Foreign relations of Samoa

The Samoan Government is generally conservative and pro-Western, with a strong interest in regional political and economic issues. Samoa participated in a first round of negotiations with its Pacific Island neighbors for a regional trade agreement in August 2000. In January 2009, Samoa opened embassies in the Republic of Korea, China and Japan. ^[1]

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Samoa maintains diplomatic relations with:

#	Country	Date [2]
1	New Zealand	1 January 1962
2	India	June 1970
3	United Kingdom	September 1970
4	Australia	31 March 1971
5	Canada	11 June 1971
6	United States	14 July 1971 [3]
7	France	16 July 1971 [4]
8	Germany	18 May 1972
9	Israel	30 May 1972
10	South Korea	15 September 1972
11	Japan	27 March 1973
12	Belgium	May 1973
13	Fiji	10 November 1974
14	China	6 November 1975
15	Netherlands	13 April 1976
16	Russia	2 July 1976
17	Philippines	1 June 1977 [5]
18	Sweden	1977
19	Solomon Islands	17 July 1978 [6]
20	Chile	24 August 1978
21	Egypt	8 September 1978
22	Thailand	15 November 1978 [7]
23	Turkey	12 April 1979
24	Papua New Guinea	27 August 1979
25	Nauru	1979 [8]
26	Indonesia	17 March 1980
27	Vanuatu	30 July 1980
28	Spain	5 November 1980
29	Greece	3 April 1981
30	Switzerland	1 August 1981
31	Malaysia	August 1982
32	Pakistan	7 March 1983
33	Bangladesh	21 December 1983
34	Peru	23 January 1984
35	Italy	25 May 1987
36	Colombia	1 December 1987
37	Tuvalu	1988 [9]
38	Federated States of Micronesia	19 April 1990
39	Singapore	3 September 1990
40	Marshall Islands	22 October 1990
41	Austria	18 December 1992
42	Argentina	18 May 1993
43	Maldives	2 August 1993
44	Croatia	8 March 1994
45	Vietnam	9 March 1994 [10]
—	Holy See	10 June 1994
46	Kyrgyzstan	14 February 1995 [11]
47	South Africa	22 March 1995
48	Portugal	9 June 1995
49	Czech Republic	12 December 1995
50	Slovenia	25 November 1997
51	Finland	11 August 1999
52	Norway	1999
53	Slovakia	16 March 2000
54	Cyprus	24 May 2000 [12]
55	Ireland	26 June 2000
56	Seychelles	29 August 2000
57	Malta	22 July 2004
58	Timor-Leste	27 July 2004
59	Iceland	15 October 2004
60	Brazil	1 February 2005
61	North Macedonia	18 August 2005
62	Brunei	8 February 2006
63	Romania	2 March 2006
64	Guatemala	20 September 2007
65	Cuba	11 October 2007
66	Albania	1 August 2008
67	Mexico	21 October 2008
68	Estonia	23 January 2009
69	Lithuania	19 February 2009
70	Bosnia and Herzegovina	13 March 2009
71	Luxembourg	2 June 2009
72	Georgia	12 March 2010
73	Botswana	18 March 2010
74	Monaco	4 May 2010
75	United Arab Emirates	11 May 2010
76	Cambodia	18 May 2010
77	Montenegro	28 January 2011
78	Morocco	28 January 2011
79	Paraguay	28 January 2011
80	Qatar	9 March 2011
81	Hungary	7 September 2011
82	Ecuador	20 December 2011
83	Mongolia	21 December 2011
84	Poland	8 March 2012 [12]
85	Moldova	14 June 2012
86	Latvia	28 June 2012
87	Suriname	16 November 2012
88	Kazakhstan	7 February 2013
89	Uruguay	21 March 2013 [12]
90	Nepal	28 March 2013
—	Cook Islands	30 August 2013 [13]
91	Ukraine	23 September 2013 [12]
92	Sri Lanka	15 August 2014 [12]
—	Kosovo	9 March 2017 [14]
93	Tajikistan	22 December 2017 [12]
94	Azerbaijan	19 January 2018 [12]
95	El Salvador	13 April 2018 [15]
96	San Marino	28 February 2019 [16]
97	Ghana	20 December 2019 [12]
98	Dominican Republic	23 September 2021 [17]
99	Jamaica	26 April 2022 [18]
100	Bahrain	27 April 2023 [12]
101	Bulgaria	8 May 2023 [12]
102	Cape Verde	9 May 2023 [12]
103	Saint Lucia	14 December 2023 [19]
104	Saudi Arabia	23 May 2024 [12]
105	Bahamas	22 October 2024 [12]
106	Rwanda	23 October 2024 [12]
107	Belize	25 February 2025 [12]
108	Uganda	7 March 2025 [12]
109	Kiribati	Established, date unknown [20]
110	Tonga	Established, date unknown [21]

