# Foreign relations of Guyana

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
After independence in 1966, Guyana sought an influential role in international affairs, particularly among developing countries and non-aligned nations. It served twice on the UN Security Council (1975–76 and 1982–83). Former Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Attorney General Mohamed Shahabuddeen served a 9-year term on the International Court of Justice (1987–1996). In June 2023, Guyana was elected as a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council. The country will serve on the council for a period of two years, beginning in January 2024.
Guyana has diplomatic relations with a wide range of nations, and these are managed primarily through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The European Union (EU), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Organization of American States (OAS) have offices in Georgetown.

## Regional relations

Guyana strongly supports the concept of regional integration. It played an important role in the founding of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), but its historic status as the organization's poorest member limited its ability to exert leadership in regional activities. Since discovering and developing its offshore oil and gas reserves, Guyana has been reclassified by the World Bank as a high-income country. Guyana has sought to keep foreign policy in close alignment with the consensus of CARICOM members, especially in voting in the UN, OAS, and other international organizations. In 2022, Guyana joined the Regional Security System. The 2023 Guyana–Venezuela crisis has compelled Guyana to expand defense and security relations with a variety of countries, namely Brazil, the United States, India, and the United Kingdom.

## International disputes

All of the area west of the Essequibo River has at one point been under dispute, namely by Venezuela and Brazil. In 1899, the government in Caracas reluctantly accepted the Venezuelan-Guyanese border but later revived its claim to the Essequibo in 1962. Suriname has an ongoing dispute with Guyana and this pertains to the area east of the Upper Courantyne.
Currently, two neighbours have longstanding territorial disputes with Guyana. Since the 19th century, Venezuela has claimed the majority or all of Guyana situated west of the Essequibo River – 62% of Guyana's territory. At a meeting in Geneva in 1966, the two countries agreed to receive recommendations from a representative of the UN Secretary General on ways to settle the dispute peacefully. Diplomatic contacts between the two countries and the Secretary General's representative continue. In December 2023, president Nicolás Maduro called for a public referendum which resulted in the government of Venezuela officially claiming ownership of the Essequibo, claim that resulted in the 2023 Guyana–Venezuela crisis.
Neighbouring Suriname also claims the territory east of Guyana's New River, a largely uninhabited area of some 15,000 square kilometres (5,800 sq mi) in southeast Guyana. Guyana and Suriname also disputed their offshore maritime boundaries. This dispute flared up in June 2000 in response to an effort by a Canadian company to drill for oil under a Guyanese concession. Guyana regards its legal title to all of its territory as sound. However, the dispute with Suriname was arbitrated by the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea and a ruling in favor of Guyana was announced in September 2007.

## Crime

In 1993, Guyana ratified the 1988 Vienna Convention on illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and cooperates with US law enforcement agencies on counter-narcotics efforts. Guyana is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered under Article 98).
Guyana has been considered a transshipment point for narcotics from South America, primarily Venezuela, to Europe and the United States and producer of cannabis.

