Foreign relations of Tonga

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tonga, by a modification of its treaty of friendship with the United Kingdom in July 1970, is responsible for its own external affairs. It maintains cordial relations with most countries and has close relations with its Pacific neighbours and the United Kingdom. In 1998, it recognized the People's Republic of China and broke relations with Taiwan.[1]

Diplomatic relations

List of countries with which Tonga maintains diplomatic relations:

More information #, Country ...
# Country Date[2]
1 New Zealand 4 June 1970[3]
2 United Kingdom 4 June 1970[4]
3 Japan July 1970[5]
4 South Korea 11 September 1970[6]
5 Australia 3 December 1970[7]
6 India 23 December 1970[8]
7 Canada 11 June 1971[9]
8 France 16 July 1971[10]
9 Belgium 16 August 1971[11]
10 United States 6 November 1972[12]
11 Sweden 21 January 1974[13]
12 Russia 2 October 1975[14]
13 Netherlands 4 November 1975[15]
14 Turkey 26 January 1976[16]
15 Luxembourg 1 November 1976[17]
16 Israel June 1977[18]
17 Germany 2 January 1978[19]
18 Libya 16 March 1978[20]
19 Chile 1 October 1979[21]
20 Spain 16 November 1979[22]
21 Solomon Islands 7 July 1980[23]
22 Vanuatu 30 July 1980[24]
23 Fiji 1980[25]
24 Philippines 1 July 1981[26]
25 Italy 26 November 1981[27]
26 Papua New Guinea August 1982[28]
27 Malaysia 9 September 1982[29]
28 Sri Lanka 10 January 1984[30]
29 Peru 20 January 1984[31]
30 Greece 5 July 1985[32]
31  Switzerland 13 September 1985[32]
32 Denmark 31 October 1985[33]
33 Norway 30 August 1988[34]
34 Federated States of Micronesia 1 August 1989[35]
35 Maldives 1 August 1989[36]
36 Brunei 1 May 1990[37]
37 Singapore 6 August 1993[38]
38 Finland 1 December 1993[39]
39 Thailand 27 January 1994[40]
40 Indonesia 30 May 1994[41]
– Holy See 24 August 1994[42]
41 Morocco 16 January 1995[43]
42 Slovenia 7 December 1995[44]
43 China 2 November 1998[45]
44 Zimbabwe February 1999[46]
45 South Africa 1 September 1999[47]
46 Mongolia 4 April 2001
47 Seychelles 12 July 2002
48 Cuba 15 July 2002[48]
49 Timor-Leste 26 November 2002
50 Eswatini 22 May 2003
51 Malta 3 May 2007
52 Venezuela 9 May 2007[49]
53 United Arab Emirates 13 July 2007
54 Czech Republic 19 September 2007[50]
55 Iceland 14 December 2007
56 Mexico 26 September 2008
57 Portugal 26 November 2008
58 Cyprus 22 June 2009[51]
59 Hungary 23 September 2011
60 Brazil 21 December 2011[52]
61 Serbia 22 February 2013[53]
– Cook Islands 18 November 2014[54]
62 Georgia 18 February 2015
63 Estonia 12 March 2015
64 Kazakhstan 17 March 2015
65 Poland 29 August 2016[55]
66 Latvia 28 October 2020
67 Saudi Arabia 14 December 2020
68 Ireland 27 July 2021[56]
69 Kuwait 2 September 2021
70 Bahrain 19 September 2022
71 Marshall Islands 21 September 2022[57]
72 Kyrgyzstan 7 December 2022
73 Bosnia and Herzegovina 9 February 2023
74 Tajikistan 10 February 2023
75 Rwanda 22 March 2023
76 Romania 10 April 2023
77 Vietnam 21 September 2023[58]
78 Austria 16 February 2024[59][60]
79 Qatar 16 February 2024
80 Nicaragua 28 February 2024
81 Dominican Republic 29 February 2024
82   Nepal 1 March 2024
83 Oman 14 March 2024
84 Uruguay 14 March 2024
85 Uganda 15 April 2024[61]
— Kosovo 17 April 2024[62]
86 Lithuania 23 September 2024
87 Dominica 25 October 2024[63]
88 San Marino 25 February 2025[64]
89 Egypt Unknown[65]
90 Kiribati Unknown
91 Nauru Unknown[66]
92 Pakistan Unknown[67]
93 Samoa Unknown[68]
94 Tuvalu Unknown
Close

Regional relations

Tonga maintains strong regional ties in the Pacific. It is a full member of the Pacific Islands Forum, the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, the South Pacific Tourism Organisation, the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. Tonga endorsed the Treaty of Rarotonga (the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty) in 1996.[69]

Tonga is, however, notably not one of the eight signatories of the Nauru Agreement Concerning Cooperation in the Management of Fisheries of Common Interest which collectively controls 25–30% of the world's tuna supply and approximately 60% of the western and central Pacific tuna supply.[70]

Since November 2011, Tonga has been one of the eight founding members of 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.[71][72][73]

Extra-regional relations

Tonga was admitted to full membership of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970, upon regaining its independence from British protection.

Since it has always had its own monarch, its position in the Commonwealth was rather unusual.

Tonga is an independent native Commonwealth monarchy like Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, and Swaziland.

Tonga was admitted to the United Nations in 1999.

Additionally outside the region, Tonga is a member or participant of the ACP, Asian Development Bank, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the G-77, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, International Hydrographic Organization, the IMF, the International Maritime Organization, Interpol, the International Olympic Committee, the ITU, the NAM, the UPU, the World Meteorological Organization and the World Trade Organization.

