# Foreign relations of Mozambique

While alliances dating back to the Mozambican War of Independence remain relevant, Mozambique's foreign policy has become increasingly pragmatic. The twin pillars of the policy are maintenance of good relations with its neighbors and maintenance and expansion of ties to development partners.

## History

During the 1970s and early 1980s, Mozambique's foreign policy was inextricably linked to the struggles for majority rule in Rhodesia and South Africa as well as superpower competition and the Cold War. Mozambique's decision to enforce United Nations sanctions against Rhodesia and support Rhodesian guerrillas led Ian Smith's regime to undertake overt and covert actions to destabilize the country. Although the change of government in Zimbabwe in 1980 removed this threat, the apartheid regime in South Africa continued to finance the destabilization of Mozambique.
The 1984 Nkomati Accord, while failing in its goal of ending South African support to RENAMO, opened initial diplomatic contacts between the Mozambican and South African governments. This process gained momentum with South Africa's elimination of apartheid, which culminated in the establishment of full diplomatic relations in October 1993. While relations with neighboring Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania show occasional strains, Mozambique's ties to these countries remain strong.
In the years immediately following its independence, Mozambique benefited from considerable assistance from some western countries, notably the Scandinavians. The Soviet Union and its allies, however, became Mozambique's primary economic, military, and political supporters and its foreign policy reflected this linkage. This began to change in 1983; in 1984 Mozambique joined the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Western aid quickly replaced Soviet support, with the Scandinavians, Finland, the United States, the Netherlands, and the European Union becoming increasingly important sources of development assistance. Italy also maintains a profile in Mozambique as a result of its key role during the peace process. Relations with Portugal, the former colonial power, are complex and of some importance as Portuguese investors play a visible role in Mozambique's economy.
Mozambique is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and ranks among the moderate members of the African Bloc in the United Nations and other international organizations. Mozambique also belongs to the Organisation of African Unity/African Union and the Southern African Development Community. In 1994, the Government became a full member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation), in part to broaden its base of international support but also to please the country's sizeable Muslim population. Similarly, in early 1996 Mozambique joined its Anglophone neighbors in the Commonwealth. In the same year, Mozambique became a founding member and the first President of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), and maintains close ties with other Lusophone states. The country is also a member of the Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA).
Illicit drugs: Southern African transit point for South Asian hashish, South Asian heroin, and South American cocaine probably destined for the European and South African markets; producer of cannabis (for local consumption) and methaqualone (for export to South Africa); corruption and poor regulatory capability makes the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center.

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Mozambique maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | Albania | 25 June 1975 |
| 2 | Bulgaria | 25 June 1975 |
| 3 | Canada | 25 June 1975 |
| 4 | Cambodia | 25 June 1975 |
| 5 | China | 25 June 1975 |
| 6 | Republic of the Congo | 25 June 1975 |
| 7 | Denmark | 25 June 1975 |
| 8 | Egypt | 25 June 1975 |
| 9 | Guinea | 25 June 1975 |
| 10 | India | 25 June 1975 |
| 11 | Iraq | 25 June 1975 |
| 12 | Italy | 25 June 1975 |
| 13 | Netherlands | 25 June 1975 |
| 14 | Nigeria | 25 June 1975 |
| 15 | North Korea | 25 June 1975 |
| 16 | Norway | 25 June 1975 |
| 17 | Poland | 25 June 1975 |
| 18 | Portugal | 25 June 1975 |
| 19 | Romania | 25 June 1975 |
| 20 | Serbia | 25 June 1975 |
| 21 | Somalia | 25 June 1975 |
| 22 | Sweden | 25 June 1975 |
| 23 | Vietnam | 25 June 1975 |
| 24 | Tanzania | 25 June 1975 |
| 25 | Zambia | 25 June 1975 |
