# 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.
Nicaragua has submitted three territorial disputes, one with Honduras, another with Colombia, and the third with Costa Rica to the International Court of Justice for resolution.

## International membership

At the 1994 Summit of the Americas, Nicaragua joined six Central American neighbors in signing the Alliance for Sustainable Development, known as the Conjunta Centroamerica-USA or CONCAUSA, to promote sustainable economic development in the region.
Nicaragua belongs to the United Nations and several specialized and related agencies, including:
* World Bank
* International Monetary Fund (IMF)
* World Trade Organization (WTO)
* UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
* World Health Organization (WHO)
* Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
* International Labour Organization (ILO)
* UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC)
* Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
* International Atomic Energy Commission (IAEA)
* Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
* Central American Common Market (CACM)
* Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI).
* Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA)
* Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
* Association of Caribbean States (ACS)
* Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)
* Latin American Economic System (SELA)
* Central American Integration System (SICA)

## International disputes

* Territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank with respect to the maritime boundary question in the Golfo de Fonseca. The ICJ referred to the line determined by the 1900 Honduras-Nicaragua Mixed Boundary Commission and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua likely would be required;
* Maritime boundary dispute with Honduras in the Caribbean Sea.
* Nicaragua is sovereign over the Rio San Juan, and by treaty Costa Rica has the right to navigate over part of the river with 'objects of commerce'. A dispute emerged when Costa Rica tried to navigate with armed members of its security forces.

## International relations with intergovernmental organizations and countries

Nicaragua signed a 3-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in October 2007. As part of the IMF program, the Government of Nicaragua agreed to implement free market policies linked to targets on fiscal discipline, poverty spending, and energy regulation. The lack of transparency surrounding Venezuelan bilateral assistance, channeled through state-run enterprises rather than the official budget, has become a serious issue for the IMF and international donors. On September 10, 2008, with misgivings about fiscal transparency, the IMF released an additional $30 million to Nicaragua, the second tranche of its $110 million PRGF.
The flawed municipal elections of November 2008 prompted a number of European donors to suspend direct budget support to Nicaragua, a move that created a severe budget shortfall for the government. This shortfall, in turn, caused the Government of Nicaragua to fall out of compliance with its PRGF obligations and led to a suspension of PRGF disbursements. The IMF is currently in negotiations with the Government of Nicaragua to reinstate disbursements.
Under current president Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua has stayed current with the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force for Nicaragua on April 1, 2006. Nicaragua exports to the United States, which account for 59% of Nicaragua's total exports, were $1.7 billion in 2008, up 45% from 2005. Textiles and apparel account for 55% of exports to the United States, while automobile wiring harnesses add another 11%.
Other leading export products are coffee, meat, cigars, sugar, ethanol, and fresh fruit and vegetables, all of which have seen remarkable growth since CAFTA-DR went into effect. Leading Nicaraguan exports also demonstrated increased diversity, with 274 new products shipped to the United States in the first year. U.S. exports to Nicaragua, meanwhile, were $1.1 billion in 2008, up 23% from 2005. Other important trading partners for Nicaragua are its Central American neighbors, Mexico, and the European Union. Nicaragua is negotiating a trade agreement with the European Union as part of a Central American bloc.
Despite important protections for investment included in CAFTA-DR, the investment climate has become relatively insecure since Ortega took office. According to the United States State Department, President Ortega's decision to support "radical regimes" such as Iran and Cuba, his harsh rhetoric against the United States and capitalism, and his use of government institutions to persecute political enemies and their businesses, has had a negative effect on perceptions of country risk, which by some accounts has quadrupled since he assumed office. The government reports foreign investment inflows totaled $506 million in 2008, including $123 million in telecommunications infrastructure and $120 million in energy generation.
There are over 100 companies operating in Nicaragua with some relation to a U.S. company, either as wholly or partly owned subsidiaries, franchisees, or exclusive distributors of U.S. products. The largest are in energy, financial services, textiles/apparel, manufacturing, and fisheries. However, many companies in the textile/apparel sector, including a $100 million U.S.-owned denim mill, had shuttered by 2017.
Poor enforcement of property rights deters both foreign and domestic investment, especially in real estate development and tourism. Conflicting claims and weak enforcement of property rights has invited property disputes and litigation. Establishing verifiable title history is often entangled in legalities relating to the expropriation of 28,000 properties by the revolutionary government that Ortega led in the 1980s. The situation is not helped by a court system that is widely believed to be corrupt and subject to political influence.
Illegal property seizures by private parties, occasionally in collaboration with corrupt municipal officials, often go unchallenged by the authorities, especially in the Atlantic regions and interior regions of the north, where property rights are poorly defined and rule of law is weak. Foreign investor interest along the Pacific Coast has motivated some unscrupulous people to challenge ownership rights in the Departments of Rivas and Chinandega, with the hope of achieving some sort of cash settlement.
In October 2022, the European Union declared the Nicaraguan representative Zoila Müller non grata.

