The Principality of Monaco is a sovereign and independent state, linked closely to France by the Treaty of July 1918, which was formally noted in Article 436 of the Treaty of Versailles of 1919. The foreign policy of Monaco is one illustration of this accord: France has agreed to defend the independence and sovereignty of Monaco, while the Monegasque Government has agreed to exercise its sovereign rights in conformity with French interests, whilst at the same time maintaining complete independence. Since then, the relations between the sovereign states of France and Monaco have been further defined in the Treaty of 1945 and the Agreement of 1963.
Although not a member of the European Union (EU), Monaco is closely associated with the economic apparatus of the EU through its customs union with France and its reliance upon the euro as its official currency.
Monaco actively participates in the United Nations, which it joined in 1993. Monaco joined the Council of Europe on October 4, 2004. Monaco also is a member of many international and intergovernmental organizations, including Interpol, the UNESCO, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is headquartered in Monaco.
The foreign relations are managed by the Department of External Relations.
List of countries which Monaco maintains diplomatic relations with:
# | Country | Date [1] |
---|---|---|
1 | France | 29 April 1873 |
2 | Italy | 25 April 1875 |
– | Holy See | 21 June 1875 |
3 | Spain | 2 June 1876 |
4 | Austria | 1 July 1891 |
5 | Belgium | 2 October 1931 |
6 | Luxembourg | 18 December 1947 |
7 | Germany | 16 October 1951 |
8 | Switzerland | 27 May 1959 |
9 | Netherlands | 29 August 1966 |
10 | China | 16 January 1995 |
11 | Liechtenstein | 16 February 1996 |
12 | El Salvador | 14 December 2000 [2] |
13 | Colombia | 15 December 2000 |
14 | Maldives | 19 March 2001 |
15 | Ecuador | 5 April 2001 |
16 | Uruguay | 10 April 2001 |
17 | Thailand | 26 June 2006 |
18 | Andorra | 7 July 2006 |
19 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 27 July 2006 |
20 | Slovenia | 28 November 2006 |
21 | Israel | 30 November 2006 |
22 | United States | 7 December 2006 |
23 | Ireland | 14 December 2006 |
24 | Japan | 14 December 2006 |
25 | Philippines | 15 December 2006 |
26 | Qatar | 26 December 2006 |
27 | Algeria | 31 January 2007 |
28 | San Marino | 26 March 2007 |
29 | Argentina | 29 March 2007 |
30 | Finland | 29 March 2007 |
31 | Australia | 3 May 2007 |
32 | Malaysia | 22 May 2007 [3] |
33 | Egypt | 31 May 2007 |
34 | Russia | 31 May 2007 |
35 | South Korea | 14 June 2007 |
36 | Malta | 11 July 2007 |
37 | Serbia | 12 July 2007 |
38 | Ukraine | 26 July 2007 |
39 | Montenegro | 7 September 2007 |
40 | India | 21 September 2007 |
41 | United Kingdom | 21 September 2007 |
42 | Poland | 27 September 2007 |
– | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 18 October 2007 |
43 | Guatemala | 2 November 2007 [4] |
44 | Vietnam | 29 November 2007 |
45 | Croatia | 6 December 2007 |
46 | Slovakia | 13 December 2007 |
47 | Cuba | 19 December 2007 |
48 | Azerbaijan | 19 December 2007 |
49 | Chile | 23 January 2008 |
50 | Mongolia | 6 February 2008 |
51 | Estonia | 7 February 2008 |
52 | Georgia | 7 February 2008 |
53 | Dominican Republic | 12 February 2008 |
54 | Morocco | 12 February 2008 |
55 | Bulgaria | 14 February 2008 |
56 | Canada | 13 March 2008 |
57 | Romania | 19 March 2008 |
58 | Mexico | 21 March 2008 |
59 | Jamaica | 4 April 2008 [5] |
60 | Seychelles | 15 April 2008 |
61 | Greece | 15 May 2008 |
62 | Czech Republic | 4 July 2008 |
63 | Lesotho | 15 July 2008 [6] |
64 | Turkey | 16 September 2008 [7] |
65 | Armenia | 15 October 2008 [8] |
66 | Latvia | 15 October 2008 [9] |
67 | Portugal | 13 November 2008 |
68 | Kazakhstan | 15 January 2009 [10] |
69 | Sweden | 30 January 2009 [11] |
70 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 12 February 2009 [2] |
71 | Pakistan | 24 February 2009 [12] |
72 | Dominica | 27 February 2009 [13] |
73 | Venezuela | 27 May 2009 [14] |
74 | Equatorial Guinea | 16 June 2009 [15] |
75 | Senegal | 23 June 2009 [16] |
76 | United Arab Emirates | 9 October 2009 [2] |
77 | East Timor | 19 February 2010 [17] |
78 | Brazil | 14 April 2010 [2] |
79 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 21 April 2010 [2] |
80 | Samoa | 4 May 2010 [2] |
81 | Afghanistan | 13 October 2010 [18] |
82 | Peru | 13 October 2010 [19] |
83 | Norway | 16 November 2010 [20] |
84 | Indonesia | 17 December 2010 [21] |
85 | South Africa | 19 January 2011 [22] |
86 | Cyprus | 23 February 2011 [22] |