| 26 | Burundi | 26 June 1975 |
| 27 | Hungary | 26 June 1975 |
| 28 | Russia | 28 June 1975 |
| 29 | Finland | 18 July 1975 |
| 30 | Syria | 5 August 1975 |
| 31 | Madagascar | 9 August 1975 |
| 32 | Pakistan | 9 August 1975 |
| 33 | Uganda | 19 August 1975 |
| 34 | Guyana | 21 August 1975 |
| 35 | Cuba | 29 August 1975 |
| 36 | United Kingdom | 1 September 1975 |
| 37 | Lesotho | 9 September 1975 |
| 38 | Eswatini | 11 September 1975 |
| 39 | United States | 23 September 1975 |
| 40 | Mongolia | 27 September 1975 |
| 41 | Brazil | 14 November 1975 |
| 42 | Belgium | 5 December 1975 |
| 43 | Cameroon | 9 December 1975 |
| 44 | Botswana | 1975 |
| 45 | Tunisia | 1975 |
| 46 | Germany | 3 February 1976 |
| 47 | Sierra Leone | 12 March 1976 |
| 48 | Cape Verde | 12 March 1976 |
| 49 | France | 8 April 1976 |
| 50 | Switzerland | 12 April 1976 |
| 51 | Rwanda | 17 April 1976 |
| 52 | Sudan | 17 April 1976 |
| 53 | Guinea-Bissau | 9 June 1976 |
| 54 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 30 July 1976 |
| 55 | Greece | 30 September 1976 |
| 56 | Austria | 19 October 1976 |
| 57 | Czech Republic | 5 November 1976 |
| 58 | Kenya | 5 November 1976 |
| 59 | Japan | January 1977 |
| 60 | Spain | 27 May 1977 |
| 61 | Ghana | 27 June 1978 |
| 62 | Angola | 5 September 1978 |
| 63 | Jamaica | 7 August 1979 |
| 64 | Laos | 16 April 1980 |
| 65 | Zimbabwe | 30 April 1980 |
| 66 | Turkey | 20 January 1981 |
| 67 | Nicaragua | January 1981 |
| 68 | Malawi | 1 July 1981 |
| 69 | Grenada | 27 July 1981 |
| 70 | Argentina | 19 October 1981 |
| 71 | Libya | December 1981 |
| 72 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 1981 |
| 73 | Australia | 1 April 1982 |
| 74 | Suriname | 10 October 1982 |
| 75 | Iran | 13 February 1983 |
| 76 | Bangladesh | 24 March 1983 |
| 77 | Seychelles | August 1983 |
| 78 | Ethiopia | 10 December 1983 |
| — | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | 26 September 1984 |
| 79 | Mauritius | 29 November 1984 |
| 80 | Afghanistan | 7 January 1985 |
| 81 | Comoros | 20 June 1985 |
| 82 | Peru | 20 February 1986 |
| 83 | Vanuatu | 6 September 1986 |
| 84 | Nepal | 30 September 1986 |
| 85 | Bolivia | 20 November 1986 |
| 86 | Luxembourg | 7 January 1988 |
| 87 | Mexico | 26 February 1988 |
| 88 | Colombia | 10 May 1988 |
| — | State of Palestine | 31 January 1989 |
| 89 | Thailand | 19 April 1989 |
| 90 | Malaysia | 1989 |
| 91 | New Zealand | 6 June 1990 |
| 92 | Chile | 25 July 1990 |
| 93 | Indonesia | 4 October 1991 |
| 94 | Latvia | 29 April 1992 |
| 95 | Oman | 4 May 1993 |
| 96 | Israel | 26 July 1993 |
| 97 | South Korea | 11 August 1993 |
| 98 | Ukraine | 19 August 1993 |
| 99 | South Africa | 11 October 1993 |
| 100 | Uruguay | 28 October 1993 |
| 101 | Lithuania | 30 March 1994 |
| 102 | Qatar | 11 June 1994 |
| 103 | Slovakia | 10 May 1995 |
| 104 | Azerbaijan | 20 June 1995 |
| 105 | Armenia | 13 September 1995 |
| 106 | Maldives | 27 November 1995 |
| — | Holy See | 14 December 1995 |
| 107 | Moldova | 17 January 1996 |
| 108 | United Arab Emirates | 3 April 1996 |
| 109 | Kuwait | 20 May 1996 |
| 110 | Ireland | 13 June 1996 |
| 111 | Brunei | 18 June 1996 |
| 112 | Singapore | 29 July 1996 |
| 113 | Croatia | 23 August 1996 |
| 114 | Georgia | 13 September 1996 |
| 115 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 27 September 1996 |
| 116 | Turkmenistan | 22 November 1996 |
| 117 | Ecuador | 3 December 1996 |
| 118 | Slovenia | 19 December 1996 |
| 119 | Saudi Arabia | 1996 |
| 120 | Guatemala | 4 February 1997 |
| 121 | North Macedonia | 28 February 1997 |
| 122 | Iceland | 4 March 1997 |
| 123 | Philippines | 27 March 1997 |
| 124 | Haiti | 25 September 1997 |
| 125 | Belize | 30 September 1997 |
| 126 | Paraguay | 3 October 1997 |
| 127 | Bahrain | 3 November 1997 |
| 128 | Lebanon | 20 April 1998 |
| 129 | Sri Lanka | 12 March 1999 |
| 130 | Belarus | 29 February 2000 |
| 131 | Costa Rica | 15 March 2001 |
| 132 | Timor-Leste | 21 May 2002 |
| 133 | Bahamas | 7 September 2005 |
| 134 | Venezuela | 16 November 2005 |
| 135 | Kazakhstan | 18 June 2008 |
| 136 | Liberia | 17 December 2008 |
| 137 | Malta | 18 May 2009 |
| 138 | Estonia | 25 September 2009 |
| 139 | Trinidad and Tobago | 10 February 2010 |
| 140 | Montenegro | 27 May 2010 |
| 141 | Mauritania | 15 August 2010 |
| 142 | Equatorial Guinea | 13 July 2011 |
| 143 | Mali | 13 July 2011 |
| 144 | South Sudan | 15 July 2011 |
| 145 | Jordan | 9 August 2012 |
| 146 | Gabon | 5 December 2012 |