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Nicaragua maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | United States | 4 August 1824 |
| 2 | Colombia | 8 March 1825 |
| — | Ecuador (suspended) | 1836 |
| 3 | Mexico | 1839 |
| 4 | El Salvador | 24 July 1840 |
| 5 | Guatemala | 15 May 1845 |
| 6 | Spain | 21 March 1851 |
| 7 | Chile | March 1857 |
| 8 | Peru | 5 October 1857 |
| 9 | Belgium | 18 May 1858 |
| 10 | United Kingdom | 18 January 1859 |
| 11 | France | 11 April 1859 |
| 12 | Honduras | 1864 |
| 13 | Costa Rica | 30 July 1868 |
| 14 | Venezuela | 22 June 1891 |
| 15 | Cuba | 3 September 1905 |
| 16 | Brazil | 1905 |
| 17 | Italy | 25 January 1906 |
| — | Holy See (suspended) | 19 December 1908 |
| 18 | Argentina | 29 August 1910 |
| 19 | Czech Republic | 20 March 1930 |
| 20 | Poland | 18 November 1933 |
| 21 | Japan | February 1935 |
| 22 | Sweden | 1936 |
| 23 | Panama | 13 December 1938 |
| 24 | Norway | 5 July 1947 |
| — | Israel (suspended) | 18 May 1948 |
| 25 | Dominican Republic | 1 June 1949 |
| 26 | Turkey | 21 September 1950 |
| 27 | Germany | 10 April 1952 |
| 28 | Haiti | 6 August 1952 |
| 29 | Bolivia | 6 July 1955 |
| — | Netherlands (suspended) | 1955 |
| 30 | Paraguay | 18 January 1956 |
| 31 | Portugal | 3 March 1958 |
| 32 | Switzerland | 30 October 1958 |
| 33 | Denmark | 31 March 1960 |
| 34 | Canada | June 1961 |
| 35 | South Korea | 26 January 1962 |
| 36 | Austria | 29 April 1963 |
| 37 | Uruguay | 1964 |
| 38 | Greece | 2 July 1965 |
| 39 | India | 25 October 1972 |
| 40 | Philippines | 10 August 1973 |
| 41 | Jamaica | 15 August 1975 |
| 42 | Barbados | 8 November 1975 |
| 43 | Thailand | 24 November 1975 |
| 44 | Finland | 22 December 1975 |
| 45 | Iran | 29 April 1976 |
| 46 | Suriname | 24 June 1976 |
| 47 | Luxembourg | 7 July 1976 |
| 48 | Pakistan | 27 September 1976 |
| 49 | Hungary | 1 October 1977 |
| 50 | Egypt | 11 September 1978 |
| 51 | Romania | 6 January 1979 |
| 52 | Zambia | 21 April 1979 |
| 53 | Serbia | 10 August 1979 |
| 54 | North Korea | 24 August 1979 |
| 55 | Malta | August 1979 |
| 56 | Vietnam | 3 September 1979 |
| 57 | Republic of the Congo | 13 September 1979 |
| 58 | Russia | 13 September 1979 |
| 59 | Grenada | 29 September 1979 |
| 60 | Mongolia | 13 October 1979 |
| 61 | Albania | November 1979 |
| 62 | Bulgaria | 16 November 1979 |
| 63 | Zimbabwe | April 1980 |
| 64 | Laos | 30 May 1980 |
| 65 | Tanzania | December 1980 |
| 66 | Mozambique | January 1981 |
| 67 | Libya | 19 May 1981 |
| 68 | Algeria | September 1981 |
| 69 | Belize | September 1981 |
| 70 | Guyana | 23 November 1981 |
| 71 | Cyprus | 26 May 1982 |
| 72 | Lebanon | 16 June 1982 |
| 73 | Iceland | 16 December 1982 |
| 74 | Bangladesh | 15 February 1983 |
| 75 | Yemen | 21 February 1983 |
| 76 | Afghanistan | 12 March 1983 |
| 77 | Ghana | March 1983 |
| 78 | Lesotho | 14 June 1983 |
| 79 | Guinea | 5 July 1983 |
| 80 | Liberia | July 1983 |
