Foreign relations of Malawi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Malawi's former President Bakili Muluzi continued the pro-Western foreign policy established by his predecessor, Hastings Banda. It maintains excellent diplomatic relations with principal Western countries. Malawi's close relations with South Africa throughout the apartheid era strained its relations with other African nations. Following the collapse of apartheid in 1994, Malawi developed, and currently maintains, strong diplomatic relations with all African countries.

Bilateral donors

Important bilateral donors include Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Republic of China (Taiwan), the United Kingdom, and the United States. Multilateral donors include the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union, the African Development Bank, and the United Nations organizations.

SADC

Malawi assumed the chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in 2001. Muluzi took an active role in SADC on issues such as the global coalition against terrorism and land reform in Zimbabwe.

ACP

Malawi has been a member of the ACP group since Lomé I and is also a party to the Cotonou Agreement, the partnership agreement between the European Community/European Union and 77 states from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Memberships in international organizations

Malawi is a member of the following international organizations: the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Nations and some of its specialized and related agencies (i.e. UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO), IMF, World Bank, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Berne Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, Organization of African Unity (OAU), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Lomé Convention, African Development Bank (AFDB), Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Non-Aligned Movement, G-77, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Malawi 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).

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Malawi maintains diplomatic relations with:

More information #, Country ...
# Country Date
1 United Kingdom 6 July 1964[1]
2 France 6 July 1964[2]
3 Germany 6 July 1964[3]
4 United States 6 July 1964[4]
5 Ghana 8 July 1964[5]
6 Israel 15 July 1964[6]
7 Ethiopia 30 July 1964[7]
8 India 19 October 1964[8]
9 Egypt 25 November 1964[9]
10 Norway 9 March 1965[10]
11 South Korea 9 March 1965[11]
12 Portugal 27 May 1965[8]
13 Kenya 28 September 1965[12]
14 Austria 2 December 1965[13]
15 Netherlands 16 December 1965[14]
16 Pakistan 1965[15]
17 Belgium 28 January 1966[16]
— Holy See 5 February 1966[17]
18 Denmark 22 February 1966[18]
19 Sweden 31 March 1966[19]
20  Switzerland 19 May 1966[8]
21 Japan 17 June 1966[8]
22 Italy 20 September 1966[8]
23 Botswana 1 July 1967[20]
24 South Africa 10 September 1967[21]
25 Turkey 4 August 1969[22]
26 Nigeria 29 November 1969[23]
27 Greece 30 April 1970[24]
28 Zambia 15 September 1970[25]
29 Spain 27 October 1972[26]
30 Canada 12 February 1974[27]
31 Cameroon 10 September 1974[28]
32 Lesotho 4 September 1976[29]
33 Luxembourg 28 October 1980[30]
34 Democratic Republic of the Congo November 1980[31][32]
35 Algeria 19 June 1981[33]
36 Mozambique 1 July 1981[34]
37 Zimbabwe 17 July 1981[34]
38 Uganda 1981[35]
39 North Korea 25 June 1982[36]
40 Grenada 1982[34]
41 Australia 1 July 1983[37]
42 Tanzania 16 May 1985[38]
43 Albania 11 July 1985[39]
44 Romania 15 July 1985[40]
45 Finland 1 May 1986[34]
46 Thailand 1 June 1987[41]
47 Namibia 21 March 1990[42]
48 Brazil 23 August 1990[43]
49 Chile 30 November 1990[44]
50 Hungary 26 December 1990[45]
51 Czech Republic 20 March 1991[46]
52 Malaysia 6 November 1991[47]
53 Poland 10 July 1992[48]
54 Russia 2 November 1993[34]
55 Angola 9 November 1993[34]
56 Slovakia 30 December 1993[49]
57 Bulgaria 23 November 1994[34]
58 Kuwait 19 June 1995[50]
59 Iran 18 February 1996[51]
60 United Arab Emirates 12 June 1996[52]
61 Cuba 10 December 1997[53]
62 Serbia 13 February 1998[54]
63 Libya 15 February 1998[55]
64 Turkmenistan 20 February 1998[34]
65 Colombia 30 March 1998[34]
66 Trinidad and Tobago 21 April 1998[34]
67 Bahrain 9 June 1998[34]
68 Iceland 14 August 1998[56]
69 Singapore 24 August 1998[34]
70 Latvia 10 September 1998[34]
— State of Palestine 23 October 1998[57]
71 Croatia 13 November 1998[34]
72 Mexico 10 December 1998[34]