87 | Botswana | 24 February 2011 [2] |
88 | Honduras | 25 February 2011 [23] |
89 | Panama | 2 March 2011 [22] |
90 | Gabon | 28 March 2011 [22] |
91 | Lithuania | 11 April 2011 [22] |
92 | Saint Lucia | 12 May 2011 [2] |
93 | Denmark | 16 June 2011 [22] |
94 | Brunei | 22 June 2011 [24] |
95 | Moldova | 8 September 2011 [22] |
96 | Mauritania | 9 September 2011 [22] |
97 | Palau | 26 October 2011 [2] |
98 | Albania | 24 November 2011 [22] |
99 | Djibouti | 1 December 2011 [22] |
100 | Mali | 26 January 2012 [25] |
101 | Solomon Islands | 6 March 2012 [2] |
102 | Nepal | 26 March 2012 [25] |
103 | Iran | 10 May 2012 [25] |
104 | Tuvalu | 29 May 2012 [2] |
105 | Paraguay | 14 June 2012 [25] |
106 | Nigeria | 6 July 2012 [25] |
107 | Malawi | 31 July 2012 [25] |
– | Kosovo | 24 August 2012 [25] |
108 | Oman | 20 February 2013 [2] |
109 | Bahrain | 23 September 2013 [2] |
110 | Fiji | 13 November 2013 [2] |
111 | Uzbekistan | 29 November 2013 [26] |
112 | Republic of the Congo | 27 February 2014 [27] |
113 | Rwanda | 10 April 2014 [28] |
114 | Sudan | 10 April 2014 [29] |
115 | Iceland | 5 May 2014 [27] |
116 | Kiribati | 20 June 2014 [2] |
117 | Angola | 31 July 2014 [27] |
118 | Burkina Faso | 19 September 2014 [30] |
119 | Burundi | 31 October 2014 [27] |
120 | Turkmenistan | 27 August 2015 [31] |
121 | Marshall Islands | 29 September 2015 [2] |
122 | Costa Rica | 22 October 2015 [32] |
123 | New Zealand | 22 October 2015 [33] |
124 | Laos | 27 November 2015 [34] |
125 | Togo | 9 February 2016 [35] |
126 | Ivory Coast | 11 February 2016 [36] |
127 | Belarus | 15 April 2016 [37] |
128 | Hungary | 2 May 2016 [38] |
129 | Sri Lanka | 26 July 2016 [2] |
130 | Tajikistan | 13 January 2017 [39] |
131 | Kyrgyzstan | 9 March 2017 [40] |
132 | Cabo Verde | 10 August 2017 [2] |
133 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 5 July 2018 [41] |
134 | Kuwait | 19 July 2018 [42] |
135 | Vanuatu | 10 September 2018 [2] |
136 | Tunisia | 19 September 2018 [43] |
137 | Barbados | 5 December 2018 [2] |
138 | Lebanon | 22 January 2019 [44] |
139 | Antigua and Barbuda | 28 February 2019 [45] |
140 | Benin | 8 March 2019 [44] |
141 | Cambodia | 11 July 2019 [46] |
142 | Nicaragua | 4 September 2019 [2] |
143 | Namibia | 12 September 2019 [2] |
144 | Ghana | 29 September 2019 [2] |
145 | North Macedonia | 29 September 2019 [2] |
146 | Niger | 9 October 2019 [44] |
147 | Grenada | 13 October 2020 [47] |
148 | Ethiopia | 20 October 2020 [48] |
149 | Madagascar | 11 December 2020 [49] |
150 | Jordan | 29 April 2021 [50] |
151 | Guinea-Bissau | 17 May 2022 [51] |
152 | Mozambique | 20 October 2022 [52] |
153 | Saudi Arabia | 2 March 2023 [2] |
154 | Bangladesh | 13 June 2023 [53] |
155 | Bahamas | 17 April 2024 [2] |
156 | Nauru | 21 May 2024 [2] |
157 | Bolivia | 26 July 2024 [2] |
Country | Formal relations began on | Notes |
---|---|---|
Canada | 13 March 2008 | |
Chile | 23 January 2008 |
|
Colombia | 15 December 2000 | |
Mexico | 21 March 2008 |
|
United States | 7 December 2006 | See Monaco–United States relations
|
Country | Formal relations began in | Notes |
---|---|---|
India | 21 September 2007 |
|
Indonesia | 17 December 2010 |
|
Israel | 30 November 2006 |
|
Pakistan | 24 January 2009 | |
South Korea | 14 June 2007 | Diplomatic relations between South Korea and Monaco were established in June 2007. [69] |
Turkey | 16 September 2008 |
|
Country | Formal relations began on | Notes |
---|---|---|
European Union | Monaco participates in a number of European Union policies through its interaction with France. Monaco is in the EU's customs and VAT area, is a de facto member of the Schengen Area due to its open border with France and uses the euro as its sole currency. | |
France | 29 April 1873 | Formal relations were established in 1918. France has agreed to defend the independence and sovereignty of Monaco, while the Monegasque Government has agreed to exercise its sovereign rights in conformity with French interests. Since then, the relations between the sovereign states of France and Monaco have been further defined in the Treaty of 1945 and the Agreement of 1963. In 2002, Monaco renegotiated its 1918 treaty with France. In 2005, it was ratified by both parties and entered into force. The terms of the treaty upgrade France's representation in Monaco from Consulate General to that of an embassy; permit, for the first time, other countries to accredit ambassadors to Monaco; and formally recognize the succession scheme set out in the 1962 Constitution, which extends eligibility to the Prince's daughters and other family members.
