# Foreign relations of Jamaica

Jamaica has diplomatic relations with many nations and is a member of the United Nations and the Organization of American States. Jamaica chairs the Working Group on smaller Economies.
Jamaica is an active member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement (G-77). Jamaica is a beneficiary of the Lome Conventions, through which the European Union (EU) grants trade preferences to selected states in Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, and has played a leading role in the negotiations of the successor agreement in Fiji in 2000.
Jamaica has been a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992.
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: Transshipment point for cocaine from Central and South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is the government ministry responsible for handling Jamaica's external relations and foreign trade.

## History

Historically, Jamaica has had close ties with the UK. Trade, financial, and cultural relations with the United States are now predominant. Jamaica is linked with the other countries of the English-speaking Caribbean through the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and more broadly through the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). Jamaica has served two 2-year terms on the United Nations Security Council, in 1979-80 and 2000-2001.
In the follow-on meetings to the December 1994 Summit of the Americas, Jamaica—together with Uruguay—was given the responsibility of coordinating discussions on invigorating society.

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Jamaica maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | United Kingdom | 2 August 1962 |
| 2 | Canada | 2 August 1962 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 2 August 1962 |
| 4 | United States | 6 August 1962 |
| 5 | France | 6 August 1962 |
| 6 | Germany | 6 August 1962 |
| 7 | India | 12 August 1962 |
| 8 | Israel | 29 August 1962 |
| 9 | South Korea | 13 October 1962 |
| 10 | Brazil | 14 October 1962 |
| 11 | Switzerland | 12 December 1962 |
| 12 | Luxembourg | 2 January 1963 |
| 13 | Pakistan | 19 January 1963 |
| 14 | Italy | 14 February 1963 |
| 15 | Argentina | 25 March 1963 |
| 16 | Lebanon | 7 May 1963 |
| 17 | Trinidad and Tobago | 18 June 1963 |
| 18 | Chile | 18 December 1963 |
| 19 | Japan | 16 March 1964 |
| 20 | Egypt | 10 June 1964 |
| 21 | Dominican Republic | 4 December 1964 |
| 22 | Colombia | 24 February 1965 |
| 23 | Venezuela | 25 March 1965 |
| 24 | Ethiopia | 22 March 1966 |
| 25 | Panama | 29 July 1966 |
| 26 | Spain | 21 December 1966 |
| 27 | Mexico | 4 February 1967 |
| 28 | Belgium | 25 July 1967 |
| 39 | Austria | 2 November 1967 |
| 30 | Ghana | 15 November 1967 |
| 31 | Sierra Leone | 8 May 1968 |
| 32 | Barbados | 6 September 1968 |
| 33 | Serbia | 11 October 1968 |
| 34 | Guyana | 20 June 1969 |
| 35 | Peru | 29 April 1970 |
| 36 | Nigeria | 29 April 1970 |
| 37 | Zambia | 25 February 1971 |
| 38 | Turkey | 30 March 1971 |
| 39 | Tanzania | 6 April 1971 |
| 40 | Costa Rica | 21 July 1971 |
| 41 | Cyprus | 31 August 1972 |
| 42 | China | 21 November 1972 |
| 43 | Cuba | 8 December 1972 |
| 44 | Bahamas | 10 July 1973 |
| 45 | Ecuador | 10 September 1973 |
| 46 | Bangladesh | 5 November 1973 |
| 47 | Australia | 6 January 1974 |
| 48 | Sweden | 5 February 1974 |
| 49 | Mauritius | 20 May 1974 |
| 50 | Romania | 21 August 1974 |
| 51 | New Zealand | 27 August 1974 |
| 52 | North Korea | 9 October 1974 |
| 53 | Denmark | 14 October 1974 |
| 54 | Kuwait | 14 November 1974 |
| 55 | Grenada | 21 January 1975 |
| 56 | Guinea | 30 January 1975 |
| 57 | Iraq | 30 January 1975 |
| 58 | Algeria | 30 January 1975 |
| 59 | Iran | 18 February 1975 |
| 60 | Honduras | 10 March 1975 |
| 61 | Russia | 12 March 1975 |
| 62 | Poland | 14 May 1975 |
| 63 | Greece | 15 May 1975 |
| 64 | Hungary | 2 June 1975 |
| 65 | Czech Republic | 3 June 1975 |
| 66 | Nicaragua | 15 August 1975 |
| 67 | Burkina Faso | 20 September 1975 |
| 68 | Suriname | 26 November 1975 |