## Relations by country

List of countries which Guyana has diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Unknown |
| 2 | Canada | 26 May 1966 |
| 3 | India | 26 May 1966 |
| 4 | Trinidad and Tobago | 26 May 1966 |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 26 May 1966 |
| 6 | United States | 15 August 1966 |
| 7 | Germany | 2 September 1966 |
| 8 | Venezuela | 25 November 1966 |
| 9 | Barbados | 30 November 1966 |
| 10 | Italy | 12 April 1967 |
| 11 | France | 22 June 1967 |
| 12 | Pakistan | 10 November 1967 |
| 13 | Brazil | 18 December 1968 |
| 14 | Japan | 11 June 1969 |
| 15 | Jamaica | 20 June 1969 |
| 16 | South Korea | 2 October 1969 |
| 17 | Netherlands | 15 May 1970 |
| 18 | Guinea | 8 June 1970 |
| 19 | Uganda | 21 July 1970 |
| 20 | Haiti | 6 October 1970 |
| 21 | Ethiopia | 13 October 1970 |
| 22 | Dominican Republic | 19 October 1970 |
| 23 | Russia | 17 December 1970 |
| 24 | Colombia | 18 December 1970 |
| 25 | Tanzania | 28 December 1970 |
| 26 | Kenya | December 1970 |
| 27 | Zambia | 11 February 1971 |
| 28 | Belgium | 10 June 1971 |
| 29 | Peru | 17 July 1971 |
| 30 | Chile | 22 July 1971 |
| 31 | Egypt | 10 September 1971 |
| 32 | Cyprus | 11 February 1972 |
| 33 | Bangladesh | 24 March 1972 |
| 34 | Poland | 10 June 1972 |
| 35 | China | 27 June 1972 |
| 36 | Libya | 9 August 1972 |
| 37 | Argentina | 6 October 1972 |
| 38 | Cuba | 8 December 1972 |
| 39 | Mexico | 1 March 1973 |
| 40 | Panama | 16 March 1973 |
| 41 | Austria | 3 April 1973 |
| 42 | Turkey | 2 May 1973 |
| 43 | Australia | 14 May 1973 |
| 44 | Syria | 19 June 1973 |
| 45 | Romania | 20 June 1973 |
| 46 | Bahamas | 10 July 1973 |
| 47 | Cambodia | 5 September 1973 |
| 48 | Costa Rica | 17 April 1974 |
| 49 | North Korea | 18 May 1974 |
| 50 | Ecuador | 2 July 1974 |
| 51 | Sri Lanka | 14 July 1974 |
| 52 | New Zealand | 1 September 1974 |
| 53 | Iraq | 22 September 1974 |
| 54 | Sierra Leone | 25 October 1974 |
| 55 | Liberia | 11 November 1974 |
| 56 | Vietnam | 19 April 1975 |
| 57 | Hungary | 10 June 1975 |
| 58 | Sweden | 16 June 1975 |
| 59 | Mozambique | 21 August 1975 |
| 60 | Botswana | 28 October 1975 |
| 61 | Suriname | 25 November 1975 |
| 62 | Malta | 12 March 1976 |
| 63 | Czech Republic | 17 May 1976 |
| 64 | Malaysia | 26 April 1976 |
| 65 | Nigeria | 2 August 1976 |
| 66 | Algeria | 20 September 1976 |
| 67 | Bulgaria | 25 March 1977 |
| 68 | Switzerland | 24 May 1977 |
| 69 | Angola | 24 July 1977 |
| 70 | Dominica | 3 November 1978 |
| 71 | Portugal | 5 December 1978 |
| 72 | Saint Lucia | 22 February 1979 |
| 73 | Finland | 2 April 1979 |
| 74 | Ghana | 14 May 1979 |
| 75 | Greece | 14 May 1979 |
| 76 | Niger | 25 June 1979 |
| 77 | Norway | 2 August 1979 |
| 78 | Lesotho | 25 August 1979 |
| 79 | Spain | 12 October 1979 |
| 80 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 27 October 1979 |
| 81 | Denmark | 16 November 1979 |