|
Holy See | 21 June 1875 | It is part of Monaco's generally accepted cultural and political history that Monaco and the Holy See have maintained a diplomatic friendship bound by the Catholic faith since the founding of the Principality. Article 9 of the Monegasque Constitution, dated 17 December 1962, and modified in 2002, establishes the Catholic religion as the official religion of the sovereign state, which is a Catholic constitutional monarchy ruled by the Catholic Grimaldi dynasty. According to the Annuario Pontificio, the official yearbook of the Holy See, Monaco has maintained a diplomatic representative to the Holy See with the rank of minister plenipotentiary since 1915. In 1982, following the July 1981 signing of a new convention between Monaco and the Holy See reaffirming the close Catholic friendship and diplomatic relations which exists between the Catholic Principality and the Holy See, the rank of Monaco's diplomatic legation was elevated from that of a ministerial rank diplomatic legation to that of an embassy, with Cesar Charles Solamito, being elevated from the rank of minister plenipotentiary to ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary in June 1982. Ambassador Solamito served as Monaco's first ambassador to the Holy See until 1997. In 1999, the position of ambassador of Monaco to the Holy See was assumed by Monegasque ambassador Jean Claude Michel. With respect to the Holy See, the Holy See has only maintained a diplomatic legation in Monaco since 2006. The appointment of a papal diplomatic representative to the Principality was subsequent to the revision of Monaco's treaty with France which was revised in 2002 and ratified in 2005. This revised treaty granted the Principality the sovereign prerogative of establishing formal diplomatic relations with other sovereign states at the highest diplomatic level, that of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary—for the Holy See this means at the nunzorial level, i.e., that of an apostolic nunciature headed by an apostolic nuncio (apostolic nuncios normally hold the ecclesiastical rank of archbishop). The first, apostolic nuncio to represent the Holy See to Monaco, with residence and coterminous accreditation to the EU in Brussels, is Archbishop Andre Dupuy. Archbishop Dupuy presented his credentials to HSH Prince Albert II on 26 September 2006. [73]
|
Italy | 25 April 1875 | See Italy–Monaco relations
|
Kosovo | 19 March 2008 | |
Norway | 16 November 2010 | |
Russia | 31 May 2007 |
|
Serbia | 12 July 2007 |
|
Spain | 2 June 1876 |
|
Ukraine | 26 July 2007 |
|
United Kingdom | 21 September 2007 | See Foreign relations of the United Kingdom Monaco established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 21 September 2007.
Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, and the OSCE. |
Burkina Faso has good relations with the European Union, African and certain Asian countries.
Burundi's relations with its neighbours have often been affected by security concerns. During the Burundian Civil War, hundreds of thousands of Burundian refugees have at various times crossed to neighboring Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some Burundian rebel groups have used neighboring countries as bases for insurgent activities. The 1993 embargo placed on Burundi by regional states hurt diplomatic relations with its neighbors; relations have improved since the 1999 suspension of these sanctions.
Cameroon's noncontentious, low-profile approach to foreign relations puts it squarely in the middle of other African and developing country states on major issues. It supports the principles of non-interference in the affairs of third world countries and increased assistance to underdeveloped countries. Cameroon is an active participant in the United Nations, where its voting record demonstrates its commitment to causes that include international peacekeeping, the rule of law, environmental protection, and Third World economic development. In the UN and other human rights fora, Cameroon's non-confrontational approach has generally led it to avoid criticizing other countries.
