Foreign relations of Vanuatu
Encyclopedia
Vanuatu
maintains relations with more than 65 countries, and has a very modest network of diplomatic missions
. However, only Australia
, France
, New Zealand
, and the People's Republic of China
maintain embassies, high commissions, or missions in Port Vila
. The British High Commission closed in 2005 after maintaining a presence for almost a century. However The British Friends of Vanuatu continues the British connection, providing information on developments in Vanuatu through its quarterly newsletter Nabanga and funding a programme of educational and training assistance within Vanuatu. The British Friends of Vanuatu welcomes new members.
The government's main concern has been to bolster the economy. In keeping with its need for financial assistance, Vanuatu has joined the Asian Development Bank
, the World Bank
, the International Monetary Fund
(IMF). According to ABC Radio Australia, "Foreign policy issues that feature in Vanuatu include wide support for the Free West Papua Movement
and broadly for independence throughout Melanesia
, the One China Policy and relations with Australia and New Zealand." On the latter topic, guest worker programmes feature prominently.
) obtained independence from France and the United Kingdom
in 1980. The country's first elected leader, Prime Minister Father Walter Lini
, governed Vanuatu from 1980 to 1991, and shaped its initial foreign policy in distinct ways. The key bases of Lini's foreign policy were non-alignment
and anti-colonialism, support for independence movements around the world - from faraway Western Sahara
to neighbouring New Caledonia
, as well as East Timor
and West Papua, who all received Vanuatu's support at the United Nations
. Vanuatu notably angered Indonesia
by allowing the Free Papua Movement
to open an office in Port-Vila. Vanuatu in the 1980s was the only country in Oceania not to align with the Western bloc
in the dying stages of the Cold War
. Rejecting support either for the West or for the East
, Vanuatu joined the Non-Aligned Movement
in 1983, and only established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union
and the United States
in June and September 1986, respectively.
In keeping with this policy, Vanuatu established diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1983, and with Libya
in 1986. Lini openly condemned the 1986 bombing of Libya by the United States, sending a message of condoleances to Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi
, while Barak Sopé
accused the United States of being a State sponsor of terrorism. The same accusation was levelled by Vanuatu against France after the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior
. Relations with the United States were tense until the late 1980s, when a State visit to Washington
by Lini and Foreign Affairs Minister Sela Molisa
contributed to a lessening of tensions. Relations with France
remained strained throughout the 1980s for a variety of reasons.
Lini's government opposed French nuclear tests at Mururoa, and spoke out repeatedly against apartheid in South Africa
. Vanuatu was a member of the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid. In 1990, Vanuatu's ambassador to the United Nations Robert Van Lierop
remarked proudly: "I think that Vanuatu's contribution to the United Nations is somewhat disproportionate in relation to its size. [...] When the Prime Minister met Nelson Mandela
in Namibia
, Mandela knew about Vanuatu because it has always been among the countries in the region that have most clearly spoken out on the problem of apartheid".
Vanuatu under Walter Lini also sought to create solid relations with Asia
, and, by the end of the decade, had established official diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China
, Japan
, South Korea
, North Korea
, Thailand
, Malaysia, Singapore
, Vietnam
and the Philippines
.
, the francophone
Union of Moderate Parties
became the dominant party in Parliament, and Maxime Carlot Korman
became the country's first francophone Prime Minister. He "reversed [the country's] unequivocal support for the Kanak National Liberation Front
in New Caledonia, its systematic enmity towards France, its flirting with radical regimes, and its openly anti-American nuclear-free Pacific stance." Francophones held power, under Carlot Korman or Serge Vohor
, until 1998.
-based Wong Sze Sing store. The ban was the second in a year. Bread and breakfast cereals produced by Flour Mills of Fiji are the worst-hit.
The Fiji
an government retaliated on 13 June with a threat to impose a total commercial embargo on Vanuatu. Major income-earners for Vanuatu targeted by the Fijian government include Vanuatu kava
, valued at almost US$
3.2 million, and Air Vanuatu
flights (US$
8 million).
, Canada
, Germany
, and various multilateral organizations, such as the Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific, the UN Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank, the European Economic Community
, and the Commonwealth Development Corporation
also provide developmental aid. The United States
, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Japan also send volunteers. Since the mid-2000s, Cuba has been a noted provider of medical aid.
mobile force and also providing patrol boats to patrol Vanuatu's waters. In 1983, Vanuatu and Australia entered into a Defense Cooperation Program together. As part of this program, two Royal Australian Navy
advisers are statiomed in Vanuatu Australia to assist Vanuatu in maintaining and operating the RVS Tukoro, the Pacific class patrol boat
donated to Vanuatu by Australia in 1987. The RVS Tukoro is Vanuatu's primarily maritime police vessel. Australia also provides assistance to the Mobile Force element of the Vanuatu Police Force (VPF), as well as providing support to exercises and infrastructure projects.