73 Ukraine 22 December 1998[34]
74 Argentina 11 March 1999[34]
75 Jordan 23 June 1999[34]
76 Saudi Arabia 15 August 1999[58]
77 North Macedonia 27 September 1999[34]
78 Jamaica 30 September 1999[59]
79 Sudan 12 April 2000[60]
80 Cyprus 22 June 2000[34]
81 Brunei 11 October 2000[61]
82 Morocco 31 January 2001[62]
83 Mauritius 9 February 2001[34]
84 Philippines 3 May 2001[34]
85 Seychelles 22 May 2001[34]
86 Rwanda 26 June 2001[63]
87 Belarus 13 July 2001[34]
— Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (cancelled) 24 March 2002[64][65]
88 Ireland 2002[66]
89 Azerbaijan 21 May 2004[34]
90 Venezuela 31 January 2007[67]
91 China 28 December 2007[68]
92 Liberia 26 February 2009[69]
93 Sri Lanka 9 June 2011[70]
94 Fiji 25 June 2011[71]
95 Estonia 19 July 2011[72]
96 Cambodia 20 July 2011[34]
97 Malta 21 July 2011[73]
98 Slovenia 21 July 2011[74]
99 Montenegro 16 September 2011[34]
100 Georgia 19 September 2011[34]
101 South Sudan 26 September 2011[34]
102 Bosnia and Herzegovina 18 October 2011[34]
103 Lithuania 18 November 2011[75]
104 Mongolia 21 December 2011[34]
105 Burkina Faso 2011[76]
106 Armenia 20 January 2012[34]
107 Myanmar 30 January 2012[77]
108 Bangladesh 15 March 2012[78]
109 Monaco 31 July 2012[79]
110 Qatar 26 September 2012[80]
111 New Zealand 20 March 2013[81]
112 Indonesia 29 September 2014[82]
113 Niger 8 March 2016[83][84]
114 Sierra Leone 8 March 2016[83][84]
115 Senegal 9 March 2016[85]
116 Burundi 4 April 2016[86]
— Kosovo 20 July 2016[87]
117 Oman 7 December 2016[34]
118 Tunisia 3 May 2017[88]
119 Eritrea 20 July 2017[89]
120 Lebanon 18 October 2017[90]
121 Benin 19 February 2019[91]
122 Gambia 19 September 2019[92]
123 Kyrgyzstan 22 September 2022[93]
124 Maldives 24 September 2022[34]
125 Nicaragua 25 September 2022[94]
126 Comoros 7 October 2022[95]
127 Republic of the Congo 18 October 2022[96]
128 Mauritania 18 October 2022[97][98]
129   Nepal 16 February 2023[34]
130 Mali 2 August 2023[99]
131 Dominican Republic 1 November 2023[34]
132 San Marino 8 December 2023[34]
133 Iraq 27 June 2024[100]
134 Vietnam 23 September 2024[34]
135 Bahamas 22 October 2024[101]
136 Chad 26 November 2024[102]
137 Somalia 3 July 2025[103]
138 Eswatini Unknown
139 Madagascar Unknown
140 Peru Unknown[104]
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Bilateral Relations

More information Country, Formal Relations Began ...
Country Formal Relations Began Notes
Australia1 July 1983
Botswana1 July 1967

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 July 1967 when first High Commissioner of Botswana Mr. H. Mannathoko presented his credentials to President of Malawi.[20]

Both countries are full members of the Southern African Development Community, Commonwealth of Nations and of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Canada12 February 1974
  • Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 February 1974[27]
  • Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
China28 December 2007

Hastings Banda recognized the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1967. In January 2008, Malawi switched this recognition to the People's Republic of China. Archived 29 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine

Since 2008 there has been a significant shift by the Malawian government towards accepting investment from China.[106] Potentially this may be part of a wider power struggle between the East and West in Africa.[107]

Greece30 April 1970
India19 October 1964See India–Malawi relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 October 1964 when has been accredited Acting High Commissioner of India to Malawi Mr. Dileep S. Kamtekar.[8]

Iran 5 April 1971 Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 April 1971.[109] But diplomatic relations were severed on 11 February 1979 and re-established on 18 February 1996.[51]
Israel15 July 1964See Israel–Malawi relations
Mexico10 December 1998
  • Malawi is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States.[110]
  • Mexico is accredited to Malawi from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa.[111]
Mozambique1 July 1981See Malawi–Mozambique relations

Between 1985 and 1995, Malawi accommodated more than a million refugees from Mozambique. The refugee crisis placed a substantial strain on Malawi's economy but also drew significant inflows of international assistance. The accommodation and eventual repatriation of the Mozambicans is considered a major success by international organizations.

