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.

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Samoa maintains diplomatic relations with:

File:Diplomatic relations of Samoa.svg
#	Country	Date
1	New Zealand	Template:Dts
2	India	Template:Dts
3	United Kingdom	Template:Dts
4	Australia	Template:Dts
5	Canada	Template:Dts
6	United States	Template:Dts
7	France	Template:Dts
8	Germany	Template:Dts
9	Israel	Template:Dts
10	South Korea	Template:Dts
11	Japan	Template:Dts
12	Belgium	Template:Dts
13	Fiji	Template:Dts
14	China	Template:Dts
15	Netherlands	Template:Dts
16	Russia	Template:Dts
17	Philippines	Template:Dts
18	Sweden	Template:Dts
—	North Korea (suspended)	Template:Dts
19	Solomon Islands	Template:Dts
20	Chile	Template:Dts
21	Egypt	Template:Dts
22	Thailand	Template:Dts
23	Turkey	Template:Dts
24	Papua New Guinea	Template:Dts
25	Nauru	Template:Dts
26	Indonesia	Template:Dts
27	Vanuatu	Template:Dts
28	Spain	Template:Dts
29	Greece	Template:Dts
30	Switzerland	Template:Dts
31	Malaysia	Template:Dts
32	Pakistan	Template:Dts
33	Bangladesh	Template:Dts
34	Peru	Template:Dts
35	Italy	Template:Dts
36	Colombia	Template:Dts
37	Tuvalu	Template:Dts
38	Federated States of Micronesia	Template:Dts
39	Singapore	Template:Dts
40	Marshall Islands	Template:Dts
41	Austria	Template:Dts
42	Argentina	Template:Dts
43	Maldives	Template:Dts
44	Croatia	Template:Dts
45	Vietnam	Template:Dts
—	Holy See	Template:Dts
46	Kyrgyzstan	Template:Dts
47	South Africa	Template:Dts
48	Portugal	Template:Dts
49	Czech Republic	Template:Dts
50	Slovenia	Template:Dts
51	Finland	Template:Dts
52	Norway	Template:Dts
53	Slovakia	Template:Dts
54	Cyprus	Template:Dts
55	Ireland	Template:Dts
56	Seychelles	Template:Dts
57	Malta	Template:Dts
58	Timor-Leste	Template:Dts
59	Iceland	Template:Dts
60	Brazil	Template:Dts
61	Template:Country data North Macedonia	Template:Dts
62	Brunei	Template:Dts
63	Romania	Template:Dts
64	Guatemala	Template:Dts
65	Cuba	Template:Dts
66	Albania	Template:Dts
67	Mexico	Template:Dts
68	Estonia	Template:Dts
69	Lithuania	Template:Dts
70	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Template:Dts
71	Luxembourg	Template:Dts
72	Template:Country data Georgia	Template:Dts
73	Botswana	Template:Dts
74	Monaco	Template:Dts
75	United Arab Emirates	Template:Dts
76	Cambodia	Template:Dts
77	Montenegro	Template:Dts
78	Morocco	Template:Dts
79	Paraguay	Template:Dts
80	Qatar	Template:Dts
81	Hungary	Template:Dts
82	Ecuador	Template:Dts
83	Mongolia	Template:Dts
84	Poland	Template:Dts
85	Moldova	Template:Dts
86	Latvia	Template:Dts
87	Suriname	Template:Dts
88	Kazakhstan	Template:Dts
89	Uruguay	Template:Dts
90	Nepal	Template:Dts
—	Cook Islands	Template:Dts
91	Ukraine	Template:Dts
92	Sri Lanka	Template:Dts
—	Kosovo	Template:Dts
93	Tajikistan	Template:Dts
94	Azerbaijan	Template:Dts
95	El Salvador	Template:Dts
96	San Marino	Template:Dts
97	Ghana	Template:Dts
98	Dominican Republic	Template:Dts
99	Jamaica
100	Bahrain
101	Bulgaria
102	Cape Verde	Template:Dts
103	Saint Lucia	Template:Dts
104	Saudi Arabia	Template:Dts
105	Bahamas	Template:Dts
106	Rwanda	Template:Dts
107	Belize	Template:Dts
108	Uganda	Template:Dts
109	Kiribati	Established, date unknown
110	Tonga	Established, date unknown

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.
Australia	Australia has a High Commission in Apia. Samoa has a High Commission in Canberra and a consulate-general in Sydney.
Canada	Canada is accredited to Samoa from its high commission in Wellington, New Zealand. Samoa is accredited to Canada from its mission in New York City.
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.
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. 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	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.
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. Japan opened an embassy in Apia on 1 January 2013. 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.
Mexico	Mexico 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 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. Samoa has a high commission in Wellington and a consulate-general in Auckland.
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.
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. Trade volume between the two countries was negligible in 2019.
United Kingdom	See Samoa–United Kingdom relations File:Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends CHOGM Summit in Samoa -Day 2 (54091506729).jpg Samoan Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a Commonwealth summit in Apia, October 2024. Samoa established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom in September 1970. Samoa is not accredited to the UK through an embassy; Samoa develops relations through its embassy in Brussels, Belgium. The United Kingdom is accredited to Samoa through its high commission in Apia. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the World Trade Organization, as well as the Pacific States–United Kingdom Economic Partnership Agreement.
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 and has a consulate-general in Pago Pago, American Samoa. United States has an embassy in Apia.

Samoa and the Commonwealth of Nations

Western Samoa joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970.

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.

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.

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.