Australia is Vanuatu's largest source of foreign direct investment, mostly directed in the areas of tourist development, agriculture and construction. Australia is Vanuatu's largest source of tourists, with Australians making up 2/3 of all long-term tourist visitors and virtually all cruise ship visits. Since 2008, Vanuatu (along with Tonga, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea) has sent seasonal workers to Australia through the Australian government-funded Pacific Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme (PSWPS).
Additionally, Australia is Vanuatu's main source of foreign aid, with the Australian providing A$66 million(US $70.4 million) in 2010-11. In 2004, Australia threatened to cut its aid to Vanuatu when then-Prime Minister Serge Vohor
reappointed officials who had been dismissed after being charged with criminal activity. Vanuatu agreed to Australian demands for more transparent government and anti-corruption steps. The result was that from 2005–2010, Australian aid was governed through the Australia–Vanuatu Joint Development Cooperation Strategy. This was superseded with the signing in May 2009 of the Australia-Vanuatu Partnership for Development. The central focus of the Partnership is for Australia to assist Vanuatu in achieving its UN Millennium Development Goals
(MDG's). The priorities stated in the Partnership are
to
•support increased access and quality of education for boys and girls and equip them with relevant skills and knowledge
•strengthen health services and accelerate progress towards health MDGs
•develop essential infrastructure to support economic growth and service delivery
•progress reform on economic governance
•address equality of opportunity for all men and women and include the needs and priorities of people with disability in development activities (For the full text of the Partnership agreement, please see http://www.ausaid.gov.au/hottopics/pdf/Australia_Vanuatu_Partnership_for_Development.pdf
(Taiwan) in late 2004 when on November 3 Prime Minister Serge Vohor
signed a communiqué in Taipei
with ROC Foreign Minister Mark Chen
. Taipei had offered $30 million in aid in return (compared with the $10 million given by the PRC). Under the One-China policy
, this would result in the severing of ties with the People's Republic of China. However, Vohor did so without consultations with his cabinet and the PRC Foreign Ministry, quoting the Vanuatu Foreign Minister, denied ties with the ROC had been established. The Vanuatu Council of Ministers, in the Prime Minister's absence, announced on November 11 that the communiqué had been withdrawn but a spokesman for the Prime Minister denied this a day later. There were reports that previous attempts by Vohor to travel to Taipei were thwarted amid pressure from Beijing so his latest visit was done secretly on purpose. For a period of few weeks, both the PRC and ROC had diplomatic missions posted in Vanuatu while the Vanuatu government was in internal disagreement. At one point Prime Minister Vohor punched the PRC ambassador when approached to explain why the flag of the Republic of China
was flying over the hotel where the Taiwanese representative was posted. The standoff ended on December 11, 2004 when the parliament passed a motion of no-confidence against Vohor and replaced him with Ham Lini
.
In May 2009, Vanuatu appointed its first ever ambassador to China, former Minister of Finance Willie Jimmy
. Jimmy "call[ed] [...] for China to have a foot firmly planted in the Pacific through Port Vila
", which -the Vanuatu Daily Post
remarked- "no doubt caused ruffled feathers among other foreign diplomatic partners".
. Cuba provides medical aid to Vanuatu, sending doctors to the country and providing scholarships for ni-Vanuatu medical students to study in Cuba. In September 2008, a representative of the ni-Vanuatu government attended the first Cuba-Pacific Islands ministerial meeting in Havana
. The meeting aimed at "strengthening cooperation" between Cuba and Pacific Island countries, notably in coping with the effects of climate change.
on November 27, 1980, as part of its support to the right of self-determination of the peoples. On November 24, 2000 then Foreign affairs minister Serge Vohor announced that Vanuatu suspended that recognition, and started an approach to Morocco;
Vanuatu's government made in July 2008 a statement resuming its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
, Nicaragua
, Venezuela
and Nauru
) to recognise Abkhazia
(a breakaway province of Georgia
) as a sovereign state
. Foreign Affairs Minister Alfred Carlot "offered little explanation for the decision [but] did give hints. He said he had studied at Moscow’s diplomatic academy during Soviet days, giving him a good understanding of the region, and that Vanuatu’s foreign policy aims at “eradicating colonialism from the face of the earth.”" In a press release, Carlot stated: "Vanuatu is neutral; our recognition of Abkhazia does not in any way mean that we cannot have diplomatic relations with the Republic of Georgia. We wish to extend our most sincere invitation to the Republic of Georgia to establish relations with us."