| 69 | Malaysia | 28 November 1975 |
| 70 | Vietnam | 5 January 1976 |
| 71 | Senegal | 8 January 1976 |
| 72 | Kenya | 19 March 1976 |
| 73 | Libya | 24 June 1976 |
| 74 | Saudi Arabia | 15 August 1976 |
| 75 | Bulgaria | 22 March 1977 |
| 76 | Norway | 7 October 1977 |
| 77 | Finland | 1 December 1977 |
| 78 | Dominica | 3 November 1978 |
| 79 | Seychelles | 15 January 1979 |
| 80 | Saint Lucia | 22 January 1979 |
| 81 | Portugal | 26 January 1979 |
| 82 | Niger | 25 June 1979 |
| – | Holy See | 29 July 1979 |
| 83 | Mozambique | 7 August 1979 |
| 84 | Republic of the Congo | 6 September 1979 |
| 85 | Yemen | 12 September 1979 |
| 86 | Lesotho | 19 October 1979 |
| 87 | Fiji | 11 December 1979 |
| 88 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 29 February 1980 |
| 89 | Zimbabwe | 18 April 1980 |
| 90 | Philippines | 15 May 1980 |
| 91 | Haiti | 26 August 1981 |
| 92 | Indonesia | 17 December 1981 |
| 93 | Botswana | 4 May 1982 |
| 94 | Belize | 3 November 1982 |
| 95 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 3 December 1982 |
| 96 | Antigua and Barbuda | 8 February 1983 |
| 97 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 19 September 1983 |
| 98 | Bolivia | 2 February 1984 |
| 99 | Thailand | 10 September 1984 |
| 100 | Uruguay | 23 May 1985 |
| 101 | Oman | 27 May 1986 |
| 102 | Vanuatu | 23 July 1986 |
| 103 | Maldives | 27 February 1990 |
| 104 | Namibia | 28 August 1990 |
| 105 | El Salvador | 13 November 1990 |
| 106 | Eswatini | 13 February 1991 |
| 107 | Papua New Guinea | 16 April 1991 |
| 108 | Cameroon | 26 September 1991 |
| 109 | Guatemala | 11 December 1991 |
| 110 | Ukraine | 7 July 1992 |
| 111 | Singapore | 1 November 1992 |
| 112 | Paraguay | 10 November 1992 |
| 113 | Slovakia | 1 January 1993 |
| 114 | Estonia | 16 February 1993 |
| 115 | Belarus | 6 June 1993 |
| 116 | South Africa | 9 September 1993 |
| 117 | Slovenia | 23 July 1995 |
| 118 | Kazakhstan | 27 July 1995 |
| 119 | Lithuania | 20 September 1995 |
| 120 | Gabon | 23 October 1995 |
| 121 | Azerbaijan | 22 November 1995 |
| 122 | Armenia | 1 December 1995 |
| 123 | Albania | 3 April 1996 |
| 124 | Moldova | 9 July 1996 |
| 125 | Turkmenistan | 16 July 1996 |
| 126 | Georgia | 31 July 1996 |
| 127 | Uzbekistan | 8 August 1996 |
| 128 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9 October 1996 |
| 129 | Croatia | 9 October 1996 |
| 130 | Ireland | 7 December 1997 |
| 131 | Sri Lanka | 29 September 1998 |
| 132 | Rwanda | 6 November 1998 |
| 133 | Cape Verde | 22 March 1999 |
| 134 | Laos | 27 August 1999 |
| 135 | Malawi | 30 September 1999 |
| 136 | Myanmar | 6 December 1999 |
| 137 | Kyrgyzstan | 25 February 2000 |
| 138 | Iceland | 23 May 2000 |
| 139 | Angola | 8 October 2002 |
| 140 | North Macedonia | 1 April 2003 |
| – | Cook Islands | 14 May 2003 |
| 141 | Qatar | 27 June 2003 |
| 142 | Mali | 17 December 2003 |
| 143 | Malta | 27 October 2004 |
| 144 | Sudan | 19 September 2005 |
| 145 | Benin | 25 April 2006 |
| 146 | Morocco | 29 January 2008 |
| 147 | Monaco | 4 April 2008 |
| 148 | Cambodia | 12 January 2010 |
| 149 | Montenegro | 12 November 2010 |
| 150 | Nauru | 24 February 2011 |
| 151 | United Arab Emirates | 4 March 2011 |
| 152 | Brunei | 20 June 2011 |
| 153 | Uganda | 21 September 2011 |
| 154 | Gambia | 29 November 2011 |
| 155 | Mongolia | 26 October 2012 |
| 156 | Solomon Islands | 3 July 2013 |
| 157 | Andorra | 23 September 2014 |
| 158 | Timor-Leste | 27 September 2014 |
| 159 | Equatorial Guinea | 18 May 2015 |
| 160 | Nepal | 1 October 2015 |
| 161 | Tajikistan | 11 December 2017 |
| 162 | Bahrain | 28 September 2018 |
| 163 | San Marino | 29 September 2020 |
| 164 | Togo | 24 November 2021 |
| 165 | Kiribati | 26 April 2022 |
| 166 | Samoa | 26 April 2022 |
| 167 | Palau | 28 April 2022 |
| 168 | Liberia | 22 September 2022 |
| 169 | Marshall Islands | 23 September 2022 |
| 170 | Liechtenstein | 18 September 2023 |
| 171 | Jordan | 23 September 2023 |
| 172 | Eritrea | 17 November 2023 |
| 173 | Tunisia | 26 September 2024 |
| 174 | Ivory Coast | 16 December 2024 |

## Bilateral relations

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Belize | 3 November 1982 | Belize and Jamaica are two of fifteen commonwealth realms, members of: the Association of Caribbean States, the Caribbean Community, the Belt & Road Initiative, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Commonwealth of Nations, ECLAC, EU-CARIFORUM, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the Organization of American States, the Small Island Developing States, and the United Nations. Both countries established diplomatic relations on November 3, 1982. Both countries are full members of the Organization of American States and of the Caribbean Community. |
| Brazil | 14 October 1962 | See Jamaica–Brazil relations Jamaica and Brazil established diplomatic relations on October 14, 1962. Both countries are full members of the Group of 15. |
| Canada | 1962 | See Canada–Jamaica relations Canada and Jamaica are two of fifteen commonwealth realms, members of: the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States, and the United Nations. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1962. Since March 4, 1963, Canada has a high commission in Kingston. Jamaica has a high commission in Ottawa. On April 15, 2009, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper became the first Canadian head of government to address the Jamaican parliament. There are 231,000 people of Jamaican descent living in Canada. Jamaican-Canadians celebrate their island heritage through festivals held in major cities across Canada, the most recognized of which is Caribana. Caribana is held in Toronto, Ontario every year and attracts over one million visitors to the region, many of whom fly all the way from Jamaica. See also Jamaican Canadian Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade about relations with Jamaica Canadian high commission in Kingston Jamaican high commission in Ottawa |
| Cuba | 1972 | See Cuba–Jamaica relations Prime Minister Percival James Patterson visited Cuba at the end of May 1997. In the fall of 1997, Jamaica upgraded its consulate in Havana to an embassy, and the nonresident Jamaican ambassador to Cuba was replaced by a resident ambassador. |
| China | 21 November 1972 | See China–Jamaica relations Relations from November 21, 1972. China has an embassy in Kingston, Jamaica. Jamaica has an embassy in Beijing. |
| Ghana | | See Ghana-Jamaica relations Ghana, as the former Gold Coast, and Jamaica share historical links through the slave trade and forced Ashanti/Akan emigration to the Caribbean. Ghana and Jamaica have a Joint Permanent Commission, and there are plans for Ghanaian investment in Jamaica. |
| Guyana | 26 May 1966 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on May 26, 1966. Both countries are full members of the Organization of American States, of the Caribbean Community, and of the Commonwealth of Nations. |
| Haiti | | Haiti has an embassy in Kingston and Jamaica has an honorary consul in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In January, 2007, Haitian president René Préval, made a four-day working visit to Jamaica. At a press conference, Jamaican prime minister Portia Simpson Miller announced that a Joint Jamaica/Haiti Commission would be convened later that year. |
| India | | See India–Jamaica relations Both nations inherited many cultural and political connections from British colonisation, such as membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, parliamentary democracy, the English language and cricket. India has a High Commission in Kingston, whilst Jamaica has a consulate in New Delhi. |
| Malaysia | | See Jamaica–Malaysia relations |
| Mexico | 18 March 1966 | See Jamaica–Mexico relations Both nations established diplomatic relations on 18 March 1966. Jamaica has an embassy in Mexico City. Mexico has an embassy in Kingston. |
| Netherlands | | Jamaica is accredited to the Netherlands from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium. the Netherlands is accredited to Jamaica from its embassy in Havana, Cuba. |
| South Korea | 13 October 1962 | The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the Jamaica started on October 13, 1962 . Jamaica has an embassy in Seoul, South Korea. South Korea has an embassy in Kingston Jamaica. |
| Turkey | 1970 | See Jamaica–Turkey relations Turkish Embassy in Havana is accredited to Jamaica. Trade volume between the two countries was US$90.5 million in 2019 (Jamaican exports/imports: US$0.5/90 million). |
| United Kingdom | 1962 | See Foreign relations of the United Kingdom The UK established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 2 August 1962. Both countries are Commonwealth Realms. Jamaica maintains a high commission in London. United Kingdom is accredited to Jamaica through its high commission in Kingston. The UK governed Jamaica from 1655 to 1962, when Jamaica achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Caribbean Development Bank, the Commonwealth, the International Criminal Court, and the World Trade Organization, as well as the CARIFORUM–UK Economic Partnership Agreement. Bilaterally the two countries have an Investment Agreement. |
| United States | | See Jamaica–United States relations Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C. The United States maintains close and productive relations with the Government of Jamaica. Former prime minister Patterson visited Washington, DC, several times after assuming office in 1992. In April 2001, Prime Minister Patterson and other Caribbean leaders met with President George W. Bush during the Summit of the Americas in Quebec, Canada, at which a "Third Border Initiative" was launched to deepen U.S. cooperation with Caribbean nations and enhance economic development and integration of the Caribbean nations. Then-Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller attended the "Conference on the Caribbean--A 20/20 Vision" in Washington in June 2007. President Barack Obama visited the island on April 9. 2015. President Obama managed to squeeze in some fun in between meetings with Jamaican and Caribbean leaders on his trip to Jamaica this week—from paying homage to reggae star Bob Marley to practising his own Jamaican accent. The United States is Jamaica's most important trading partner: bilateral trade in goods in 2005 was over $2 billion. Jamaica is a popular destination for American tourists; more than 1.2 million Americans visited in 2006. Also, some 10,000 American citizens, including many dual-nationals born on the island, permanently reside in Jamaica. |
Jamaica maintains economic and cultural relations with Taiwan via Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada.

## Jamaica and the Commonwealth

Jamaica has been a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1962 when it became an independent Commonwealth realm.

## Multilateral membership

* African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
* Caricom
* CCC
* Caribbean Development Bank
* United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
* Food and Agriculture Organization
* G-15
* G-33
* G-77
* Inter-American Development Bank
* International Atomic Energy Agency
* International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
* International Civil Aviation Organization
* International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
* International Fund for Agricultural Development
* International Finance Corporation
* International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
* International Hydrographic Organization (pending member)
* International Labour Organization
* International Monetary Fund
* International Telecommunication Union
* Intelsat
* Interpol
* International Olympic Committee
* International Organization for Migration
* International Organization for Standardization
* International Telecommunication Union
* Latin American Economic System
* Non-Aligned Movement
* Organization of American States
* OPANAL
* Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
* United Nations
* UN Security Council (temporary)
* United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
* UNESCO
* United Nations Industrial Development Organization
* Universal Postal Union
* World Health Organization
* World Intellectual Property Organization
* World Meteorological Organization
* World Tourism Organization
* World Trade Organization