Foreign relations of Antigua and Barbuda

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Antiguan and Barbudan English 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:

File:Diplomatic relations of Antigua and Barbuda.svg
#	Country	Date
1	Canada	Template:Dts
2	South Korea	Template:Dts
3	United Kingdom	Template:Dts
4	United States	Template:Dts
5	Malaysia	Template:Dts
6	Australia
7	Brazil	Template:Dts
8	Guyana	Template:Dts
9	Colombia	Template:Dts
10	India	Template:Dts
11	Germany	Template:Dts
12	France	Template:Dts
13	Netherlands	Template:Dts
14	Sweden	Template:Dts
15	Venezuela	Template:Dts
16	Iraq	Template:Dts
17	Japan	Template:Dts
18	Trinidad and Tobago	Template:Dts
19	China	Template:Dts
20	Belize	Template:Dts
21	Jamaica	Template:Dts
22	Nigeria	Template:Dts
23	Uganda	Template:Dts
24	Zambia	Template:Dts
25	Portugal	Template:Dts
26	Syria	Template:Dts
27	Israel	Template:Dts
28	Barbados	Template:Dts
29	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Template:Dts
30	Switzerland	Template:Dts
31	Bahamas	Template:Dts
32	Saint Lucia	Template:Dts
33	Costa Rica	Template:Dts
34	Mexico	Template:Dts
35	Argentina	Template:Dts
36	Austria	Template:Dts
37	Greece	Template:Dts
38	Peru	Template:Dts
39	Italy	Template:Dts
40	Bolivia	Template:Dts
41	Norway	Template:Dts
42	Denmark	Template:Dts
43	Belgium	Template:Dts
–	Holy See	Template:Dts
44	Uruguay	Template:Dts
45	Spain	Template:Dts
46	Suriname	Template:Dts
47	Algeria	Template:Dts
48	Russia	Template:Dts
49	Chile	Template:Dts
50	North Korea	Template:Dts
51	Guatemala	Template:Dts
52	Nicaragua	Template:Dts
53	Ukraine	Template:Dts
54	El Salvador	Template:Dts
55	Latvia	Template:Dts
56	Estonia	Template:Dts
57	Slovenia	Template:Dts
58	Armenia	Template:Dts
59	Cuba	Template:Dts
60	Template:Country data North Macedonia	Template:Dts
61	Azerbaijan	Template:Dts
62	Panama	Template:Dts
63	Czech Republic	Template:Dts
64	Haiti	Template:Dts
65	Kuwait	Template:Dts
66	Croatia	Template:Dts
67	Slovakia	Template:Dts
68	Turkey	Template:Dts
69	Belarus	Template:Dts
70	Ireland	Template:Dts
71	Bulgaria	Template:Dts
72	Maldives	Template:Dts
73	South Africa	Template:Dts
74	Iceland	Template:Dts
75	Cyprus	Template:Dts
76	Malta	Template:Dts
77	Lithuania	Template:Dts
78	Hungary	Template:Dts
79	Poland	Template:Dts
80	Thailand	Template:Dts
81	Oman	Template:Dts
82	Qatar	Template:Dts
83	Bahrain	Template:Dts
84	Singapore	Template:Dts
85	Saudi Arabia	Template:Dts
86	United Arab Emirates	Template:Dts
87	Morocco	Template:Dts
88	Libya	Template:Dts
89	Luxembourg	Template:Dts
90	Dominican Republic	Template:Dts
91	Kazakhstan	Template:Dts
92	Botswana	Template:Dts
93	Finland	Template:Dts
94	Ecuador	Template:Dts
95	Brunei	Template:Dts
96	Cambodia	Template:Dts
97	Egypt	Template:Dts
98	Philippines	Template:Dts
99	Template:Country data Georgia	Template:Dts
100	Montenegro	Template:Dts
101	Tajikistan	Template:Dts
102	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Template:Dts
103	Andorra	Template:Dts
104	Indonesia	Template:Dts
105	Moldova	Template:Dts
106	Mongolia	Template:Dts
107	Vietnam	Template:Dts
108	New Zealand	Template:Dts
109	Ethiopia	Template:Dts
110	Fiji	Template:Dts
111	Iran	Template:Dts
112	Paraguay	Template:Dts
113	Pakistan	Template:Dts
114	Lebanon	Template:Dts
115	Nepal	Template:Dts
116	Jordan	Template:Dts
–	Cook Islands	Template:Dts
117	Romania	Template:Dts
118	Liechtenstein	Template:Dts
119	Serbia	Template:Dts
120	San Marino	Template:Dts
121	Monaco	Template:Dts
—	Kosovo	Template:Dts
122	Rwanda	Template:Dts
123	Ghana	Before March 2020
124	Kyrgyzstan	Template:Dts
125	Uzbekistan	Template:Dts
126	Kenya	Template:Dts
127	Cape Verde	September 2022
128	Benin	Template:Dts
—	Template:Country data State of Palestine	Template:Dts
129	Seychelles	Template:Dts
130	Dominica	Unknown
131	Grenada	Unknown
132	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	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	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 February 1982. Both countries are full members of Caribbean Community and of Organization of American States.
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		Both countries have established diplomatic relations. Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations.
South Africa	26 June 2004	Both countries have established diplomatic relations. 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.
Spain	27 June 1988	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 June 1988.
Turkey	Feb. 3, 1982	See Antigua and Barbuda–Turkey relations Turkish Embassy in Santo Domingo is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda. Trade volume between the two countries was 12.5 million USD in 2019.
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

• 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

References

• Template:CIA World Factbook
• Template:StateDept
• Template:StateDept

External links

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