The following month, however, the Vanuatu government of Prime Minister Sato Kilman
was voided by the Supreme Court, on the grounds that Kilman's election in December 2010 had not conformed to constitutional requirements. Former Prime Minister Edward Natapei
became interim prime minister until a new leader could be elected. Natapei promptly withdrew Vanuatu's recognition of Abkhazia, arguing that it had been granted by an illegitimate government, and announced that he would seek to establish diplomatic relations with Georgia, recognising its sovereignty over Abkhazia.
unanimously gave its support to a motion -the Wantok Blong Yumi Bill
- clarifying Vanuatu's foreign policy with regards to West Papuan independence claims from Indonesia
. The bill -tabled by Independent MP Ralph Regenvanu
and supported by Prime Minister Edward Natapei
and opposition leader Maxime Carlot Korman
- committed Vanuatu to recognising West Papua's independence ; to seeking observer status for West Papua in the Melanesian Spearhead Group
and in the Pacific Islands Forum
; and to "request[ing] [United Nations] General Assembly
support for the International Court of Justice
to provide an advisory opinion on the process in which the former Netherlands New Guinea
was ceded to Indonesia in the 1960s".
, the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission
, the South Pacific Tourism Organisation
, the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community
. Vanuatu is 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 http://klima-tuvalu.no/2011/04/13/pacific-islands-fighting-for-their-tuna/. Vanuatu endorsed the Treaty of Rarotonga
(the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty) in 1995. http://www.countrywatch.com/cw_topic.aspx?type=text&vcountry=177&topic=POFOR
in 1980 and to the United Nations
in 1981. Vanuatu is currently the only Pacific nation that belongs to the Non-Aligned Movement
,
Additionally outside the region, Vanuatu is a member or participant of the ACP (Lomé Convention), the Alliance of Small Island States
, 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
, the IMF
, the International Maritime Organization
, the International Olympic Committee
, the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU), the Universal Postal Union
and the World Meteorological Organization
. Vanuatu is also a non-signatory user of Intelsat
and an applicant to the World Trade Organization
.
As with many other nations in Oceania, Vanuatu is not a member of Interpol
or of the International Hydrographic Organization
.
east of New Caledonia
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
maintains relations with more than 65 countries, and has a very modest network of diplomatic missions
Diplomatic missions of Vanuatu
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Vanuatu. The Pacific island state of Vanuatu only has four diplomatic missions abroad.-Multilateral organisations:* New York -External links:...
. However, only Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
maintain embassies, high commissions, or missions in Port Vila
Port Vila
Port Vila is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. Situated on the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, the city population at last was 29,356, an increase of 55% on the previous census result . This suggests a 2007 population of about 40,000 or around 65% of the province's...
. The British High Commission closed in 2005 after maintaining a presence for almost a century. However The British Friends of Vanuatu continues the British connection, providing information on developments in Vanuatu through its quarterly newsletter Nabanga and funding a programme of educational and training assistance within Vanuatu. The British Friends of Vanuatu welcomes new members.
The government's main concern has been to bolster the economy. In keeping with its need for financial assistance, Vanuatu has joined the Asian Development Bank
Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia...
, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF). According to ABC Radio Australia, "Foreign policy issues that feature in Vanuatu include wide support for the Free West Papua Movement
Free Papua Movement
The Free Papua Movement is a militant organisation established in 1965 to encourage and effect the violent overthrow of the current governments in the Papua and West Papua provinces of Indonesia, formerly known as Irian Jaya to secede from Indonesia, and to reject economic development and...
and broadly for independence throughout Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
, the One China Policy and relations with Australia and New Zealand." On the latter topic, guest worker programmes feature prominently.
1980s: the Lini policies
Vanuatu (formerly the New HebridesNew Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
) obtained independence from France and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1980. The country's first elected leader, Prime Minister Father Walter Lini
Walter Lini
Father Walter Hadye Lini was an Anglican priest and the founding Prime Minister of Vanuatu. He was born on Pentecost Island. During the era when Vanuatu was a condominium ruled by the United Kingdom and France, Lini formed the Vanua'aku Pati, which was principally backed by English-speakers...
, governed Vanuatu from 1980 to 1991, and shaped its initial foreign policy in distinct ways. The key bases of Lini's foreign policy were non-alignment
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
and anti-colonialism, support for independence movements around the world - from faraway Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
to neighbouring New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, as well as East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
and West Papua, who all received Vanuatu's support at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. Vanuatu notably angered Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
by allowing the Free Papua Movement
Free Papua Movement
The Free Papua Movement is a militant organisation established in 1965 to encourage and effect the violent overthrow of the current governments in the Papua and West Papua provinces of Indonesia, formerly known as Irian Jaya to secede from Indonesia, and to reject economic development and...
to open an office in Port-Vila. Vanuatu in the 1980s was the only country in Oceania not to align with the Western bloc
Western Bloc
The Western Bloc or Capitalist Bloc during the Cold War refers to the powers allied with the United States and NATO against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact...
in the dying stages of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Rejecting support either for the West or for the East
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
, Vanuatu joined the Non-Aligned Movement
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
in 1983, and only established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union–Vanuatu relations
The Republic of Vanuatu and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established official diplomatic relations on June 30, 1986 - three months to the day before Vanuatu established diplomatic relations with the United States.- Overview :...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in June and September 1986, respectively.
