
• List of diplomatic missions in Antigua and Barbuda
• List of diplomatic missions of Antigua and Barbuda
• North American Union
• North American Free Trade Agreement
• Free Trade Area of the Americas
• Third Border Initiative
• Caribbean Community
• Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI)
• Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act
• Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

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• "U.S. Relations With Antigua and Barbuda". US Department of State. 7 February 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
• "Antigua & Barbuda Country Specific Information". US Department of State. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
•  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

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