| 82 | Mongolia | 15 December 1979 |
| 83 | Grenada | February 1980 |
| 84 | Yemen | 14 June 1980 |
| 85 | Zimbabwe | 19 June 1980 |
| 86 | Antigua and Barbuda | 3 February 1981 |
| 87 | Nicaragua | 23 November 1981 |
| 88 | Albania | 1 May 1985 |
| 89 | Uruguay | 3 June 1985 |
| 90 | Iran | 6 September 1986 |
| 91 | Bolivia | 12 March 1987 |
| 92 | Burkina Faso | 23 September 1987 |
| 93 | Thailand | 17 December 1987 |
| 94 | Brunei | 20 June 1990 |
| 95 | Israel | 9 March 1992 |
| 96 | Guatemala | 1 May 1992 |
| 97 | El Salvador | 1 May 1992 |
| 98 | Mauritius | 1 December 1992 |
| 99 | Honduras | December 1992 |
| 100 | Slovakia | 1 January 1993 |
| 101 | Eswatini | 26 February 1993 |
| 102 | Seychelles | 28 April 1993 |
| 103 | Maldives | 13 April 1994 |
| 104 | Paraguay | 14 April 1994 |
| 105 | Nepal | 22 June 1994 |
| 106 | South Africa | 4 November 1994 |
| 107 | Namibia | 13 November 1994 |
| 108 | United Arab Emirates | 6 February 1995 |
| 109 | Lebanon | 2 March 1995 |
| 110 | Kuwait | 17 August 1995 |
| 111 | Azerbaijan | 1 September 1995 |
| 112 | Oman | 17 January 1996 |
| 113 | Qatar | 23 August 1996 |
| 114 | Solomon Islands | 26 November 1996 |
| 115 | Estonia | 19 April 1997 |
| — | Holy See | 9 June 1997 |
| 116 | Turkmenistan | 11 June 1997 |
| 117 | Bahrain | 19 November 1997 |
| 118 | Jordan | 19 August 1998 |
| — | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 19 May 1999 |
| 119 | Indonesia | 27 August 1999 |
| 120 | Ireland | 2 February 2000 |
| 121 | Belarus | 20 February 2000 |
| 122 | Ukraine | 15 November 2001 |
| 123 | Singapore | 19 September 2002 |
| 124 | North Macedonia | 22 September 2003 |
| 125 | Armenia | 24 October 2003 |
| 126 | Iceland | 10 March 2005 |
| 127 | Latvia | 16 March 2005 |
| 128 | Croatia | 25 September 2006 |
| 129 | Slovenia | 20 April 2007 |
| 130 | Philippines | 25 September 2008 |
| 131 | Luxembourg | 17 June 2009 |
| 132 | Gambia | 24 September 2009 |
| 133 | Senegal | 10 November 2009 |
| 134 | Montenegro | 21 September 2011 |
| 135 | Lithuania | 25 January 2012 |
| 136 | Saudi Arabia | 22 February 2012 |
| 137 | Georgia | 23 April 2012 |
| — | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | 28 September 2012 |
| 138 | Tuvalu | 28 September 2012 |
| 139 | Morocco | 14 December 2012 |
| 140 | Kazakhstan | 15 January 2013 |
| — | State of Palestine | 21 February 2013 |
| 141 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9 May 2013 |
| — | Kosovo | 13 June 2013 |
| 142 | Moldova | 12 September 2013 |
| 143 | Fiji | 8 December 2014 |
| 144 | Kyrgyzstan | 23 September 2016 |
| 145 | San Marino | 17 February 2019 |
| 146 | Rwanda | 24 August 2022 |
| 147 | Tajikistan | 19 September 2022 |
| 148 | Uzbekistan | 10 October 2022 |
| 149 | Cape Verde | 4 April 2023 |
| 150 | Belize | 24 June 2024 |
| 151 | Benin | 9 July 2024 |
| 152 | Serbia | 22 September 2024 |

