Foreign relations of Liberia

Liberian foreign relations were traditionally stable and cordial throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries, with a significant relationship with the United States, sharing close relations until the 1970s.

Stabilization in the 21st century brought a return to cordial relations with neighboring countries and much of the Western world. Liberia holds diplomatic relations with many western nations, including its long time partner the United States, as well as Russia, Cuba, and the People's Republic of China.

Diplomatic relations

List of countries with which Liberia maintains diplomatic relations:

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|—

|131

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|142

|Unknown

Bilateral relations

Africa

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|||6 March 1959||

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 6 March 1959 when Mr. Edward Peal, the Liberian Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea, presented his credentials to President S. Toure.

The First Liberian Civil War, instigated by Charles Taylor and the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) on December 24, 1989, eventually spread to neighboring Sierra Leone in 1991 when dissidents of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), led by Foday Sankoh, began using Liberia as a staging ground for NPFL backed military assaults on border towns in Sierra Leone.

By 1992, 120,000 people had fled from Sierra Leone to Guinea due to the RUF's practice of targeting civilians. In 2001, Liberian forces along with the RUF began attacking and burning refugee camps and Guinean villages along the border. In an inflammatory speech the Guinean president Lansana Conté, blamed the refugees for the border destabilization and alleged that the vast majority of refugees were rebels.

Guinea has an embassy in Monrovia.
Liberia has an embassy in Conakry.

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|||1 April 1974||See Liberia–Libya relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 April 1974.

Liberia's relationship with Libya has been characterized by Muammar Gaddafi's attempts at bringing Liberia under greater Libyan influence. Relations under the Doe administration were poor, owing to efforts by the United States to undermine Gaddafi's leverage, and Doe's cynicism of the Libyan leader's intentions. Gaddafi financially and militarily backed rebel leader Charles Taylor, under whose regime Liberia sought closer relations with Libya. After Taylor was ousted in 2003, Liberia continued to maintain diplomatic relations with Libya, only severing them after the onset of the Libyan Civil War, and just recently reestablishing them.

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|||28 April 1990||

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 April 1990

In 1960, Liberia and Ethiopia brought litigation against apartheid South Africa in the International Court of Justice to end its illegal occupation of Namibia. As part of Liberia's support for Namibia's liberation struggle, many Namibian students received Liberian passports which helped them study abroad.

As of July 2008, a total of 5,900 Namibia Defence Force troops had been rotated through Liberia as part of the United Nations Mission in Liberia. Namibia maintained a battalion of about 800 personnel in Grand Cape Mount county for several years, for most of the period part of UNMIL Sector 2, headquartered at Tubmanburg. In May 2005, Namibian troops were accused of sexual exploitation of young girls and women; three Namibian soldiers were sent home from the force after a United Nations investigation found them guilty of "engaging in sexual activity with civilians", which is against United Nations rules for peacekeepers.

Liberia is accredited to Namibia from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa.
Namibia is accredited to Liberia from its high commission in Abuja, Nigeria.

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Liberia began recognizing the SADR on 31 July 1985.
Liberia revoked its recognition in September 1997.

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|||8 June 1962||

See Liberia-Sierra Leone relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 8 June 1962 when has been appointed first ambassador of Liberia to Sierra Leone Mr. Henry B. Fahnbulleh.

Haiti and Liberia recognized each other in 1864.
The two countries established treaties of friendship and commerce the same year.
Liberia is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States.
Mexico is accredited to Liberia from its embassy in Accra, Ghana.

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|||23 February 1864||Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 February 1864

See Liberia–United States relations

U.S. relations with Liberia date back to 1819 when the US Congress appropriated $100,000 for the establishment of Liberia. After official US recognition of Liberia in 1862, the two nations shared very close ties until strains in the 1970s due to Liberia's establishment of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries.

During the 1980s, the United States forged especially close ties with Liberia as part of a Cold War effort to suppress socialist and Marxist movements in Africa. Liberia received between $500 million and $1.3 billion during the 1980s from the United States government.

The rise of Charles Taylor's government, the Liberian Civil War, regional instability and human rights abuses interrupted the previously close relations between Liberia and the United States. The United States cut direct financial and military aid to the Liberian government, withdrew Peace Corps operations, imposed a travel ban on senior Liberian Government officials, and frequently criticized Charles Taylor's government. Due to intense pressure from the international community and the United States, Charles Taylor resigned his office on August 11, 2003. and 200 marines as well as warships were sent to Monrovia's airport to support the peace-keeping effort. The United States committed $1.16 billion to Liberia between 2004 and 2006. In 2009, A 17.5 million dollar contract to support elections was offered to Liberia with International Foundation for Electoral Systems as the conduit. This money is meant to support the presidential election of 2011 and the general election of 2014. The PRC broke off relations with Liberia on October 10, 1989, in response to Liberia's recognition of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Taiwan had offered $200 million in aid to Liberia for education and infrastructure in exchange for this recognition. The PRC reestablished relations with Liberia on August 10, 1993, and opened an embassy in Monrovia, making Liberia one of the few nations with established diplomatic ties to both the PRC and ROC. In 1997, Charles Taylor's government proclaimed to recognize "two Chinas" and the PRC subsequently severed diplomatic relations.

Liberia dropped diplomatic relations with the ROC on October 12, 2003, and reestablished ties with the People's Republic of China. This move was seen largely as a result of the PRC's lobbying in the UN and plans to deploy a peacekeeping force in Liberia.

China has an embassy in Monrovia.
Liberia has an embassy in Beijing.

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|||7 July 1960||See India–Liberia relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 7 July 1960

Indian-Liberian relations have traditionally been strong and cordial with Liberia's full-fledged support for India's stand on Kashmir and India's aspiration for permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council. In recent years, both nations have developed close and extensive cooperation in trade, military and strategic fields.

Amidst India's growing role in Liberia, the Liberian Minister of Mines and Energy, Dr. Eugene Shannon visited India in October 2005 to participate in the Confederation of Indian Industry-Africa Conclave. In 2008, the President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was invited to visit India. Major items of Indian exports include engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, two wheelers, transportation equipment, steel and plastic products. Major items of imports are gold, diamonds, timber and metal scrap. Following lifting of United Nations sanctions, timber concessions have been awarded to Indian firms. Overall, Indian investments in Liberia have been increased from US$450 million in 2005 to an estimated $2 billion in 2009.

India has an embassy in Monrovia.
Liberia maintains an honorary consulate in New Delhi.

|2 June 1975

|Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 June 1975 In 2023, an Iranian drone struck the Liberian flagged chemical tanker Chem Pluto.

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|||22 August 1957||See Israel–Liberia relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 August 1957.

Liberia and Israel established ties in 1957 with the accreditation of Israeli ambassador Ehud Avriel.
Liberia severed ties with Israel over the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
Relations are re-established in 1983.
On 8 June 2022, Liberia announced its plans to open a trade office in Jerusalem, which is to become an embassy.

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|||18 March 1964||

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 March 1964

In 2001 Bilateral Trade were Exports $7,350,000,000 (Ships, Automobile) Imports $1,270,000 (Used Ships, Mineral Fuel).

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||| 1 August 1958||See Liberia–Turkey relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 August 1958

Embassy of Liberia in Brussels is accredited to Turkey.
Turkish Embassy in Accra is accredited to Liberia.
Liberia is accredited to Vietnam through its embassy in Beijing, China.

Europe

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|||20 April 1852||See France–Liberia relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 20 April 1852

France recognized Liberia in 1852.
France has an embassy in Monrovia.
Liberia has an embassy in Paris.

|23 July 1953

|Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 July 1953

See Germany–Liberia relations

Liberia has an embassy in Berlin.
Germany has an embassy in Monrovia.

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|||3 May 1949||Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 May 1949.

27 March 1936 has been accredited Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Liberia to the Netherlands Baron Otto van den Bogaerde van Terbrugge.

The Netherlands recognized Liberia in 1862.

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|||7 June 1972||

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 7 June 1972.

Liberia and Russia resumed bilateral relations in March 2010 and cited a recent exploration of mine by a Russian company as a sign of future trade relations.

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|||15 May 1950||See Liberia–Spain relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 May 1950

Liberia is accredited to Spain from its embassy in Paris, France.
Spain is accredited to Liberia from its embassy in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

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|||1 August 1849||See Liberia–United Kingdom relations

thumb|right|[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister David Cameron with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in London, November 2012.]]

Liberia established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 1 August 1849.

Liberia maintains an embassy in London.
The United Kingdom is accredited to Liberia through its embassy in Monrovia.

Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic Co-operation Pact, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Development Partnership. and a Tax Information Exchange Agreement.

The UK was amongst the first countries to recognise the new republic. After the visit to the UK in 1848 of President Roberts, Queen Victoria put the Royal Navy ship HMS Amazon at the disposal of him and his family, for his return journey to Liberia.

In 1961, Queen Elizabeth II made a state visit to Liberia, arriving at Monrovia on the HMY Britannia. President Tubman made a gift of two Pygmy hippopotamus, which arrived by cargo ship in 1962 and were sent to Whipsnade Zoo.

In 1962, President Tubman and his wife visited the UK.

Diplomatic Agreements

Liberia is a founding member of the United Nations (see Permanent Representative of Liberia to the United Nations) and its specialized agencies and is a member of the African Union (AU), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Development Bank (ADB), Mano River Union (MRU) and the Non-Aligned Movement. Liberia 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).

Foreign relations of Liberia

Diplomatic relations

Bilateral relations

Africa

Europe

Diplomatic Agreements

See also

References