In keeping with this policy, Vanuatu established diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1983, and with Libya
Vanuatu–Libya relations
Libya–Vanuatu relations refer to foreign relations between Vanuatu and Libya. They established official diplomatic relations in 1986, at the initiative of the former...
in 1986. Lini openly condemned the 1986 bombing of Libya by the United States, sending a message of condoleances to Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
, while Barak Sopé
Barak Sopé
Barak Tame Sopé Mautamata is a politician from Vanuatu. He is the leader of the Melanesian Progressive Party and was, until 2008, a member of the ni-Vanuatu parliament from the island of Efate...
accused the United States of being a State sponsor of terrorism. The same accusation was levelled by Vanuatu against France after the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior
Rainbow Warrior
-Vessels:*Rainbow Warrior , a former fishing trawler, acquired by Greenpeace in 1978.**Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, by French intelligence operatives in 1985....
. Relations with the United States were tense until the late 1980s, when a State visit to Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
by Lini and Foreign Affairs Minister Sela Molisa
Sela Molisa
Sela Molisa is a ni-Vanuatu politician. He is currently a member of the Parliament of Vanuatu, and was briefly Minister for Trade in Serge Vohor's Cabinet from April to May 2011...
contributed to a lessening of tensions. Relations with France
France–Vanuatu relations
The French Republic & the Republic of Vanuatu have long-standing bilateral relations which have varied over the years between tense and amicable. Vanuatu, then known as the New Hebrides, was a Franco-British Condominium from 1906 to 1980, and maintained formal relations with both of its former...
remained strained throughout the 1980s for a variety of reasons.
Lini's government opposed French nuclear tests at Mururoa, and spoke out repeatedly against apartheid in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Vanuatu was a member of the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid. In 1990, Vanuatu's ambassador to the United Nations Robert Van Lierop
Robert Van Lierop
Robert Van Lierop, born in Suriname, is a United States and ni-Vanuatu lawyer, diplomat, political activist, filmmaker, writer and photojournalist....
remarked proudly: "I think that Vanuatu's contribution to the United Nations is somewhat disproportionate in relation to its size. [...] When the Prime Minister met Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, Mandela knew about Vanuatu because it has always been among the countries in the region that have most clearly spoken out on the problem of apartheid".
Vanuatu under Walter Lini also sought to create solid relations with Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and, by the end of the decade, had established official diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
1990s: the Carlot Korman and Vohor years
Following the 1991 general electionVanuatuan general election, 1991
General elections were held in Vanuatu on 2 December 1991. Ni-Vanuatu voters were invited to elect the 46 members of the national Parliament....
, the francophone
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Union of Moderate Parties
Union of Moderate Parties
The Union of Moderate Parties is a conservative Francophone political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 7 out of 52 seats...
became the dominant party in Parliament, and Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman is a ni-Vanuatu politician, formerly serving as Speaker of the Parliament and formerly as acting President. He served as Prime minister of Vanuatu for nearly five years, first from 16 December 1991 to 21 December 1995 and again from 23 February 1996 to 30 September 1996...
became the country's first francophone Prime Minister. He "reversed [the country's] unequivocal support for the Kanak National Liberation Front
Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front
The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front is a militant socialist pro-independence alliance of political parties in New Caledonia. It was founded in 1984 at a congress of various political parties, mainly indigenous but also of disgruntled and progressive New Caledonians of European...
in New Caledonia, its systematic enmity towards France, its flirting with radical regimes, and its openly anti-American nuclear-free Pacific stance." Francophones held power, under Carlot Korman or Serge Vohor
Serge Vohor
Rialuth Serge Vohor is a politician from Vanuatu. He hails from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.He is a member of the Union of Moderate Parties, a conservative, Francophone political party. When his party came to power in 1991, Vohor became foreign minister of Vanuatu...
, until 1998.
Overview
The government encourages private enterprise, foreign investment, and producer cooperatives. Like other developing countries, Vanuatu is particularly interested in enterprises that add value to local primary products and that provide employment. In less lucrative sectors, the government sets up its own production companies or enters joint ventures with foreign investors.Tension with Fiji
On 11 March 2005, Vanuatu imposed a ban in biscuit imports, ostensibly to protect its own biscuit manufacturing industry, giving a monopoly on the business to the Espiritu SantoEspiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
-based Wong Sze Sing store. The ban was the second in a year. Bread and breakfast cereals produced by Flour Mills of Fiji are the worst-hit.
The Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an government retaliated on 13 June with a threat to impose a total commercial embargo on Vanuatu. Major income-earners for Vanuatu targeted by the Fijian government include Vanuatu kava
Kava
Kava or kava-kava is a crop of the western Pacific....
, valued at almost US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
3.2 million, and Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu is an airline with its head office in the Air Vanuatu House, Port Vila, Vanuatu. It is Vanuatu's national flag carrier, operating to Australia, New Zealand and points in the South Pacific...
flights (US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
8 million).
Aid
Since 1980, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, and New Zealand have provided the bulk of Vanuatu's development aid. As of March 2008, Australia was Vanuatu's biggest aid provider, followed by France. A number of other countries, including JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and various multilateral organizations, such as the Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific, the UN Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank, the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
, and the Commonwealth Development Corporation
Commonwealth Development Corporation
The Commonwealth Development Corporation, now known as CDC Group plc, is a British development organisation owned by the UK Government...
also provide developmental aid. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Japan also send volunteers. Since the mid-2000s, Cuba has been a noted provider of medical aid.
Relations with Australia
Australia and Vanuatu have very strong ties. Australia has provided the bulk of Vanuatu's military assistance, training its paramilitaryParamilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
mobile force and also providing patrol boats to patrol Vanuatu's waters. In 1983, Vanuatu and Australia entered into a Defense Cooperation Program together. As part of this program, two Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
advisers are statiomed in Vanuatu Australia to assist Vanuatu in maintaining and operating the RVS Tukoro, the Pacific class patrol boat
Pacific class patrol boat
The Pacific class is a class of 22 patrol boats built by Australia and donated to twelve South Pacific countries. Constructed from 1985 to 1997 and operated by militaries, coast guards or police forces of the twelve island nations, these boats are supported by the Pacific Patrol Boat Program...
donated to Vanuatu by Australia in 1987. The RVS Tukoro is Vanuatu's primarily maritime police vessel. Australia also provides assistance to the Mobile Force element of the Vanuatu Police Force (VPF), as well as providing support to exercises and infrastructure projects.
Australia is Vanuatu's largest source of foreign direct investment, mostly directed in the areas of tourist development, agriculture and construction. Australia is Vanuatu's largest source of tourists, with Australians making up 2/3 of all long-term tourist visitors and virtually all cruise ship visits. Since 2008, Vanuatu (along with Tonga, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea) has sent seasonal workers to Australia through the Australian government-funded Pacific Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme (PSWPS).
Additionally, Australia is Vanuatu's main source of foreign aid, with the Australian providing A$66 million(US $70.4 million) in 2010-11. In 2004, Australia threatened to cut its aid to Vanuatu when then-Prime Minister Serge Vohor
Serge Vohor
Rialuth Serge Vohor is a politician from Vanuatu. He hails from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.He is a member of the Union of Moderate Parties, a conservative, Francophone political party. When his party came to power in 1991, Vohor became foreign minister of Vanuatu...
reappointed officials who had been dismissed after being charged with criminal activity. Vanuatu agreed to Australian demands for more transparent government and anti-corruption steps. The result was that from 2005–2010, Australian aid was governed through the Australia–Vanuatu Joint Development Cooperation Strategy. This was superseded with the signing in May 2009 of the Australia-Vanuatu Partnership for Development. The central focus of the Partnership is for Australia to assist Vanuatu in achieving its UN Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
(MDG's). The priorities stated in the Partnership are
to
•support increased access and quality of education for boys and girls and equip them with relevant skills and knowledge
•strengthen health services and accelerate progress towards health MDGs
•develop essential infrastructure to support economic growth and service delivery
•progress reform on economic governance
•address equality of opportunity for all men and women and include the needs and priorities of people with disability in development activities (For the full text of the Partnership agreement, please see http://www.ausaid.gov.au/hottopics/pdf/Australia_Vanuatu_Partnership_for_Development.pdf
Relations with China and Taiwan
Vanuatu briefly recognized the Republic of ChinaRepublic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan) in late 2004 when on November 3 Prime Minister Serge Vohor
Serge Vohor
Rialuth Serge Vohor is a politician from Vanuatu. He hails from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.He is a member of the Union of Moderate Parties, a conservative, Francophone political party. When his party came to power in 1991, Vohor became foreign minister of Vanuatu...
signed a communiqué in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
with ROC Foreign Minister Mark Chen
Mark Chen
Mark Chen Tang-shan , born September 16, 1935, in Tainan County , Taiwan, is a Taiwanese politician, former Secretary-General of the Office of the President of the Republic of China under ex-President Chen Shui-bian. He was also previously Foreign Minister of the ROC from 2004 to 2006...