President François Bozizé has said that one of his priorities is to get the support of the international community. This has indeed been visible in his relations to donor countries and international organisations. At the same time it is difficult to have an open policy towards neighbouring countries when they are used as safe haven by rebels regularly attacking Central African Republic (C.A.R.), or when one allied country is in war with another.
In November 1975, Comoros became the 143rd member of the United Nations. The new nation was defined as consisting of the entire archipelago, despite the fact that France maintains control over Mayotte.
The government's official policy is one of nonalignment. In its search for assistance to meet the goal of national reconstruction, the government of Equatorial Guinea has established diplomatic relations with numerous European and Third World countries. Having achieved independence under UN sponsorship, Equatorial Guinea feels a special kinship with that organization. It became the 126th UN member on November 12, 1968. Equatorial Guinea served as a non-permanent member on the United Nations Security Council from 2017 to 2019.
Gabon has followed a non-aligned policy, advocating dialogue in international affairs and recognizing both parts of divided countries. Since 1973, the number of countries establishing diplomatic relations with Gabon has doubled. In inter-African affairs, Gabon espouses development by evolution rather than revolution and favors regulated free enterprise as the system most likely to promote rapid economic growth. Concerned about stability in Central Africa and the potential for intervention, Gabon has been directly involved with mediation efforts in Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Angola, and former Zaire. In December 1999, through the mediation efforts of President Bongo, a peace accord was signed in the Republic of Congo between the government and most leaders of an armed rebellion. President Bongo has remained involved in the continuing Congolese peace process. Gabon has been a strong proponent of regional stability, and Gabonese armed forces played an important role in the UN Peacekeeping Mission to the Central African Republic (MINURCA).
Lesotho's geographic location makes it extremely vulnerable to political and economic developments in South Africa. Its capital is the small city of Maseru. It is a member of many regional economic organizations including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Lesotho also is active in the United Nations, the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, and many other international organizations. In addition to the Republic of Korea, the United States, South Africa, Ireland, People's Republic of China, Libya, and the European Union all currently retain resident diplomatic missions in Lesotho. Foreign relations of Lesotho are administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations.
Madagascar has diplomatic relations with many countries, both individual bilateral relations and by virtue of its membership of African and other regional blocs. International aid has been received from the IMF and the World Bank, and a national environmental plan supported by the World Bank and USAID began in 1990.
Following independence in 1960, Mali initially followed a socialist path and was aligned ideologically with the communist bloc. Mali's foreign policy orientation became increasingly pragmatic and pro-Western over time. Since the institution of a democratic form of government in 1992, Mali's relations with the West in general and the United States in particular have improved significantly. U.S.-Malian relations are described by the U.S. Department of State as "excellent and expanding," especially given Mali's recent record of democratic stability in the volatile area of West Africa and its avowed support of the war on terrorism. Mali is reported to be one of the largest recipients of U.S. aid in Africa.
Niger pursues a moderate foreign policy and maintains friendly relations with both East and West. It is a member state of the United Nations. Niger maintains a special relationship with France and enjoys close relations with its West African neighbours.
For the two decades preceding the Republic of the Congo's 1991 National Conference, the country was firmly in the socialist camp, allied principally with the Soviet Union and other Eastern bloc nations. Educational, economic, and foreign aid links between Congo and its Eastern bloc allies were extensive, with the Congolese military and security forces receiving significant Soviet, East German, and Cuban assistance.
Although Togo's foreign policy is nonaligned, it has strong historical and cultural ties with western Europe, especially France and Germany. Togo is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, exchanging high commissioners with other Commonwealth countries. It recognizes the People's Republic of China, North Korea, and Cuba, and re-established relations with Israel in 1987.
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau follows a nonaligned foreign policy and seeks friendly and cooperative relations with a wide variety of states and organizations. France, Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Egypt, Nigeria, Libya, Cuba, the Palestine Liberation Organization, Ghana, and Russia have diplomatic offices in Bissau.
The foreign relations of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania have, since 1960, been dominated by the issues of the Spanish Sahara and the recognition of its independence by its neighbours, particularly Morocco. Mauritania's foreign relations are handled by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, who is currently Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug.
Michel Lévêque is a French diplomat and politician. From 1997 to 2000 he was minister of state for Monaco. He was the French ambassador to Libya (1985–1989), Morocco (1991–1993), Brazil (1993–1994) and Algeria (1995–1997).
Foreign relations of Djibouti are managed by the Djiboutian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Djibouti maintains close ties with the governments of Somalia, Ethiopia, France and the United States. It is likewise an active participant in African Union, United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Arab League affairs.
Maïmouna Sourang Ndir is a Senegalese politician who served in various government ministry positions as well as being Senegal's ambassador to France from 2009 to 2012.