Bilateral relations

Country	Notes
Argentina	Argentina is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand. Samoa has an honorary consulate in Buenos Aires. [22]
Australia	Australia has a High Commission in Apia. [23] Samoa has a High Commission in Canberra and a consulate-general in Sydney. [24]
Canada	Canada is accredited to Samoa from its high commission in Wellington, New Zealand. [25] Samoa is accredited to Canada from its mission in New York City. [26]
China	See China–Samoa relations The Independent State of Samoa and the People's Republic of China (PRC) established official diplomatic relations in 1976. The two countries currently maintain cordial relations; China provides economic aid to Samoa. China has an embassy in Apia. Samoa has an embassy in Beijing and has an honorary consulate in Hong Kong. [22]
Cuba	Samoa participated in the first Cuba-Pacific Islands ministerial meeting in Havana in September 2008, aimed at "strengthening cooperation" between Cuba and Samoa, notably in coping with the impact of climate change. [27] [28] Cuba is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Suva, Fiji. Samoa does not have an accreditation to Cuba.
Fiji	Fiji is accredited to Samoa from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs based in Suva. Samoa has a high commission in Suva.
France	The Samoan Government was an outspoken critic of the French decision to resume nuclear weapons testing in the South Pacific Ocean in 1995. An indefinite ban was placed on visits to Samoa by French warships and aircraft. Large-scale street demonstrations were held in Apia. The French tests concluded in early 1996. France has an embassy in Apia. Samoa is accredited to France from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium.
Germany	Main article: Germany–Samoa relations Germany is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand and maintains an honorary consulate in Apia. Samoa is accredited to Germany from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium and maintains an honorary consulate in Berlin. [22]
India	See India–Samoa relations India is accredited to Samoa from its high commission in Wellington, New Zealand. Samoa does not have an accreditation to India.
Japan	Diplomatic relations between Japan and Samoa were established in 1973. Ministerial level visits are frequent between the two countries. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko made a state visit to Samoa in 2003 when the Emperor was still Crown Prince. [29] Japan opened an embassy in Apia on 1 January 2013. [30] Japan has an embassy in Apia. Samoa has an embassy in Tokyo.
Kosovo	In September 2008, Samoa became the 46th country to officially recognise the independence of Kosovo. [31]
Mexico	Mexico is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand and maintains an honorary consulate in Apia. [32] [33] Samoa does not have an accreditation to Mexico.
New Zealand	See New Zealand–Samoa relations At independence in 1962, Samoa signed a Treaty of Friendship with New Zealand. This treaty confirms the special relationship between the two countries and provides a framework for their interaction. Under the terms of the treaty, Samoa can request that New Zealand act as a channel of communication to governments and international organizations outside the immediate area of the Pacific islands. Samoa can also request defense assistance which New Zealand is required to consider, as Samoa does not maintain a formal military. Overall, Samoa has strong links with New Zealand, where many Samoans now live and many others were educated. New Zealand is the closest stopping ground for travel to Samoa. New Zealand has a high commission in Apia. [34] Samoa has a high commission in Wellington and a consulate-general in Auckland. [35]
South Korea	The Independent State of Samoa and the Republic of Korea have established diplomatic relations on 15 September 1972. Samoa and South Korea have good diplomatic relations. [36]
Tonga	See Samoa–Tonga relations Both nations are Pacific Islands countries and members of the Commonwealth of Nations and Pacific Islands Forum. Samoa is accredited to Tonga from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Apia. Tonga is accredited to Samoa from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nukuʻalofa.
Turkey	See Samoa–Turkey relations Turkish ambassador in Wellington to New Zealand is also accredited to Samoa. [37] Trade volume between the two countries was negligible in 2019.
United Kingdom	Samoa is accredited to the United Kingdom from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium. United Kingdom has a high commission in Apia.
United States	See Samoa–United States relations The two countries share cordial relations. Since 1967, the United States has supported a substantial Peace Corps program in Samoa. Over 1,700 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Samoa over that time, with 51 Volunteers currently in-country. Peace Corps programs emphasize village-based development and capacity building. Other forms of U.S. assistance to Samoa are limited. The U.S. Embassy, staffed by a single officer, is the smallest embassy in Samoa and one of the few one-officer U.S. embassies in the world. Samoa is accredited to the United States from its mission in New York City [26] and has a consulate-general in Pago Pago, American Samoa. [38] United States has an embassy in Apia. [39]

Samoa and the Commonwealth of Nations

Western Samoa joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. ^[40]

Regional integration

Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has pushed through a variety of legislation to increase links between Samoa and the Pacific regional powers of Australia and New Zealand. Under his leadership the country switched to driving on the left, decided to shift westwards across the International Date Line and adopted daylight saving time, and proposed the introduction of a common Pacific currency. ^[41]

In late 2011, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi initiated a meeting of Polynesian leaders which led, in November, to the formal launching of the Polynesian Leaders Group, a regional grouping intended to cooperate on a variety of issues including culture and language, education, responses to climate change, and trade and investment. The Group was in part a response to the Melanesian Spearhead Group. ^{[42] [43] [44]}

See also

• List of diplomatic missions in Samoa
• List of diplomatic missions of Samoa
• Samoan passport
• Visa policy of Samoa
• Visa requirements for Samoan citizens
• Kaimiloa, a ship of the Kingdom of Hawaii that attempted to establish relations between Hawaii and Samoa.