| 147 | Fiji | 6 December 2012 |
| 148 | Eritrea | 10 December 2012 |
| 149 | Tajikistan | 5 September 2013 |
| 150 | Niger | 29 May 2014 |
| 151 | Senegal | 29 May 2014 |
| 152 | Burkina Faso | 16 September 2015 |
| 153 | El Salvador | 29 September 2015 |
| 154 | Central African Republic | 18 February 2016 |
| 155 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 9 November 2017 |
| 156 | Ivory Coast | 11 December 2017 |
| 157 | Benin | 24 October 2018 |
| 158 | Andorra | 2 August 2019 |
| 159 | Dominican Republic | 26 September 2019 |
| 160 | Kyrgyzstan | 27 September 2019 |
| 161 | Monaco | 20 October 2022 |
| 162 | Algeria | Unknown |
| 163 | Chad | Unknown |
| 164 | Cyprus | Unknown |
| 165 | Djibouti | Unknown |
| 166 | Gambia | Unknown |
| 167 | Morocco | Unknown |
| 168 | Namibia | Unknown |
| 169 | Togo | Unknown |

## Bilateral relations

| Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
| Angola | 5 September 1978 | See Angola–Mozambique relations Angola has an embassy in Maputo. Mozambique has an embassy in Luanda. Both nations were formerly part of the Portuguese Empire. |
| Brazil | 15 November 1975 | See Brazil–Mozambique relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 November 1975 Brazil has an embassy in Maputo. Mozambique has an embassy in Brasília and a consulate in Belo Horizonte. |
| Canada | 25 June 1975 | See Canada–Mozambique relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 June 1975 Canada has a high commission in Maputo. Mozambique is accredited to Canada from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. |
| China | 25 June 1975 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 June 1975 See China–Mozambique relations China-Mozambique relations date back to the 1960s, when China began to support the struggle of Mozambique's Marxist-oriented FRELIMO party against Portuguese colonialism. Diplomatic relations were formally established on 25 June 1975, soon after Mozambique gained its independence from Portugal. In November 2006, Mozambique became the thirteenth African country to be added to China's official list of tourism destinations. Hu Jintao, president of the People's Republic of China, made an official visit to Mozambique in February 2007, during which he and Armando Guebuza, the president of Mozambique, pledged further cooperation in the areas of economy, technology, agriculture, education and sports. China has an embassy in Maputo. Mozambique has an embassy in Beijing and a consulate-general in Macau. |
| Cuba | 27 August 1975 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 August 1975 Cuba has an embassy in Maputo. Mozambique has an embassy in Havana. |
| Denmark | 25 June 1975 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 June 1975 See Denmark–Mozambique relations Denmark has an embassy in Maputo. Mozambique is accredited to Denmark from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. |
| Finland | 18 July 1975 | See Finland–Mozambique relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 July 1975 Mozambique is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland has an embassy in Maputo. |
| France | 19 February 1976 | See France–Mozambique relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 February 1976 France has an embassy in Maputo. Mozambique has an embassy in Paris. |
| Germany | 3 February 1976 | See Germany–Mozambique relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 February 1976 Germany has an embassy in Maputo. Mozambique has an embassy in Berlin. |
| India | 25 June 1975 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 June 1975 See India–Mozambique relations India has a High Commission in Maputo. Mozambique maintains a High Commission in New Delhi. |
| Japan | January 1977 | See Japan–Mozambique relations Japan has an embassy in Maputo Mozambique has an embassy in Tokyo |
| Kenya | 5 November 1976 | See Kenya–Mozambique relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 November 1976 when Ambassador of Kenya Hon. Kiyinda Nincola, has presented his credentials to President of Mozambique Samora Moises Machel. Kenya has a high commission in Maputo. Mozambique has a high commission in Nairobi. |
| Malawi | 1 July 1981 | See Malawi-Mozambique relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 July 1981 Malawi has a high commission in Maputo. Mozambique has a high commission in Lilongwe. |