Philippines3 May 2001

Neither country has an embassy in each other's territories. The Philippines's embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, is accredited to Malawi; on the other hand, Malawi's embassy in Tokyo, Japan, is accredited to the Philippines.

As of 25 May 2018, the date of presentation of credentials of Philippine non-resident ambassador Uriel Norman Garibay to President Arthur Peter Mutharika, there are 41 Filipino nationals residing in Malawi, mainly in Blantyre and Lilongwe.[112]

Poland10 July 1992See Malawi–Poland relations
Qatar 26 September 2012 Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 September 2012 when Ambassador of Malawi to Qatar (resident in Kuwait City) Mr. Yunis Abdul Karim has presented his credentials.[80]
Rwanda26 June 2001

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 June 2001 when accredited first Ambassador of Rwanda to Malawi (resident in Dar es Salaam) Mr. Zephyr Mutanguha[63]

In 1996, Malawi received a number of Rwandan and Congolese refugees seeking asylum. The government did not turn away refugees, but it did invoke the principle of "first country of asylum." Under this principle, refugees who requested asylum in another country first, or who had the opportunity to do so would not subsequently be granted asylum in Malawi. There were no reports of the forcible repatriation of refugees.

South Africa10 September 1967See Malawi–South Africa relations

The colonial structures of Malawian labour export to South African mines continued after Malawi achieved independence in 1964. Led by dictator Hastings Banda, Malawi was the only African country to maintain close relations with White-ruled South Africa until the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela. Malawians were viewed as important workers in the South African mines due to their "skills, work discipline and lack of militancy"[113] From 1988 to 1992, around 13,000 Malawian migrant laborers were forcefully repatriated out of South Africa. Officially, this was because 200 Malawians had tested positive for HIV in the previous two years, but many believe that it was due to the need for retrenchment of laborers during a crisis in South Africa's mining industry.[113]

Since South Africa and Malawi had their first democratic elections in 1994, Malawi and South Africa have enhanced relations. In 2008, the two governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding designed to enhance the relationship between the two countries through enhanced security cooperation.[114]

South Korea9 March 1965

In 2011 Bilateral Trade between both nations totaled US$31 million.[115]

Turkey4 August 1969
  • Embassy of Malawi in Berlin is accredited to Turkey.[116]
  • Turkish Embassy in Lusaka is accredited to Malawi.[116]
  • Trade volume between the two countries was US$21 million in 2019 (Malawi's exports/imports: 16.4/4.67 million USD).[116]
Ukraine22 December 1998See Malawi–Ukraine relations
United Kingdom6 July 1964[failed verification]See Malawi–United Kingdom relations

Malawi established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 6 July 1964.[8][failed verification]

The UK governed Malawi from 1893 until 1964, when Malawi gained full independence.

Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, the International Criminal Court, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Development Partnership,[119] and a Double Taxation Agreement.[120]

Historical ties make the UK historically one of the more important donors and supporters of Malawi. However, the expulsion of the UK's High Commissioner in April 2011 may change this relationship. Since the expulsion the UK has suspended direct government aid,[121] citing concerns over governance and human rights.

United States6 July 1964See Malawi–United States relations
See also: Cochrane-Dyet 2011 Cable Controversy

The transition from a one-party state to a multi-party democracy significantly strengthened the already cordial U.S. relationship with Malawi. Significant numbers of Malawians study in the United States. The United States has an active Peace Corps program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, and an Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in Malawi.

In July 2011, the United States suspended direct funding. The US government agency responsible, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, suspended aid because it was 'deeply upset' by the deaths of the 19 people during the July protests.[122]

Zimbabwe 17 July 1981 Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 July 1981 when has been appointed first High Commissioner of Malawi to Zimbabwe Mr. M. A. Banda and open High Commission of Malawi in Harare.[123]
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Malawi and the Commonwealth of Nations

Malawi became a full member of the Commonwealth of Nations on independence from the United Kingdom in 1964. Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, was Queen of Malawi, represented by the Governor-General of Malawi, until the country became a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations in 1966, when the then Prime Minister of Malawi, Hastings Banda, declared himself the first President of Malawi.

See also

References

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