. Taipei had offered $30 million in aid in return (compared with the $10 million given by the PRC). Under the One-China policy
One-China policy
The One-China policy refers to the policy or view that there is only one state called "China", despite the existence of two governments that claim to be "China"....
, this would result in the severing of ties with the People's Republic of China. However, Vohor did so without consultations with his cabinet and the PRC Foreign Ministry, quoting the Vanuatu Foreign Minister, denied ties with the ROC had been established. The Vanuatu Council of Ministers, in the Prime Minister's absence, announced on November 11 that the communiqué had been withdrawn but a spokesman for the Prime Minister denied this a day later. There were reports that previous attempts by Vohor to travel to Taipei were thwarted amid pressure from Beijing so his latest visit was done secretly on purpose. For a period of few weeks, both the PRC and ROC had diplomatic missions posted in Vanuatu while the Vanuatu government was in internal disagreement. At one point Prime Minister Vohor punched the PRC ambassador when approached to explain why the flag of the Republic of China
Flag of the Republic of China
The Flag of the Republic of China is red with a navy blue canton bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays. In Chinese, the flag is commonly described as Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth to reflect its attributes....
was flying over the hotel where the Taiwanese representative was posted. The standoff ended on December 11, 2004 when the parliament passed a motion of no-confidence against Vohor and replaced him with Ham Lini
Ham Lini
Ham Lini Vanuaroroa is a politician from Vanuatu. He is an MP from Pentecost Island in PENAMA Province. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from 11 December 2004 until 22 September 2008. Lini is the brother of Walter Lini, one of the founders of the modern Republic of Vanuatu...
.
In May 2009, Vanuatu appointed its first ever ambassador to China, former Minister of Finance Willie Jimmy
Willie Jimmy
Willie Jimmy Tapangararua, often just referred to as Willie Jimmy, is a Vanuatu politician with the National United Party.-Career:Jimmy formerly served as Vanuatu's Minister of Finance...
. Jimmy "call[ed] [...] for China to have a foot firmly planted in the Pacific through Port Vila
Port Vila
Port Vila is the capital and largest city of Vanuatu. Situated on the south coast of the island of Efate, in Shefa Province, the city population at last was 29,356, an increase of 55% on the previous census result . This suggests a 2007 population of about 40,000 or around 65% of the province's...
", which -the Vanuatu Daily Post
Vanuatu Daily Post
The Vanuatu Daily Post is a newspaper published in Port Vila in Vanuatu. It is the only daily newspaper in Vanuatu.-External links:**...
remarked- "no doubt caused ruffled feathers among other foreign diplomatic partners".
Relations with Cuba
In the late 2000s, Vanuatu began to strengthen its relations with CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Cuba provides medical aid to Vanuatu, sending doctors to the country and providing scholarships for ni-Vanuatu medical students to study in Cuba. In September 2008, a representative of the ni-Vanuatu government attended the first Cuba-Pacific Islands ministerial meeting in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
. The meeting aimed at "strengthening cooperation" between Cuba and Pacific Island countries, notably in coping with the effects of climate change.
Relations with Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Vanuatu recognized the SADRSahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a partially recognised state that claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony. SADR was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on February 27, 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. The SADR government controls about...
on November 27, 1980, as part of its support to the right of self-determination of the peoples. On November 24, 2000 then Foreign affairs minister Serge Vohor announced that Vanuatu suspended that recognition, and started an approach to Morocco;
Vanuatu's government made in July 2008 a statement resuming its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Relations with Abkhazia
In May 2011, Vanuatu became the fifth country (after RussiaForeign relations of Russia
The foreign relations of Russia is the policy of the Russian government by which it guides the interactions with other nations, their citizens and foreign organizations and sets standards of interaction for Russian organizations, corporations and individual citizens towards them...
, Nicaragua
Foreign relations of Nicaragua
Nicaragua pursues an independent foreign policy. A participant of the Central American Security Commission , Nicaragua also has taken a leading role in pressing for regional demilitarization and peaceful settlement of disputes within states in the region....
, Venezuela
Foreign relations of Venezuela
The foreign relations of Venezuela have since the early twentieth century been particularly strong with the United States. However with the election of Hugo Chávez as President of Venezuela in 1998, the foreign policy of the Hugo Chávez government has differed substantially from that of previous...
and Nauru
Foreign relations of Nauru
Nauru, following independence from the United Kingdom, became a sovereign, independent republic on 31 January 1968. Nauru has established diplomatic relations with a number of nations, including most of its Pacific neighbors with which it maintains economic, cultural and administrative ties with...
) to recognise Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
(a breakaway province of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
) as a sovereign state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
. Foreign Affairs Minister Alfred Carlot "offered little explanation for the decision [but] did give hints. He said he had studied at Moscow’s diplomatic academy during Soviet days, giving him a good understanding of the region, and that Vanuatu’s foreign policy aims at “eradicating colonialism from the face of the earth.”" In a press release, Carlot stated: "Vanuatu is neutral; our recognition of Abkhazia does not in any way mean that we cannot have diplomatic relations with the Republic of Georgia. We wish to extend our most sincere invitation to the Republic of Georgia to establish relations with us."
The following month, however, the Vanuatu government of Prime Minister Sato Kilman
Sato Kilman
Sato Kilman is a Vanuatu politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from December 2010 to April 2011 and from May to June 2011, though his premiership was subsequently annulled by a court of law. He was elected Prime Minister again on 26 June 2011, thus beginning his first legally recognised term...
was voided by the Supreme Court, on the grounds that Kilman's election in December 2010 had not conformed to constitutional requirements. Former Prime Minister Edward Natapei
Edward Natapei
Edward Nipake Natapei Tuta Fanua`araki is a politician from Vanuatu. He was elected Prime Minister of Vanuatu on two separate terms, and was previously the Minister of Foreign Affairs briefly in 1991, the acting President of Vanuatu from 2 March 1999 to 24 March 1999 , and Deputy Prime Minister...
became interim prime minister until a new leader could be elected. Natapei promptly withdrew Vanuatu's recognition of Abkhazia, arguing that it had been granted by an illegitimate government, and announced that he would seek to establish diplomatic relations with Georgia, recognising its sovereignty over Abkhazia.
Wantok Blong Yumi Bill: recognition of West Papua
In June 2010, the Parliament of VanuatuParliament of Vanuatu
The Parliament is the unicameral legislative body of the Republic of Vanuatu.It was established by chapter 4 of the 1980 Constitution, upon Vanuatu's independence from France and the United Kingdom....
unanimously gave its support to a motion -the Wantok Blong Yumi Bill
Wantok Blong Yumi Bill
The Wantok Blong Yumi Bill was a bill unanimously adopted by the Parliament of Vanuatu in June 2010. It was derived from a "People’s Petition", tabled in Parliament by Independent MP Ralph Regenvanu...
- clarifying Vanuatu's foreign policy with regards to West Papuan independence claims from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. The bill -tabled by Independent MP Ralph Regenvanu
Ralph Regenvanu
Ralph John Regenvanu is a ni-Vanuatu anthropologist, artist and politician. He has been a Member of Parliament since September 2008, a member of Cabinet for most of the period since December 2010, and was the Director of the Vanuatu National Cultural Council from 1995 until December 2010.He has...
and supported by Prime Minister Edward Natapei
Edward Natapei
Edward Nipake Natapei Tuta Fanua`araki is a politician from Vanuatu. He was elected Prime Minister of Vanuatu on two separate terms, and was previously the Minister of Foreign Affairs briefly in 1991, the acting President of Vanuatu from 2 March 1999 to 24 March 1999 , and Deputy Prime Minister...
and opposition leader Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman
Maxime Carlot Korman is a ni-Vanuatu politician, formerly serving as Speaker of the Parliament and formerly as acting President. He served as Prime minister of Vanuatu for nearly five years, first from 16 December 1991 to 21 December 1995 and again from 23 February 1996 to 30 September 1996...
- committed Vanuatu to recognising West Papua's independence ; to seeking observer status for West Papua in the Melanesian Spearhead Group
Melanesian Spearhead Group
The Melanesian Spearhead Group is an intergovernmental organization, composed of the four Melanesian states of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu as well as the FLNKS of New Caledonia. It was founded as a political gathering in 1983...
and in the Pacific Islands Forum
Pacific Islands Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum...
; and to "request[ing] [United Nations] General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
support for the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
to provide an advisory opinion on the process in which the former Netherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea
Netherlands New Guinea refers to the West Papua region while it was an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. Until 1949 it was a part of the Netherlands Indies. It was commonly known as Dutch New Guinea...
was ceded to Indonesia in the 1960s".
