Foreign relations of Guatemala

Guatemala's major diplomatic interests are regional security and increasingly, regional development and economic integration.

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Guatemala maintains diplomatic relations with:

File:Diplomatic relations of Guatemala.svg
#	Country	Date
1	United States	Template:Dts
2	Colombia	Template:Dts
3	Chile	Template:Dts
4	France	Template:Dts
5	United Kingdom	Template:Dts
6	Costa Rica	Template:Dts
7	Nicaragua	Template:Dts
8	El Salvador	Template:Dts
9	Honduras	Template:Dts
10	Mexico	Template:Dts
11	Belgium	Template:Dts
12	Netherlands	Template:Dts
13	Peru	Template:Dts
14	Spain	Template:Dts
15	Italy	Template:Dts
16	Denmark	Template:Dts
17	Serbia	Template:Dts
18	Portugal	Template:Dts
19	Ecuador	Template:Dts
—	Venezuela (suspended)	Template:Dts
20	Cuba	Template:Dts
21	Brazil	Template:Dts
22	Switzerland	Template:Dts
23	Uruguay	Template:Dts
24	Paraguay	Template:Dts
25	Argentina	Template:Dts
26	Luxembourg	Template:Dts
27	Czech Republic	Template:Dts
28	Sweden	Template:Dts
29	Poland	Template:Dts
—	Republic of ChinaTemplate:Efn	Template:Dts
30	Panama	Template:Dts
31	Japan	Template:Dts
—	Holy See	Template:Dts
32	Norway	Template:Dts
33	Russia	Template:Dts
34	Bolivia	Template:Dts
35	Israel	Template:Dts
36	Haiti	Template:Dts
37	Dominican Republic	Template:Dts
38	Austria	Template:Dts
39	Thailand	Template:Dts
40	Turkey	Template:Dts
—	Sovereign Military Order of Malta	Template:Dts
41	Germany	Template:Dts
42	Canada	Template:Dts
43	South Korea	Template:Dts
44	Greece	Template:Dts
45	Finland	Template:Dts
46	Egypt	Template:Dts
47	Morocco	Template:Dts
48	India	Template:Dts
49	Philippines	Template:Dts
50	Australia	Template:Dts
51	Iraq	Template:Dts
52	Suriname	Template:Dts
53	Bangladesh	Template:Dts
54	Algeria	Template:Dts
55	Jordan	Template:Dts
56	Lebanon	Template:Dts
57	Hungary	Template:Dts
58	Romania	Template:Dts
59	Belize	Template:Dts
60	Jamaica	Template:Dts
61	Barbados	Template:Dts
62	Antigua and Barbuda	Template:Dts
63	Bahamas	Template:Dts
64	Saint Lucia	Template:Dts
65	Indonesia	Template:Dts
66	Guyana	Template:Dts
67	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Template:Dts
68	Grenada	Template:Dts
69	Singapore	Template:Dts
70	United Arab Emirates	Template:Dts
71	Cyprus	Template:Dts
72	Croatia	Template:Dts
73	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Template:Dts
75	Vietnam	Template:Dts
