Foreign relations of Liberia

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 September 2017[1]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 September 2008.[2]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 April 2016.[4]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 February 2010.[5]

Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1925.[6]

Relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Liberia have been broken and reestablished several times since February 17, 1977, when diplomatic relations between the PRC and Liberia were first formed.[7] The PRC broke off relations with Liberia on October 10, 1989 in response to Liberia's recognition of the Republic of China (Taiwan).[8]

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.[9] In 1997, Charles Taylor's government proclaimed to recognize "two Chinas" and the PRC subsequently severed diplomatic relations.[10]

Liberia dropped diplomatic relations with the ROC on October 12, 2003 and reestablished ties with the People's Republic of China.[11] 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.[12]

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

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 September 1988.[13]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 November 2000.[15]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 31 March 1980.[16]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 November 2012.[17]

• France recognized Liberia in 1852.[18]
• France has an embassy in Monrovia.
• Liberia has an embassy in Paris.

See Germany–Liberia relations

• Liberia has an embassy in Berlin.
• Germany has an embassy in Monrovia.[21]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 March 2010.[22]

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.[23][24][25]

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.[23]

He called for the Guinean population to defend its nation. This call precipitated attacks, beatings, rapes, and abductions of refugees by Guinean police and military forces. This reversal of Guinea's previously open policy towards refugees, further escalated the refugee crisis as refugees attempted to cross back through RUF territory.[24] By 2002, the United Nations estimated that three million people, or one in five people of the Mano River Union countries, were displaced.[25][26]

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

Both countries established diplomatic relations on November 11, 1974.[28]

• Haiti and Liberia recognized each other in 1864.[29]
• The two countries established treaties of friendship and commerce the same year.[29]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 November 2006.[30]

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.[31] 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.[32]
• Liberia maintains an honorary consulate in New Delhi.[33]

• Liberia and Israel established ties in 1957 with the accreditation of Israeli ambassador Ehud Avriel.[34]
• Liberia severed ties with Israel over the Yom Kippur War in 1973.[35]
• Relations are re-established in 1983.[36]
• On 8 June 2022, Liberia announced its plans to open a trade office in Jerusalem, which is to become an embassy.[36]

• Ivory Coast has an embassy in Monrovia.
• Liberia has an embassy in Abidjan.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 September 2022.[37]

• Both countries established diplomatic relations in September 1961.[38]
• Liberia is accredited to New Zealand from its embassy in Tokyo, Japan.[39]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 April 2016.[40]

• Liberia is accredited to Laos through its embassy in Beijing, China.
• Laos does not have an accreditation to Liberia.[43]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 April 2014.[44]

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.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 April 2014.[45]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 20 May 2008.[46]

• Liberia is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States.[48]
• Mexico is accredited to Liberia from its embassy in Accra, Ghana.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 April 2014.[49]

In 1960, Liberia and Ethiopia brought litigation against apartheid South Africa in the International Court of Justice to end its illegal occupation of Namibia.[50] 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.[51] 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.[52]

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

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 August 2017.[53]

• The Netherlands recognized Liberia in 1862.[18]
• The two countries signed a treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation on 20 December 1862.[54]

• Liberia has an embassy in Abuja.
• Nigeria has an embassy in Monrovia.

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.[56]

• Liberia began recognizing the SADR on 31 July 1985.[57]
• Liberia revoked its recognition in September 1997.[57]
• By 2012, Liberia had re-established relations with the SADR.[58]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 May 2007.[59]

See Liberia-Sierra Leone relations

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.[23][24][25] Guinea and Sierra Leone have accused Liberia of backing rebels who have devastated their countries.[23]

• Liberia has an embassy in Freetown.
• Sierra Leone has an embassy in Monrovia.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 6 March 1998.[60]

• Liberia has an embassy in Pretoria.
• South Africa has an embassy in Monrovia.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 March 1964[62]

In 2001 Bilateral Trade were Exports $7,350,000,000 (Ships, Automobile) Imports $1,270,000 (Used Ships, Mineral Fuel).[63]

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

• Embassy of Liberia in Brussels is accredited to Turkey.[67]
• Turkish Embassy in Accra is accredited to Liberia.[67]
• Trade volume between the two countries was 191.9 million USD in 2019.[67]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 September 1998.[68]

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.[69]

In 1961, Queen Elizabeth II made a state visit to Liberia, arriving at Monrovia on the HMY Britannia.[70] President Tubman made a gift of two Pygmy hippopotamus, which arrived by cargo ship in 1962 and were sent to Whipsnade Zoo.[71]

In 1962, President Tubman and his wife visited the UK.[72]

• Liberia has an embassy in London.
• United Kingdom has an embassy in Monrovia.

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.[74] 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.[75]

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.[76]

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.[74][77] Due to intense pressure from the international community and the United States, Charles Taylor resigned his office on August 11, 2003.[75]

The resignation and exile of Charles Taylor in 2003 brought changes in diplomatic ties between the United States and Liberia. The United States proposed a United Nations Security Council draft resolution to authorize the deployment of a multi-national stabilization force,[78][79] and 200 marines as well as warships were sent to Monrovia's airport to support the peace-keeping effort.[80] The United States committed $1.16 billion to Liberia between 2004 and 2006.[74][81] In 2009, A 17.5 million dollar contract to support elections was offered to Liberia with International Foundation for Electoral Systems as the conduit.[82] This money is meant to support the Presidential election of 2011 and the General Election of 2014.[82]

• Liberia has an embassy in Washington, D.C. and consulate-generals in New York City, Atlanta and Minneapolis.
• United States has an embassy in Monrovia.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 June 2007.[83]

• During the Cold War, Liberia maintained diplomatic relations with South Vietnam only.
• Vietnam is accredited to Liberia through its embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.
• Liberia is accredited to Vietnam through its embassy in Beijing, China.[86]