### Africa

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Botswana | 1975 | Both countries have established diplomatic relations on 28 October 1975. Guyana is covered through the Botswana Mission in New York City. Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations. |
| Namibia | 1994 | Both countries have established diplomatic relations on 13 December 1994. Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations. Guyana is accredited to Namibia from its high commission in Pretoria, South Africa. Namibia is accredited to Guyana from its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City. |
| South Africa | 4 November 1994 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 November 1994. South Africa is represented in Guyana through its High Commission in Kingston, Jamaica. |

### Americas

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Argentina | 6 October 1972 | Both countries have established diplomatic relations on 6 October 1972. Argentina has an embassy in Georgetown, Guyana. Both countries are full members of Organization of American States and Union of South American Nations. |
| Barbados | | See Barbados–Guyana relations The relations between Guyana and Barbados had its genesis to a time when both Guyana (then British Guiana) and Barbados were both British colonies. Shortly after Great Britain secured British Guiana from the Dutch, waves of migrants were encouraged to move and settle in Guyana. Barbados was one such location where large numbers of migrants came from. Through time Barbados and Guyana have both supported each other. With the move towards independence in the region Guyana was seen as the breadbasket of the wider Caribbean which led to yet more waves of Barbadians seeking to move to Guyana for better opportunities. Relations have been rocky, during the 1990s, immigration became contentious for Guyanese persons to Barbados. Such terms as the "Guyanese bench" in the immigration area of the Barbados Sir Grantley Adams International Airport have tested both states at times. The two nations continue their cooperation through the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and work towards building and maintaining good relations between their nationals. Both nations also attempt to maintain open communications at high levels of both Governments. More recently the Guyanese Government has extended an offer to Barbadians. The Guyanese government has offered to put in place an economically favourable regime towards any Barbadians that wish to relocate to Guyana and contribute towards that nation's goals in agricultural investment. The announcement was made in the final days of the Owen Arthur administration by MP member Mia Mottley. In the early 1990s the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning pitched an initiative for Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago to enter into some form of political union or political association. This initiative was short lived and didn't proceed following the Democratic Labour Party's defeat during the 1994 elections. |
| Brazil | | See Brazil–Guyana relations Brazil–Guyana relations have traditionally been close. Brazil has provided military assistance to Guyana in the form of war fare training and logistics. Bilateral relations between the countries have recently increased, as a result of Brazil's new South-South foreign policy aimed to strengthen South American integration. During a state visit by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to Georgetown on 2 March 2007, the governments of Guyana and Brazil signed several cooperation agreements and announced plans to boost trade between the two countries. |
| Canada | | Canada started relations with Guyana in 1964 with the construction of the Commission of Canada in Georgetown. In 1966 it became a Canadian High Commission. There is a Guyanese High Commission in Ottawa and a Guyanese Consulate in Toronto. Canada and Guyana have strong ties through the Commonwealth of Nations. There is an estimated 200,000 Guyanese living in Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Guyanese police work closely to help with drug, and human smuggling. Guyana's largest import from Canada is machinery (CAD $13 mil), and export is precious metals (CAD$482 mil). Food exports generally cater to Canada's Guyanese diaspora population. |
| Dominica | 3 November 1978 | Dominica and Guyana have established diplomatic relations on 3 November 1978. Guyana has a High Commission in Roseau. |
| Mexico | 1 March 1973 | See Guyana–Mexico relations Guyana is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. Mexico has an embassy in Georgetown. |
| Suriname | 25 November 1975 | See Guyana–Suriname relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 November 1975. Both countries are full members of the Organization of American States, and of the Caribbean Community. There is an ongoing territorial dispute between Guyana and Suriname regarding the Tigri Area. |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 26 May 1966 | See Guyana-Trinidad and Tobago relations Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have had historically close ties due to their shared culture, history, dominion under the British empire, demographics and religion. Both Countries have a substantial population of Hindus from indentured servitude from India along with a large African population from Africa. Both countries are a part of the Commonwealth of Nations and CARICOM. Trinidad was the largest forgiver of debt in the 1990s Paris Club Agreement to Guyana, forgiving Hundred of Millions of Debt. A substantial number of Guyanese people live in Trinidad and Tobago. In recent years, relations between the two countries warmed with Guyana establishing its First Diplomatic Mission in Port of Spain in 2017. In 2018, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Cooperation. |
| United States | | See Guyana–United States relations U.S. policy toward The Co-operative Republic of Guyana seeks to develop robust, sustainable democratic institutions, laws, and political practices; support economic growth and development; and promote stability and security. During the last years of his administration, President Hoyte sought to improve relations with the United States as part of a decision to move his country toward genuine political nonalignment. Relations also were improved by Hoyte's efforts to respect human rights, invite international observers for the 1992 elections, and reform electoral laws. The United States also welcomed the Hoyte government's economic reform and efforts, which stimulated investment and growth. The 1992 democratic elections and Guyana's reaffirmation of sound economic policies and respect for human rights have placed U.S.-Guyanese relations on an excellent footing. Under successive PPP governments, the United States and Guyana continued to improve relations. President Cheddi Jagan was committed to democracy, adopted more free market policies, and pursued sustainable development for Guyana's environment. Guyana has an embassy in Washington, DC and a consulate-general in New York City. United States has an embassy in Georgetown. |
| Uruguay | 1985 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 June 1985. Both countries are full members of Organization of American States and Union of South American Nations. |
| Venezuela | | See Guyana–Venezuela relations Venezuela claimed more than half of the territory of the British colony of Guyana at the time of the Latin American wars of independence, a dispute that was settled by arbitration in 1899. In 1962 Venezuela declared that it would no longer abide by the arbitration decision, which ceded mineral-rich territory in the Orinoco basin to Guyana. The area is called "Guayana Esequiba" by Venezuela. A border commission was set up in 1966 with representatives from Guyana, Venezuela and Great Britain, but failed to reach agreement. Venezuela vetoed Guyana's bid to become a member of the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1967. In 1969 Venezuela backed an abortive uprising in the disputed area. Under intense diplomatic pressure, Venezuela agreed in 1970 to a 12-year moratorium on the dispute with the Protocol of Port-of-Spain. In 1981, Venezuela refused to renew the protocol. However, with changes to the governments of both countries relations improved, to the extent that in 1990 Venezuela sponsored Guyana's bid for OAS membership in 1990. |

