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 China and Japan.[1]

Diplomatic relations

Countries having diplomatic relations with Samoa:[2]

Countries having diplomatic relations with Samoa

#	Diplomatic relations of Samoa	Date
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	1971
7	Germany	18 May 1972
8	Israel	30 May 1972
9	South Korea	15 September 1972
10	Japan	27 March 1973
11	Belgium	May 1973
12	France	September 1974
13	Fiji	10 November 1974
14	China	6 November 1975
15	Thailand	15 November 1975
16	Netherlands	13 April 1976
17	Russia	2 July 1976
18	Sweden	1977
19	Solomon Islands	17 July 1978[3]
20	Chile	24 August 1978
21	Egypt	8 September 1978
22	Turkey	12 April 1979
23	Papua New Guinea	27 August 1979
24	Indonesia	17 March 1980
25	Vanuatu	30 June 1980
26	Spain	5 November 1980
27	Greece	3 April 1981
28	Philippines	1981
29	Switzerland	1 August 1981
30	Malaysia	August 1982
31	Pakistan	7 March 1983
32	Bangladesh	21 December 1983
33	Sri Lanka	1 January 1984
34	Peru	23 January 1984
35	Italy	25 May 1987
36	Colombia	1 December 1987
37	Federated States of Micronesia	19 April 1990
38	Singapore	3 September 1990
39	Marshall Islands	22 October 1990
40	Austria	18 December 1992
41	Argentina	18 May 1993
42	Maldives	2 August 1993
43	Croatia	8 March 1994
44	Vietnam	29 March 1994
–	Holy See	10 June 1994
45	Kyrgyzstan	14 February 1995[4]
46	South Africa	22 March 1995
47	Portugal	9 June 1995
48	Czech Republic	12 December 1995
49	Slovenia	25 November 1996
50	Finland	11 August 1999
51	Norway	1999
52	Slovakia	16 March 2000
53	Cyprus	24 March 2000
54	Republic of Ireland	26 June 2000
55	Seychelles	29 August 2000
56	Malta	22 July 2004
57	Timor-Leste	27 July 2004
58	Iceland	15 October 2004
59	Brazil	1 February 2005
60	North Macedonia	18 August 2005
61	Brunei	8 February 2006
62	Romania	2 March 2006
63	Guatemala	20 September 2007
64	Cuba	11 October 2007
65	Albania	1 August 2008
66	Mexico	21 October 2008
67	Estonia	23 January 2009
68	Lithuania	19 February 2009
69	Bosnia and Herzegovina	13 March 2009
70	Luxembourg	2 June 2009
71	Georgia	12 March 2010
72	Botswana	18 March 2010
73	Monaco	4 May 2010
74	United Arab Emirates	11 May 2010
75	Cambodia	18 May 2010
76	Montenegro	28 January 2011
77	Morocco	28 January 2011
78	Paraguay	28 January 2011
79	Qatar	9 March 2011
80	Hungary	7 September 2011
81	Ecuador	20 December 2011
82	Mongolia	21 December 2011
83	Ukraine	7 May 2012
84	Moldova	14 June 2012
85	Latvia	28 June 2012
86	Suriname	16 November 2012[5]
87	Kazakhstan	7 February 2013
–	Cook Islands	2013[6]
88	Poland	8 March 2013[7]
89	Nepal	28 March 2013
90	Uruguay	21 May 2013[8]
–	Kosovo	10 March 2017[9]
91	Tajikistan	22 December 2017[10]
92	Azerbaijan	19 January 2018[11]
93	El Salvador	17 April 2018[12]
94	San Marino	28 February 2019[13]
95	Ghana	20 December 2019[14]
96	Kiribati	Established, date unknown[15]
97	Nauru	Established, date unknown[16]
98	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Established, date unknown[17]
99	Tonga	Established, date unknown[18]
100	Tuvalu	Established, date unknown[19]