Bilateral relations

More information Country, Formal Relations Began ...
Country Formal Relations Began Notes
Australia4 June 1970See Australia–Tonga relations
Canada11 June 1971
  • Canada is accredited to Tonga from its High Commission in Wellington, New Zealand.[76]
  • Tonga is accredited to Canada from its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City.[77]
China2 November 1998See China–Tonga relations

The Kingdom of Tonga and the People's Republic of China (PRC) established official diplomatic relations in 1998. The two countries maintain cordial diplomatic, economic and military relations.

  • China has an embassy in Nukuʻalofa.
  • Tonga has an embassy in Beijing.
FijiSee Fiji–Tonga relations

These neighbouring countries in the South Pacific have a history of bilateral relations going back several centuries.

Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama received "cheers and thunderous applause" from the Tongan public when he attended a Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Tonga in October 2007; the crowd's "enthusiastic reception" of Fiji's leader was likened to "that accorded to a rock star".[78] Radio Australia noted that he had been "the star of this year's meeting, for the people of Tonga",[79] while TVNZ reported that he had been "given a hero's welcome".[80]

In terms of inter-governmental relations, Tonga has generally avoided pressuring Fiji's "interim government" into holding democratic elections. However, Tongan Prime Minister Dr. Feleti Sevele has urged Bainimarama "to produce a credible roadmap to the election according to the Constitution and law of Fiji".[81]

Germany1 May 1976
  • Germany is accredited to Tonga from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand and maintains an honorary consulate in Nukuʻalofa.[82]
  • Tonga is accredited to Germany from its high commission in London, United Kingdom.
Greece1984
  • Diplomatic relations were established in 1984.[83]
  • Greece is accredited to Tonga from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand.[83]
  • Tonga does not have an accreditation to Greece.
India23 December 1970See India–Tonga relations
  • India is accredited to Tonga from its high commission in Suva, Fiji.
  • Tonga does not have an accreditation to India.
JapanJuly 1970
  • Japan has an embassy in Nukuʻalofa.
  • Tonga has an embassy in Tokyo.[84]
Latvia28 October 2020
  • Tonga and Latvia established diplomatic relations in 2020. On 28 October 2020, Tongan and Latvian Ambassadors to the United Nations signed a joint communiqué formalising the bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over strengthening of ties between the two countries.[85]
  • Both countries see opportunities for cooperation in tackling climate change, development cooperation, economics, and cooperation in various multilateral formats, especially in the light of the prospective Latvian non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council in 2026–2027.[86]
  • In October 2024, the Speaker of the Tongan Parliament Fatafehi Fakafanua expressed support for Latvia's nomination to join the United Nations Security Council in June 2025.[87]
Mexico6 September 2008
  • Mexico is accredited to Tonga from its embassy in Wellington, New Zealand.[88]
  • Tonga is accredited to Mexico from its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City.[89]
New Zealand4 June 1970See New Zealand–Tonga relations
  • New Zealand has a high commission in Nukuʻalofa.[90]
  • Tonga has a consulate-general in Auckland.[91]
Russia14 October 1975See Russia–Tonga relations

The Kingdom of Tonga and the Soviet Union established formal diplomatic relations in 1976. Tonga was the first Pacific Island country to establish relations with the USSR. The USSR was dissolved in 1991 and was succeeded by Russia as the successor state.

On 2 October 2005, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Tonga ST T. Tupou exchanged telegrams offering congratulations on the occasion of 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two nations. In his heads of foreign ministries of Russia and Tonga expressed confidence in further development of Russian-Tongan relations in the interests of the peoples of both countries and strengthen peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region.[92]

  • Russia is accredited to Tonga from its embassy in Canberra, Australia.
  • Tonga does not have an accreditation to Russia.
SamoaSee 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.
South Korea11 September 1970

The Kingdom of Tonga and the Republic of Korea have established diplomatic relations on September 11, 1970.

  • The two countries have good diplomatic relations.
  • The ROK's Investment in Tonga in 2019 was about 2.5 million $.[93]
Turkey26 January 1976[94]See Tonga–Turkey relations
  • Turkish ambassador in Wellington to New Zealand is also accredited to Tonga.[94]
  • Trade volume between the two countries was negligible in 2019.[94]
United Kingdom4 June 1970See Tonga–United Kingdom relations

Tonga established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 4 June 1970.[4]

The UK governed Tonga from 1900 until 1970, when Tonga achieved full independence.

Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have an Investment Agreement.[97]

United States4 October 1972See Tonga–United States relations

The United States and Tonga enjoy close cooperation on a range of international issues. Officers of the American Embassy in Suva, Fiji, are concurrently accredited to Tonga and make periodic visits since the United States has no permanent consular or diplomatic offices in Tonga. Although plans for a US consulate in Tonga were announced in 2008,[98][99] it has yet to be established.[100] In May 2023, the United States announced plans to establish an embassy in Tonga, as part of a larger regional push to strengthen ties with the Pacific.[101]

Peace Corps Volunteers teach and provide technical assistance to Tongans. A large number of Tongans reside in the United States, particularly in Utah, California and Hawaii.[102]

  • Tonga is accredited to the United States from its permanent mission to the United Nations in New York City and has a consulate-general in Burlingame, California.[103]
  • United States has an embassy in Nuku’alofa.
Close

International disputes

In 1972, Tonga laid claim to, and invaded, the tide-washed, isolated Minerva Reefs, some 480 kilometres southwest of Nuku'olofa, to thwart efforts by a private group, Ocean Life Research Foundation, to establish an independent Republic of Minerva (now the Principality of Minerva) on the reefs and surrounding quays. In November 2005, Fiji laid a complaint with the International Seabed Authority claiming ownership of the reefs.[104]

See also

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI