After independence in 1964, Malta followed a policy of close co-operation with NATO countries. Since 1971, the country sought relations with the rest of the world, including communist countries in Eastern Europe and the non-aligned countries.
After substantially increased financial contributions from several NATO countries (including the United States), the Royal Navy remained in the Malta Dockyard until 1979. Following their departure, Malta charted a new course of neutrality and became an active member of the Non-Aligned Movement. The country joined the Non-Aligned Movement in 1973 as the third European member state after Cyprus and SFR Yugoslavia.[1] Malta is an active participant in the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the Council of Europe, OSCE, and various other international organisations. In these forums, Malta has frequently expressed its concern for the peace and economic development of the Mediterranean region.
On May 1, 2004, Malta withdrew from the Non-Aligned Movement and became a full member of the European Union, with which it had an association agreement since 1971. It was one of ten new members which joined on that date. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, at Palazzo Parisio, oversees the direction of Maltese foreign policy. The country has close relations with most sovereign countries, with an emphasis on increased trade and foreign direct investment.
List of countries which Malta maintains diplomatic relations with:[2]
Country | Date | ||
---|---|---|---|
1 | [3] | ||
2 | [4] | ||
3 | [5] | ||
4 | [6] | ||
5 | [7] | ||
6 | [8] | ||
7 | [9] | ||
8 | [10] | ||
9 | [11] | ||
10 | [12] | ||
11 | [13] | ||
12 | [14] | ||
13 | [15] [16] | ||
14 | [17] | ||
— | [18] | ||
15 | [19] | ||
16 | [20] | ||
17 | [21] | ||
18 | [22] | ||
— | [23] | ||
19 | [24] | ||
20 | [25] | ||
21 | [26] | ||
22 | [27] | ||
23 | [28] | ||
24 | [29] | ||
25 | [30] | ||
26 | [31] | ||
27 | [32] | ||
28 | [33] | ||
29 | [34] | ||
30 | [35] | ||
31 | [36] | ||
32 | [37] | ||
33 | [38] | ||
34 | [39] | ||
35 | [40] | ||
36 | [41] | ||
37 | [42] | ||
38 | [43] | ||
39 | [44] | ||
40 | [45] | ||
41 | [46] | ||
42 | [47] | ||
43 | [48] | ||
44 | [49] | ||
45 | [50] | ||
46 | [51] | ||
47 | [52] | ||
48 | [53] | ||
49 | [54] | ||
50 | [55] | ||
51 | [56] | ||
52 | [57] | ||
53 | [58] | ||
54 | [59] | ||
55 | [60] | ||
56 | [61] | ||
57 | [62] | ||
58 | [63] | ||
59 | [64] | ||
60 | [65] | ||
61 | [66] | ||
62 | [67] | ||
63 | [68] | ||
64 | [69] | ||
65 | [70] | ||
66 | [71] | ||
67 | [72] | ||
68 | [73] | ||
69 | [74] | ||
70 | [75] | ||
71 | [76] | ||
72 | [77] | ||
73 | |||
74 | [78] | ||
75 | [79] | ||
76 | [80] | ||
77 | [81] | ||
78 | |||
79 | [82] | ||
80 | [83] | ||
81 | [84] | ||
82 | [85] | ||
83 | |||
84 | |||
85 | [86] | ||
86 | [87] | ||
87 | |||
88 | [88] | ||
89 | |||
90 | [89] | ||
91 | [90] | ||
92 | [91] | ||
93 | [92] | ||
94 | [93] | ||
95 | [94] | ||
96 | [95] | ||
97 | [96] | ||
98 | [97] | ||
99 | [98] | ||
100 | [99] | ||
101 | [100] | ||
102 | [101] | ||
103 | [102] | ||
104 | [103] | ||
105 | [104] | ||
106 | |||
107 | |||
108 | [105] | ||
109 | [106] | ||
110 | |||
111 | [107] | ||
112 | |||
113 | [108] | ||
114 | |||
115 | [109] | ||
116 | [110] | ||
117 | |||
118 | [111] | ||
119 | |||
120 | |||
121 | |||
122 | |||
123 | |||
124 | |||
125 | |||
126 | |||
127 | |||
128 | |||
129 | |||
130 | |||
131 | [112] | ||
132 | |||
133 | [113] | ||
134 | [114] | ||
135 | [115] | ||
136 | [116] | ||
137 | |||
138 | [117] | ||
139 | |||
140 | |||
141 | [118] | ||
142 | |||
143 | |||
144 | [119] | ||
145 | |||
146 | |||
147 | |||
148 | |||
149 | |||
150 | |||
151 | |||
152 | |||
153 | |||
154 | |||
155 | |||
156 | |||
157 | |||
158 | |||
159 | |||
160 | |||
161 | [120] | ||
— | [121] | ||
162 | [122] | ||
163 | |||
164 | |||
165 | |||
166 | [123] | ||
167 | |||
168 | [124] | ||
169 | [125] | ||
170 | |||
171 | [126] [127] | ||
— | [128] | ||
172 | |||
173 | |||
174 | |||
175 | |||
176 | |||
177 | |||
178 | |||
179 | [129] | ||
180 | Unknown | ||
181 | Unknown | ||
182 | Unknown | ||
183 | Unknown | ||
184 | Unknown |
Organization | Formal Relations Began | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
See 2004 enlargement of the European Union Malta joined the European Union as a full member on 1 May 2004. | |||
See Malta–NATO relations Malta is not a member of NATO. |
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Egypt | 4 November 1965 | ||
Gambia | 21 October 1976 | Both countries have a Memorandum on Migration Matters.[132] | |
Ghana | 27 February 1974 | ||
Lesotho | 11 April 2006 |
| |
Libya | 15 June 1965 | see Libya–Malta relations
Malta has enjoyed cordial relations with Libya ever since its Independence. In 1984, a Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation was signed with Gaddafi's regime by Dom Mintoff. This treaty included a security protocol in which Libyan forces agreed to train and arm their Maltese counterparts. Libya supplied Malta with refined crude oil starting in 1975. Libyan nationals did not require visas to enter Malta until 2004. | |
Tunisia | 20 December 1967 |
| |
Uganda | 21 July 2004 |
|
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Argentina | 28 May 1975 |
| |
Brazil | 23 June 1975 |
| |
Canada | 21 December 1964 |
| |
Chile | 11 December 1989 | In July 2017, Maltese President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca paid an official visit to Chile.
| |
Guyana | 12 March 1976 |
| |
Mexico | 29 October 1975 |
| |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 10 December 2004 |
| |
Trinidad and Tobago | 24 September 2009 |
| |
United States | 21 September 1964 | See Malta–United States relations Malta and the United States established full diplomatic relations upon Malta's independence in 1964; overall relations are currently active and cordial. The United States has been sympathetic to Malta's campaign to attract private investment, and some firms operating in Malta have U.S. ownership or investment. These include major hotels, manufacturing and repair facilities, and some offices servicing local and regional operations.
|
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Armenia | 7 June 1993 | ||
China | 31 January 1972 | see China–Malta relations | |
Georgia | 26 February 1993 |
| |
India | 10 March 1965 | see India–Malta relations
| |
Israel | December 1965 |
| |
Kyrgyzstan | 19 February 1993 |
| |
Pakistan | January 1966 |
| |
Saudi Arabia | 1 September 1975 | ||
April 2, 1965[152] | The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Malta began on April 2, 1965.
| ||
Tajikistan | 25 September 2007 |
| |
Turkey | 10 October 1967 | See Malta–Turkey relations
|
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Austria | 9 November 1966 |
| |
Belarus | 16 February 1993 | ||
Belgium | June 1965 | ||
Bulgaria | 11 September 1971 | ||
Croatia | 30 June 1992 |
| |
Cyprus | 13 September 1972 | See Cyprus–Malta relations
| |
Czech Republic | 10 July 1968 and 1 January 1993 |
| |
Denmark | 26 March 1969 |
| |
Estonia | 1 January 1992 |
| |
Finland | 21 February 1969 |
| |
France | 21 September 1964 |
| |
Germany | 16 February 1965 |
| |
Greece | 30 April 1966 | See Greece–Malta relations
| |
15 December 1965 |
| ||
Hungary | 12 December 1970 | ||
Iceland | 3 July 1998 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on July 3, 1998.[170] | |
Ireland | 13 June 1990 |
| |
Italy | See Italy–Malta relations
| ||
22 September 2011 |
| ||
Lithuania | 7 February 1994 |
| |
3 July 1996 |
| ||
Netherlands | 1965 | See Malta–Netherlands relations | |
25 January 2017 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on January 25, 2017.[185] | ||
Poland |
| ||
Portugal | November 1968 | See Malta–Portugal relations | |
Romania | 7 June 1968 |
| |
26 July 1967 | See Malta–Russia relations
| ||
Serbia | 4 June 1968 | See Malta–Serbia relations | |
Slovakia | 1 January 1993 | See Malta–Slovakia relations
| |
Slovenia | 29 June 1992 |
| |
Spain | 10 October 1968 | See Malta–Spain relations
| |
Sweden | June 1969 |
| |
Ukraine | 5 March 1992 | See Malta–Ukraine relations
| |
United Kingdom | 21 September 1964 | See Malta – United Kingdom relations In the 1950s and 1960s, serious consideration was given in both countries to the idea of a political union between the United Kingdom and Malta. However, this plan for "Integration with Britain" foundered, and Malta gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1964. |
Malta has been a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1964, when it became an independent Dominion under the name 'State of Malta'.
Malta became a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations on December 13, 1974, when the last Governor-General of Malta, Sir Anthony Mamo became the first President of Malta.
Malta has been a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992.[208]