76	Ukraine	Template:Dts
77	Seychelles	Template:Dts
78	Latvia	Template:Dts
79	Iran	Template:Dts
80	Malaysia	Template:Dts
81	Maldives	Template:Dts
82	Albania	Template:Dts
83	Estonia	Template:Dts
84	Kyrgyzstan	Template:Dts
85	Guinea	Template:Dts
86	Namibia	Template:Dts
87	Belarus	Template:Dts
88	Moldova	Template:Dts
89	Cameroon	Template:Dts
90	Slovakia	Template:Dts
91	Federated States of Micronesia	Template:Dts
92	Iceland	Template:Dts
93	Oman	Template:Dts
94	Slovenia	Template:Dts
95	Lithuania	Template:Dts
96	Bulgaria	Template:Dts
97	Trinidad and Tobago	Template:Dts
98	Ghana	Template:Dts
99	Azerbaijan	Template:Dts
100	South Africa	Template:Dts
101	Benin	Template:Dts
102	Andorra	Template:Dts
103	Malta	Template:Dts
104	Kuwait	Template:Dts
105	Cambodia	Template:Dts
106	Turkmenistan	Template:Dts
107	Mozambique	Template:Dts
108	Armenia	Template:Dts
109	New Zealand	Template:Dts
110	Template:Country data North Macedonia	Template:Dts
111	Nigeria	Template:Dts
112	San Marino	Template:Dts
113	Brunei	Template:Dts
114	Ireland	Template:Dts
115	Mongolia	Template:Dts
116	Mali	Template:Dts
117	Burkina Faso	Template:Dts
118	Cape Verde	Template:Dts
119	Nepal	Template:Dts
120	Tajikistan	Template:Dts
121	Gambia	Template:Dts
122	Mauritius	Template:Dts
123	Montenegro	Template:Dts
124	Nauru	Template:Dts
125	Equatorial Guinea	Template:Dts
126	Uzbekistan	Template:Dts
127	Qatar	Template:Dts
128	Zimbabwe	Template:Dts
129	Tunisia	Template:Dts
130	Botswana	Template:Dts
131	Bahrain	Template:Dts
132	Libya	Template:Dts
133	Samoa	Template:Dts
134	North Korea	Template:Dts
135	Monaco	Template:Dts
136	Niger	Template:Dts
137	Laos	Template:Dts
138	Kenya	Template:Dts
139	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Template:Dts
140	Dominica	Template:Dts
141	Template:Country data Georgia	Template:Dts
142	Solomon Islands	Template:Dts
143	Tuvalu	Template:Dts
144	Kazakhstan	Template:Dts
145	Pakistan	Template:Dts
146	Ethiopia	Template:Dts
147	Sri Lanka	Template:Dts
148	Zambia	Template:Dts
149	Fiji	Template:Dts
150	Ivory Coast	Template:Dts
151	Senegal	Template:Dts
152	Liechtenstein	Template:Dts
153	Saudi Arabia	Template:Dts
154	Marshall Islands	Template:Dts
155	Djibouti	Template:Dts
156	Gabon	Template:Dts
157	Palau	Template:Dts
158	Timor-Leste	Template:Dts
159	Angola	Template:Dts
160	Togo	Template:Dts
161	Rwanda	Template:Dts
162	Kiribati	Template:Dts
163	Vanuatu	Template:Dts