### Asia

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| China | | Bilateral relations are good and progress on the economic side. In 2022 exports from Guyana to China reached sum $1 billion. Currently Chinese state owned companies are working to construct the largest bridge in Guyana which will span the Demerara River. |
| India | | See Guyana–India relations Relations between India and Guyana ever since the independence of Guyana in May 1966 have been cordial. The cordiality in the relation remains unaffected with changes in governments either in India or in Guyana. Late Shrimati Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, visited Guyana in 1968, late Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, the then Vice President of India visited Guyana in 1988 and Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the then Vice President of India came on a state visit to Guyana in 2006. The cooperation between the two countries in sharing developmental experience is mainly routed through Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) under which forty scholarships are granted every year in various courses. Besides, some experts are also deputed to Guyana from time to time on request in specified areas of activity. Several other scholarships are also available to Guyanese to pursue long-term courses, to get acquainted with India and to learn Hindi language in India. India has offered credit facilities to Guyana for use in mutually accepted designated fields, agriculture and information technology, being two of these. Indian companies have also expressed interest in bio fuel, energy, minerals and pharmaceuticals. Total trade turn over remains low, though the trend is positive. Indian Cultural Centre in Georgetown was established in 1972 with the objective of strengthening cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and Guyana and their peoples. The Centre runs regular classes in Yoga and Dance (Kathak). The centre has a well equipped Auditorium where cultural events are organised on a regular basis. The teachers and students of ICC participate in events by the local community on various occasions round the year. The centre has a library with books/publications on history, literature, art, culture, mythology and works of eminent scholars and authors. An important cultural connection between India and Guyana is cricket. With the advent of the Indian Premier League, many Guyanese players were contracted to play in India. |
| Qatar | | Guyana has an embassy in Doha. Qatar has an embassy in Georgetown. |
| South Korea | June 13, 1968 | The Republic of Guyana and The Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations on 1968-06-13. |

### Europe

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Croatia | 25 February 2003 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 February 2003. Croatia is represented in Guyana through its Permanent Mission in New York City. |
| Cyprus | 11 May 2011 | Both countries established diplomatic relation on 11 May 2011. Cyprus is represented in Guyana by its embassy in Brasília, Brazil. Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations. |
| Denmark | 16 November 1979 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 November 1979. Denmark is represented in Guyana, through its embassy in Brasília. Guyana is represented in Denmark, through its embassy in Brussels. |
| Finland | 1979 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 April 1979. Guyana is represented in Finland by their embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Finland also has an honorary consulate general in Georgetown. |
| France | 1967 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 June 1967. France is represented in Guyana through its embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname. France has an honorary consulate in Guyana. Both countries have passed a number of bilateral treaties. |
| Germany | 1966 | See: Germany–Guyana relations Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1966. Germany is represented in Guyana through its embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. |
| Georgia | 23 April 2012 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 April 2012. Bilateral political consultations between the Foreign Agencies cooperation is ongoing between both countries in political, legal, cultural, trade and economic relations. Cooperation concerning the academic exchanges is successfully implemented. |
| Greece | 14 May 1979 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 14 May 1979. Greece is represented in Guyana by its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. Greece has provided Guyana with development aid in the past. |
| Netherlands | 15 May 1970 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 May 1970. Netherlands is represented in Guyana by its embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname Suriname is represented in the Netherlands by its embassy in Brussels, Belgium |
| Russia | 17 December 1970 | See Guyana–Russia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 December 1970. Guyana is represented in Russia by its High Commission in London, United Kingdom. Russia is represented in Guyana by its embassy in Georgetown, Guyana. |
| Serbia | 5 November 1968 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 November 1968. Serbia is represented in Guyana through its embassy in Washington, D.C. |
| United Kingdom | 26 May 1966 | See Foreign relations of the United Kingdom Guyana established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on the 26 May 1966. Guyana maintains a high commission in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Guyana through its high commission in Georgetown. The UK governed Guyana from 1803 to 1966, when Guyana achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact, the Commonwealth, and the World Trade Organization, as well as the CARIFORUM–UK Economic Partnership Agreement. Bilaterally the two countries have an Investment Agreement. |

### Oceania

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Australia | | Australia is represented in Guyana through its embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. |