| Mexico | 26 February 1988 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 February 1988 See Mexico–Mozambique relations Mexico is accredited to Mozambique from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. Mozambique is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. |
| Portugal | 25 June 1975 | See Mozambique–Portugal relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 June 1975 Both nations are members of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. Mozambique has an embassy in Lisbon and a consulate-general in Porto. Portugal has an embassy in Maputo and a consulate-general in Beira. Portuguese companies are the second largest private investor in Mozambique. In July 2008, Mozambique and Portugal have signed an agreement to set up a fund to support investments worth US$124 million in the Mozambican energy sector. In July 2008, Portugal cancelled Mozambique's remaining debts to Portugal, estimated at US$393.4 million, accumulated from independence until 2005. |
| Russia | 25 June 1975 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 June 1975 See Mozambique–Russia relations Mozambique-Russia relations date back to the 1960s, when Soviet Union began to support the struggle of Mozambique's Marxist-oriented FRELIMO party against Portuguese colonialism. Most leaders of the FRELIMO were trained in Moscow. Diplomatic relations were formally established on 25 June 1975, soon after Mozambique gained its independence from Portugal. In June 2007, both Russia and Mozambique signed an agreement on economic cooperation. Mozambique has an embassy in Moscow. Russia has an embassy in Maputo. |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 1981 | Mozambique is accredited to São Tomé and Príncipe from its embassy in Luanda, Angola and maintains an honorary consulate in São Tomé. São Tomé and Príncipe is accredited to Mozambique from its embassy in Luanda, Angola and maintains an honorary consulate in Maputo. |
| South Africa | 26 September 1993 | See Mozambique–South Africa relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 September 1993 Mozambique has a high commission in Pretoria and a consulate-general in Johannesburg and consulates in Cape Town, Durban and Mbombela. South Africa has a high commission in Maputo. |
| South Korea | 11 August 1993 | Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Korea and Mozambique on 11 August 1993 There were 78 South Koreans living in Mozambique in 2012. |
| Spain | 27 May 1977 | See Mozambique–Spain relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 May 1977 Mozambique has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Maputo. |
| Tanzania | 25 June 1975 | See Mozambique–Tanzania relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 June 1975 Mozambique has a high commission in Dar es Salaam and a consulate-general in Zanzibar City. Tanzania has a high commission in Maputo. |
| Turkey | 20 January 1981 | See Mozambique–Turkey relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 20 January 1981 Mozambique is accredited to Turkey from its embassy in Rome, Italy. Turkey has an embassy in Maputo. Trade volume between the two countries was US$153 million in 2019. |
| United Kingdom | 1 September 1975 | See Mozambique–United Kingdom relations Mozambique established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 1 September 1975. Mozambique maintains a high commission in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Mozambique through its high commission in Maputo. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, and the World Trade Organization, as well as the SACUM–UK Economic Partnership Agreement. |
| United States | 23 September 1975 | See Mozambique–United States relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 September 1975 Relations between the United States and Mozambique are good and steadily improving. By 1993, U.S. aid to Mozambique was prominent, due in part to significant emergency food assistance in the wake of the 1991-93 southern African drought, but more importantly in support of the peace and reconciliation process. During the process leading up to elections in October 1994, the United States served as a significant financier and member of the most important commissions established to monitor implementation of the Rome General Peace Accords. The United States is the largest bilateral donor to the country and plays a leading role in donor efforts to assist Mozambique. Mozambique has an embassy in Washington, D.C. United States has an embassy in Maputo. |