Bilateral relations

Africa

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Morocco	15 March 1971	Guatemala has an embassy in Rabat. Morocco has an embassy in Guatemala City.

Americas

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Belize	11 September 1993	See Belize-Guatemala relations Guatemala has a longstanding claim to a large portion of Belize. The territorial dispute caused problems with the United Kingdom and later with Belize following its 1981 independence from the UK. In December 1989, Guatemala sponsored Belize for permanent observer status in the Organization of American States (OAS). In September 1991 Guatemala recognized Belize's independence and established diplomatic ties, while acknowledging that the boundaries remained in dispute. In anticipation of an effort to bring the border dispute to an end in early 1996, the Guatemalan Congress ratified two long-pending international agreements governing frontier issues and maritime rights. In early 2000 the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry proposed a border settlement that would transfer more than half of Belize's territory to Guatemala. Following a spate of border incidents, both sides agreed during talks under OAS auspices in November 2000 to confidence-building measures to reduce tensions. They followed that with an agreement on opening substantive discussions on the dispute. Both Guatemala and Belize are participating in the confidence-building measures, including the Guatemala-Belize Language Exchange Project. In September 2010, the Guatemalan Congress overwhelmingly gave its approval for a referendum to be held; giving the people of Guatemala a say in whether or not that country's claim to Belize should be taken to the International Court of Justice. Under the special agreement (compromise) signed in December 2008 by Belize and Guatemala it was agreed that if the people of both nations approved, by way of a simultaneous referendum on the same day, that the dispute would proceed to the ICJ. The outcome of any ruling handed down by the ICJ will be final and binding, regardless of in whose favor the ruling is handed down.
Canada	16 September 1961	See Canada–Guatemala relations Canada has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Ottawa and a consulates-general in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.
Chile	8 August 1840	See Chile–Guatemala relations Chile has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Santiago de Chile.
Colombia	8 March 1825	See Colombia–Guatemala relations Colombia has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Bogotá.
Costa Rica	18 August 1839	See Costa Rica–Guatemala relations Costa Rica has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in San José.
Cuba	30 April 1902	See Cuba–Guatemala relations Cuba has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Havana.
El Salvador	21 March 1821	See El Salvador–Guatemala relations El Salvador has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in San Salvador.
Mexico	6 September 1838	See Guatemala–Mexico relations; Guatemalan immigration to Mexico Diplomatic relations between Mexico and Guatemala began in 1838 after the dissolution of the Federal Republic of Central America. Guatemala has an embassy in Mexico City and consulates-general in Cancún, Monterrey, Oaxaca City, San Luis Potosí, Tapachula, Tenosique, Tijuana, and Tuxtla Gutiérrez; consulates in Acayucan, Ciudad Hidalgo, Comitán and a consular office in Arriaga. Mexico has an embassy in Guatemala City and consulates in Flores, Quetzaltenango and in Tecún Umán. Both countries are members of the Organization of American States, Organization of Ibero-American States, and the Rio Group.
Nicaragua	15 May 1845	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 May 1845. Guatemala has an embassy in Managua. Nicaragua closed its embassy in Guatemala City in 2024.
Panama	25 January 1935	Guatemala has an embassy in Panama City. Panama has an embassy in Guatemala City.
Paraguay	1 May 1907	Guatemala is accredited to Paraguay from its embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Paraguay is accredited to Guatemala from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.
Peru	1857	See Guatemala–Peru relations Guatemala has an embassy in Lima. Peru has an embassy in Guatemala City.
Haiti	1948	See Guatemala–Haiti relations Haiti has a diplomatic consulate in Guatemala City. Guatemala has a diplomatic consulate in Port-au-Prince.
Honduras	1821	See Guatemala–Honduras relations Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1821. Guatemala has an embassy in Tegucigalpa and a consulate in San Pedro Sula. Honduras has an embassy in Guatemala.
United States	4 August 1824	See Guatemala–United States relations Relations between the United States and Guatemala traditionally have been close, although at times strained by human rights and civil-military issues. U.S. policy objectives in Guatemala include: Supporting the institutionalization of democracy and implementation of the Peace Accords Encouraging respect for human rights and the rule of law, and implementation of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) Supporting broad-based economic growth and sustainable development and maintaining mutually beneficial trade and commercial relations, including ensuring that benefits of Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) reach all sectors of the Guatemalan populace Cooperating to combat money laundering, corruption, narcotics trafficking, alien-smuggling, and other transnational crime Supporting Central American integration through support for resolution of border/territorial disputes Guatemala has an embassy in Washington, D.C. and several consulates-general throughout the country. United States has an embassy in Guatemala City.
Uruguay	16 March 1907	See Guatemala–Uruguay relations Guatemala has an embassy in Montevideo. Uruguay has an embassy in Guatemala City.
Venezuela	31 October 1890	Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei announced it would sever ties with Venezuela, prompting to close its embassy both in Caracas and Guatemala City, following the ongoing presidential crisis.

