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  Canada 1 November 1981
2  South Korea 1 November 1981
3  United Kingdom 1 November 1981
4  United States 1 November 1981
5  India 1981
6  Malaysia 1981
7  Brazil 2 February 1982
8  Guyana 3 February 1982
9  Colombia 18 March 1982
10  Germany 4 May 1982
11  France 6 May 1982
12  Netherlands 11 May 1982
13  Sweden 11 June 1982
14  Venezuela 11 June 1982
15  Iraq 14 September 1982
16  Japan 4 October 1982
17  China 1 January 1983
18  Belize 4 February 1983
19  Jamaica 8 February 1983
20  Portugal 20 March 1983
21  Syria 18 April 1983
22  Israel 22 June 1983
23  Barbados 19 September 1983
24  Saint Kitts and Nevis 19 September 1983
25   Switzerland 14 December 1983
26  Saint Lucia 1983
27  Costa Rica 16 January 1984
28  Mexico 14 September 1984
29  Argentina 7 December 1984
30  Austria 25 March 1985
32  Greece 10 June 1985
33  Peru 24 June 1985
34  Italy 20 August 1985
35  Bolivia 26 August 1985
36  Norway 14 October 1985
37  Denmark 27 October 1985
38  Belgium 30 October 1985
 Holy See 15 December 1986
39  Uruguay 27 April 1987
40  Spain 27 June 1988
41  Suriname 10 October 1989
42  Algeria 1 November 1989
43  Russia 5 January 1990
44  Chile 10 August 1990
45  North Korea 27 November 1990
46  Guatemala 3 February 1992
47  Nicaragua 20 February 1992
48  Ukraine 17 March 1993
49  El Salvador 18 March 1993
50  Latvia 19 March 1993
51  Estonia 4 June 1993
52  Slovenia 15 June 1993
53  Armenia 25 August 1993
54  Cuba 6 April 1994
55  North Macedonia 21 February 1995
56  Azerbaijan 5 April 1995
57  Panama 27 September 1996
58  Czech Republic 31 January 1997
59  Haiti 11 June 1997
60  Kuwait 9 July 1998
61  Croatia 15 June 1999
62  Slovakia 21 June 1999
63  Turkey June 1999
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
69  Iceland 11 March 2004
70  Cyprus 22 July 2004
71  Malta 23 July 2004
72  Lithuania 23 September 2004
73  Hungary 16 May 2005
74  Poland 13 September 2005
75  Thailand 7 July 2006
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
83  Libya 31 August 2007
84  Luxembourg 26 September 2007
85  Dominican Republic 5 October 2007
86  Kazakhstan 16 November 2007
87  Botswana 6 December 2007
88  Finland 26 September 2008
89  Ecuador 10 August 2009
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
99  Indonesia 23 September 2011
100  Moldova 18 November 2011
101  Mongolia 19 June 2013
102  Vietnam 8 November 2013
103  New Zealand 6 October 2014
104  Fiji 20 February 2015
105  Iran 1 October 2015
106  Paraguay 21 September 2016
107  Pakistan 23 September 2016
108  Lebanon April 2017
109    Nepal 25 July 2017
110  Jordan 27 September 2017
 Cook Islands 9 November 2017
111  Romania 5 April 2018
112  Liechtenstein 25 September 2018
113  Serbia 28 September 2018
114  San Marino 12 December 2018
115  Monaco 28 February 2019
 Kosovo 24 July 2019
116  Rwanda 10 December 2019
117  Ethiopia Before March 2020
118  Ghana Before March 2020
119  Kyrgyzstan 3 June 2021
120  Uzbekistan 13 June 2022
121  Kenya 23 June 2022
122  Cape Verde September 2022
123  Nigeria 10 August 2023
124  Benin 12 December 2023
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

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.

 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.

  • 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.
 China 1 January 1983

Both countries have established diplomatic relations.

 Cyprus 21 July 2004
  • Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 July 2004.
  • 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.

 Guyana 3 February 1982
 India

Both countries have established diplomatic relations and have an Extradition Arrangement.

 Ireland 19 May 2000

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

 Israel 22 June 1983

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

 Malta 23 July 2004
  • Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 July 2004.
  • Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations.
 Mexico 14 September 1984
  • Antigua and Barbuda has a non-resident ambassador accredited to Mexico from its capital in St. John's.
  • Mexico is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda from its embassy in Castries, Saint Lucia and maintains an honorary consulate in St. John's.
 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.

 Spain 27 June 1988

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 June 1988.

 Turkey Feb. 3, 1982 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". 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.

See also


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