Relations by country
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Cuba |
1983 | See Cuba–Vanuatu relations Cuba–Vanuatu relations Relations between Vanuatu and Cuba began shortly after the former gained its independence from France and the United Kingdom in 1980, and began establishing its own foreign policy as a newly independent state... Vanuatu and Cuba established official diplomatic relations in 1983. |
 Early Modern France |
1980 | See France–Vanuatu relations France–Vanuatu relations The French Republic & the Republic of Vanuatu have long-standing bilateral relations which have varied over the years between tense and amicable. Vanuatu, then known as the New Hebrides, was a Franco-British Condominium from 1906 to 1980, and maintained formal relations with both of its former...
|
 India |
1983 | See India–Vanuatu relations
|
 Libya |
1986 | See Libya–Vanuatu relations
Walter Lini Father Walter Hadye Lini was an Anglican priest and the founding Prime Minister of Vanuatu. He was born on Pentecost Island. During the era when Vanuatu was a condominium ruled by the United Kingdom and France, Lini formed the Vanua'aku Pati, which was principally backed by English-speakers... , was based on refusing alignment with either bloc in the context of the Cold War Cold War The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States... , distinguishing it from every other country of Oceania Oceania Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago... , aligned with the West. |
 People's Republic of China |
1982-03-26 | See People's Republic of China – Vanuatu relations
|
 Russia |
1986-06-30 | See Russia–Vanuatu relations Russia–Vanuatu relations The Republic of Vanuatu and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established official diplomatic relations on June 30, 1986 - three months to the day before Vanuatu established diplomatic relations with the United States... |
 United States |
1986-09-30 | See United States – Vanuatu relations
United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... and Vanuatu Vanuatu Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was... established diplomatic relations on September 30, 1986 - three months to the day after Vanuatu had established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union Soviet Union The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991.... . |
Regional relations
Vanuatu maintains strong regional ties in the Pacific. It is a full member of the Pacific Islands ForumPacific Islands Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum...
, the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission
South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission
The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission is an inter-governmental regional organisation dedicated to providing services to promote sustainable development in the countries it serves.-Members:...
, the South Pacific Tourism Organisation
South Pacific Tourism Organisation
south-pacific.travel is the mandated inter-governmental body for the tourism sector in the South Pacific. It markets, promotes and develops Tourism in the South Pacific in overseas markets...
, the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
Pacific Regional Environment Programme
The Pacific Regional Environment Programme is an intergovernmental organisation charged with promoting cooperation, supporting protection and improvement of the Pacific islands environment, and ensuring its sustainable development...
and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community
Secretariat of the Pacific Community
The Secretariat of the Pacific Community, or SPC , is a regional intergovernmental organisation whose membership includes both nations and territories...
. Vanuatu is 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 http://klima-tuvalu.no/2011/04/13/pacific-islands-fighting-for-their-tuna/. Vanuatu endorsed the Treaty of Rarotonga
Treaty of Rarotonga
The Treaty of Rarotonga is the common name for the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, which formalizes a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the South Pacific...
(the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty) in 1995. http://www.countrywatch.com/cw_topic.aspx?type=text&vcountry=177&topic=POFOR
Extra-regional organizational relations
Vanuatu has been a member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie since 1979 (the year before it gained independence from France). Vanuatu was admitted to the Commonwealth of NationsCommonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
in 1980 and to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in 1981. Vanuatu is currently the only Pacific nation that belongs to the Non-Aligned Movement
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
,
Additionally outside the region, Vanuatu is a member or participant of the ACP (Lomé Convention), the Alliance of Small Island States
Alliance of Small Island States
Alliance of Small Island States is an intergovernmental organization of low-lying coastal and small Island countries. Established in 1990, the main purpose of the alliance is to consolidate the voices of Small Island Developing States to address global warming...
, Asian Development Bank
Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia...
, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
(FAO), the G-77
Group of 77
The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has...
, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of five institutions that compose the World Bank Group. The IBRD is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by World War II. Now, its mission has expanded to fight...
, the International Civil Aviation Organization
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
, the International Development Association
International Development Association
The International Development Association , is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. It complements the World Bank's other lending arm — the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — which serves middle-income countries with capital investment and...
, the International Finance Corporation
International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
, the IMF
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
, the International Maritime Organization
International Maritime Organization
The International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...
, the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
, the International Telecommunication Union
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
(ITU), the Universal Postal Union
Universal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...
and the World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
. Vanuatu is also a non-signatory user of Intelsat
Intelsat
Intelsat, Ltd. is a communications satellite services provider.Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization , it was—from 1964 to 2001—an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international broadcast...
and an applicant to the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
.
As with many other nations in Oceania, Vanuatu is not a member of Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
or of the International Hydrographic Organization
International Hydrographic Organization
The International Hydrographic Organization is the inter-governmental organisation representing the hydrographic community. It enjoys observer status at the UN and is the recognised competent authority on hydrographic surveying and nautical charting...
.
International disputes
Vanuatu claims Matthew Island and Hunter IslandHunter Island
Hunter Island may refer to:Australia* Hunter Island ** Hunter Island Group Important Bird AreaCanada* Hunter Island * Hunter Island Elsewhere* Hunter Island, New York* Hunter Island...
east of New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...