Asia

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Azerbaijan	1 November 1994	Azerbaijan is accredited to Guatemala through its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. Guatemala is accredited to Azerbaijan through its embassy in Ankara, Turkey.
Republic of China (Taiwan)	15 June 1933	See Guatemala–Taiwan relations As of March 2023, Guatemala is one of 13 nations who recognize the legitimacy of the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan under the One China policy. The ROC has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Taipei.
India	16 May 1972	See Guatemala–India relations India maintains an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in New Delhi.
Indonesia	29 April 1992	Indonesia is accredited to Guatemala from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. Guatemala has an embassy in Jakarta.
Israel	15 May 1948	See Guatemala–Israel relations File:Ambassador of Israel to Guatemala Joshua N Shai 1964.jpg Dinner hosted by Israeli Ambassador to Guatemala Joshua Shai, in honor of President of Guatemala Enrique Peralta Azurdia, at his residence in Guatemala, 1964. Israel maintains an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Jerusalem. In May 2018, Guatemala was the second country after the United States to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The first COVID vaccines to arrive in Guatemala were received from donations sent by Israel.
Philippines	21 June 1972	Guatemala is accredited to Philippines from its embassy in Tokyo, Japan. Philippines is accredited to Guatemala through its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.
South Korea	24 October 1962	Guatemala has an embassy in Seoul, South Korea. South Korea has an embassy in Guatemala City.
Thailand	3 March 1957	Guatemala has an embassy in Bangkok. Thailand is accredited to Guatemala through its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.
Turkey	18 July 1874	See Guatemala–Turkey relations Guatemala has an embassy in Ankara and an honorary consulate in Istanbul. Turkey has an embassy in Guatemala City. Trade volume between the two countries was US$63.5 million in 2019 (Guatemalan exports/imports: 10/53.5 million USD).

Europe

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
	1959	See Germany–Guatemala relations Germany has an embassy in Guatemala City Guatemala has an embassy in Berlin
Russia	19 April 1945	See Guatemala–Russia relations Guatemala has an embassy in Moscow. Russia has an embassy in Guatemala City.
Spain	29 May 1863	See Guatemala–Spain relations Guatemala has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Guatemala City.
United Kingdom	12 July 1837	See Guatemala–United Kingdom relations File:Foreign Minister of Guatemala.jpg British Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire with Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Raúl Morales in London, November 2014. Guatemala established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 12 July 1837. Guatemala maintains an embassy in London. United Kingdom is accredited to Guatemala from its embassy in Guatemala City. Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic Co-operation Pact, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization, as well as the Central America–UK Association Agreement.

Oceania

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Australia		There are four Australia–Guatemala bilateral treaties. Guatemala has an embassy in Canberra, Australia. The Australian embassy in Mexico has consular responsibility for Guatemala. Trade between the two countries is Template:AUD32 Million.

Multilateral relations

The Central American Ministers of Trade meet on a regular basis to work on regional approaches to trade issues. In March 1998, Guatemala joined its Central American neighbors in signing a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). In 2000 it joined Honduras and El Salvador in signing a free trade agreement with Mexico, which went into effect in 2001. Guatemala also originated the idea for, and is the seat of, the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN).

Guatemala participates in several regional groups, particularly those related to the environment and trade. For example, US President Clinton and the Central American presidents signed the CONCAUSA (Conjunto Centroamerica-USA) agreement at the Summit of the Americas in December 1994. CONCAUSA is a cooperative plan of action to promote clean, efficient energy use; conserve the region's biodiversity; strengthen legal and institutional frameworks and compliance mechanisms; and improve and harmonize environmental protection standards.

Illicit drugs: Guatemala is a transit country for cocaine shipments; minor producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; active eradication program in 1996 effectively eliminated the cannabis crop; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (cocaine shipments).

See also

• Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute
• List of ambassadors of Guatemala
• List of diplomatic missions in Guatemala
• List of diplomatic missions of Guatemala
• Visa requirements for Guatemalan citizens

External links

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala
• Legal Opinion on Guatemala's Territorial Claim to Belize and MFA Library and GAR and Other Documents and Summary of Legal Opinion of 25 November 2008
• Belize/Guatemala ICJ Compromis Signed at OAS in Washington, D.C. on 8 December 2008 and Compromis and Videos and U.S. Congratulations and U.K. Congratulations and Photographs and Compromis for Christmas of 8 December 2008 and Belize Leading Counsel of 19 December 2008