References

1. "Samoa adds two diplomatic missions in Asia". Radio New Zealand International . 13 January 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
2. "Countries with Established Diplomatic Relations with Samoa". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Samoa. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
3. "All Countries". Office of the Historian. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
4. "Liste Chronologique des Ambassadeurs, Envoyés Extraordinaires, Ministres Plénipotentiaires et Chargés D'Affaires de France à L'Étranger Depuis 1945" (PDF). Diplomatie.gouv.fr (in French). p. 95. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
5. "The Republic of the Philippines and Samoa celebrate 44 years of formal diplomatic relations today, June 1!". 1 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
6. Report for the Year ... Solomon Islands. 1981. p. 21. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
7. News Bulletin - Information Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thailand. Krasūang Kān-Tāng Prathēt. 1978. The Office of the Prime Minister issued an announcement on November 15 stating that the Government of Thailand and the Independent State of Western Samoa have agreed to establish formal diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level as from November 15, 1978
8. The Europa year book : a world survey. 1979. Vol. 2. Europa Publications Limited. 1979. p. 1770.
9. 条約集: 二国間条約. 外務省条約局. 1988. Sopoaga Taafaki Tuvalu's Ambassador to the Republic of Fiji and High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and Western Samoa...
10. "Independent State of West Samoa". vietnam.gov.vn. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
11. "Список стран, установивших дипломатические отношения..." (in Russian). Retrieved 17 April 2019. Западное Самоа (14 февраля 1995 года); Республика Сан-Марино (20 сентября 2004 года); Королевство Саудовская Аравия (19 октября 1992 года)
12. "Diplomatic relations between Samoa and ..." United Nations Digital Library. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
13. "Foreign Affairs & Trade Bulletin" (PDF). p. 2. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
14. "Kosova dhe Samoa lidhin marrëdhënie diplomatike". klankosova.tv (in Albanian). 10 March 2017. Archived from the original on 10 March 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
15. Garcia, Luis Eliezer (17 April 2018). "El Salvador establece relaciones diplomáticas con el Estado Independiente de Samoa". rree.gob.sv (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
16. "Accordo tra la Repubblica di San Marino e lo Stato Indipendente di Samoa sullo stabilimento delle relazioni diplomatiche, firmato a New York il 28 febbraio 2019 – Consiglio Grande e Generale". consigliograndeegenerale.sm (in Italian). Retrieved 13 July 2019.
17. "ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC" (in Spanish). 24 September 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
18. "JAMAICA AND THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS". 29 April 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
19. "Saint Lucia and the Independent State of Samoa establish diplomatic relations, with the joint communiqué signed by the PRs H.E Menissa Rambally and H.E Fatumanava Paolelei Luteru of and current AOSISChair". 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
20. Ueantabo Fakaofo Neemia (1995). Smallness, islandness and foreign policy behaviour: aspects of island microstates foreign policy behaviour with special reference to Cook Islands and Kiribati (Thesis). University of Wollongong. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
21. "His Majesty's Government reaches out to neighbouring Samoas". 7 October 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
22. Honorary consulates of Samoa
23. High Commission of Australia in Samoa
24. Consulate-General of Samoa in Sydney
25. High Commission of Canada in New Zealand
26. Samoan Permanent Mission to the United Nations
27. "Cuban Foreign Minister Opens Cuba-Pacific Islands Meeting", Cuban News Agency, 16 September 2008
28. "Pacific and Cuba meet to discuss co-operation". Radio New Zealand International . 17 September 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
29. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan
30. Embassy of Japan in New Zealand web site
31. "Samoa recognises Kosovo independence: Pristina", Agence France-Presse, 16 September 2008
32. Embassy of Mexico in New Zealand (in English and Spanish)
33. Overseas Honorary Consuls in Samoa
34. "New Zealand High Commission in Samoa". Archived from the original on 7 March 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
35. Samoan High Commission in New Zealand
36. "Search | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea".
37. "Relations between Turkey and Samoa". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
38. Samoan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
39. US Embassy in Samoa
40. "Samoa". 15 August 2013.
41. McLean, Tamara (29 June 2011). "Samoa's dateline jump passes into law". Herald Sun. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
42. Andrews, John (19 September 2011). "NZ may be invited to join proposed 'Polynesian Triangle' ginger group". Scoop News. Pacific Scoop News. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
43. "New Polynesian Leaders Group formed in Samoa". Radio New Zealand. 19 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
44. "American Samoa joins Polynesian Leaders Group, MOU signed". Samoa News. Savalii. 20 November 2011. Retrieved 24 November 2020.