Bilateral relations

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Argentina	18 May 1993	Argentina is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand. Samoa has an honorary consulate in Buenos Aires.[20]
Australia	31 March 1971	Australia has a High Commission in Apia.[21] Samoa has a High Commission in Canberra and a consulate-general in Sydney.[22]
Belgium	May 1973	Belgium is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Canberra, Australia. Samoa has an embassy in Brussels.
Brazil	1 February 2005	Brazil is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand. Samoa does not have an accreditation to Brazil.
Canada	11 June 1971	Canada is accredited to Samoa from its high commission in Wellington, New Zealand.[23] Samoa is accredited to Canada from its mission in New York City.[24]
Chile	28 August 1978	Chile is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand and maintains an honorary consulate in Apia. Samoa does not have an accreditation to Chile.
China	6 November 1975	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.[20]
Cuba	11 October 2007	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.[25][26] Cuba is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in [[Suva, Fiji. Samoa does not have an accreditation to Cuba.
Fiji	10 November 1974	Fiji is accredited to Samoa from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs based in Suva. Samoa is accredited to Fiji from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs based in Apia and has a Student Counselor office in Suva.
France	September 1974	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 is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand and maintains an honorary consulate in Apia. Samoa is accredited to France from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium.
Germany	18 May 1972	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.[20]
India	June 1970	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	1973	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.[27] Japan opened an embassy in Apia on 1 January 2013.[28] Japan has an embassy in Apia. Samoa has an embassy in Tokyo.
Kosovo	10 March 2017	In September 2008, Samoa became the 46th country to officially recognise the independence of Kosovo.[29]
Mexico	21 October 2008	See Mexico–Samoa relations Mexico is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand and maintains an honorary consulate in Apia.[30][31] Samoa does not have an accreditation to Mexico.
New Zealand	1 January 1962	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.[32] Samoa has a high commission in Wellington and a consulate-general in Auckland.[33]
Papua New Guinea	27 August 1979	Papua New Guinea is accredited to Samoa from its High Commission in Wellington, New Zealand. Samoa is accredited to Papua New Guinea from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Apia.
Russia	2 July 1976	Russia is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand. Samoa does not have an accreditation to Russia.
South Korea	15 September 1972	Samoa does not have an accreditation to South Korea. South Korea is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand.
Spain	5 November 1980	See Samoa–Spain relations Samoa is accredited to Spain from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Spain is accredited to Samoa from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand.
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	April 12, 1979[34]	See Samoa–Turkey relations Turkish ambassador in Wellington to New Zealand is also accredited to Samoa.[34] Trade volume between the two countries was negligible in 2019.
United Kingdom	September 1970	Samoa is accredited to the United Kingdom from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium. United Kingdom has a High Commission in Apia.
United States	1971	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[24] and has a consulate-general in Pago Pago, American Samoa.[35] United States has an embassy in Apia.[36]

Samoa and the Commonwealth of Nations

Western Samoa became independent on 1 January 1962, but did not formally join the Commonwealth of Nations until 1970. Between 1962 and 1970, Western Samoa was treated as though it was a Commonwealth member state. Since 2007, Samoa has been classed as a Commonwealth republic.

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, SOPAC, SPREP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO.

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.[37]

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.[38][39][40]

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. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
3. Report for the Year ... Solomon Islands. 1981. p. 21. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
4. "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)
5. "Lijst van Diplomatieke Betrekkingen en Visum-afschaffingsovereenkomsten" (PDF) (in Dutch). 16 May 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
6. "Pacific Relations". Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
7. "Celebration of the Signing of Diplomatic Relations between Poland and Samoa, Auckland 17th November 2013" (PDF). Foreign Affairs & Trade Bulletin. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Samoa. p. 3. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
8. "Diplomatic Relations between Samoa and Uruguay as of 21 May 2013". United Nations Digital Library. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
9. Kosovo and Samoa establish diplomatic relations, KosovaPress, 2017-03-10
10. "Diplomatic Relations Between Samoa and Tajikistan as of 22 Dec. 2017". Retrieved 28 January 2019.
11. "Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Samoa as of 19 January 2018". United Nations Digital Library. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
12. Garcia, Luis Eliezer (17 April 2018). "El Salvador establece relaciones diplomáticas con el Estado Independiente de Samoa". rree.gob.sv (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 July 2019.
13. "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". www.consigliograndeegenerale.sm (in Italian). Retrieved 13 July 2019.
14. "The Republic of Ghana and the Independent State of Samoa have signed a Joint Communique establishing Diplomatic relations between the two countries". Retrieved 28 December 2019.
15. 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". University of Wollongong. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
16. "List of Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Between the Republic of Nauru and Other Countries". Archived from the original on 4 October 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
17. "Diplomatic relations of Saint Kitts and Nevis" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
18. "His Majesty's Government reaches out to neighbouring Samoas". 7 October 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
19. "News from Cabinet, 2 April 2015 – Government of Samoa". Government of Samoa (in English and Samoan). Retrieved 5 September 2019.
20. Honorary consulates of Samoa
21. High Commission of Australia in Samoa
22. Consulate-General of Samoa in Sydney
23. High Commission of Canada in New Zealand
24. Samoan Permanent Mission to the United Nations
25. "Cuban Foreign Minister Opens Cuba-Pacific Islands Meeting", Cuban News Agency, 16 September 2008
26. "Pacific and Cuba meet to discuss co-operation". Radio New Zealand International. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
27. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan
28. Embassy of Japan in New Zealand web site
29. "Samoa recognises Kosovo independence: Pristina", Agence France-Presse, 16 September 2008
30. Embassy of Mexico in New Zealand (in English and Spanish)
31. Overseas Honorary Consuls in Samoa
32. New Zealand High Commission in Samoa
33. Samoan High Commission in New Zealand
34. "Relations between Turkey and Samoa". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
35. Samoan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
36. US Embassy in Samoa
37. McLean, Tamara (29 June 2011). "Samoa's dateline jump passes into law". Herald Sun. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
38. 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.
39. "New Polynesian Leaders Group formed in Samoa". Radio New Zealand. 19 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
40. "American Samoa joins Polynesian Leaders Group, MOU signed". Samoa News. Savalii. 20 November 2011. Retrieved 24 November 2020.