| 81 | Cape Verde | 25 October 1983 |
| 82 | Burkina Faso | 30 November 1983 |
| 83 | Australia | 4 December 1983 |
| 84 | Ethiopia | 7 May 1984 |
| 85 | Seychelles | 22 May 1984 |
| 86 | Benin | 5 June 1984 |
| 87 | Equatorial Guinea | 20 September 1984 |
| 88 | Madagascar | 26 October 1984 |
| 89 | Mauritius | March 1985 |
| 90 | China | 7 December 1985 |
| 91 | Vanuatu | 6 June 1986 |
| 92 | Nepal | 2 October 1986 |
| 93 | Ivory Coast | 3 April 1987 |
| 94 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 4 May 1987 |
| 95 | Indonesia | 11 April 1988 |
| 96 | New Zealand | 30 August 1988 |
| 97 | Angola | 20 October 1988 |
| — | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | 10 March 1989 |
| — | State of Palestine | 24 September 1989 |
| 98 | Iraq | 26 November 1989 |
| 99 | Jordan | 27 May 1991 |
| 100 | Kuwait | 27 June 1991 |
| 101 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 28 June 1991 |
| 102 | United Arab Emirates | 1 August 1991 |
| 103 | Bahrain | 15 August 1991 |
| 104 | Qatar | 15 August 1991 |
| 105 | Oman | 26 September 1991 |
| 106 | Bahamas | 3 January 1992 |
| 107 | Antigua and Barbuda | 20 February 1992 |
| 108 | Slovenia | 14 April 1992 |
| 109 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | May 1992 |
| 110 | Ukraine | 30 November 1992 |
| 111 | Saint Lucia | 1992 |
| 112 | Slovakia | 5 January 1993 |
| 113 | Singapore | 6 January 1993 |
| 114 | Malaysia | 17 February 1993 |
| 115 | Mali | 27 July 1993 |
| 116 | Moldova | 8 November 1993 |
| 117 | Cambodia | 10 March 1994 |
| 118 | Lithuania | 23 March 1994 |
| 119 | Belarus | 24 May 1994 |
| 120 | Latvia | 20 June 1994 |
| 121 | Kazakhstan | 5 July 1994 |
| 122 | Armenia | 6 July 1994 |
| — | Georgia (suspended) | 14 September 1994 |
| 123 | South Africa | 15 September 1994 |
| 124 | Azerbaijan | 23 November 1994 |
| 125 | Andorra | 29 June 1995 |
| 126 | North Macedonia | 28 March 1996 |
| 127 | Croatia | 29 March 1996 |
| 128 | Turkmenistan | 29 August 1996 |
| 129 | Brunei | July 1998 |
| 130 | Syria | 14 February 1999 |
| 131 | Morocco | 21 July 2000 |
| 132 | Nigeria | 24 April 2001 |
| 133 | Ireland | 9 September 2003 |
| 134 | Estonia | 4 March 2004 |
| 135 | Saudi Arabia | 30 March 2006 |
| 136 | Uzbekistan | 23 February 2007 |
| 137 | Botswana | 28 August 2007 |
| 138 | East Timor | 2 November 2007 |
| 139 | Dominica | 2 June 2009 |
| — | Abkhazia | 14 September 2009 |
| 140 | Montenegro | 24 September 2009 |
| 141 | San Marino | 2 October 2009 |
| 142 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 22 October 2009 |
| 143 | Solomon Islands | 20 April 2010 |
| 144 | Maldives | 11 May 2010 |
| — | South Ossetia | 26 July 2011 |
| 145 | Tuvalu | 3 August 2011 |
| 146 | Fiji | 21 September 2012 |
| 147 | Liechtenstein | 23 February 2013 |
| 148 | Sudan | 27 June 2014 |
| 149 | Tajikistan | 30 March 2016 |
| 150 | Kyrgyzstan | 7 July 2017 |
| 151 | Sri Lanka | 15 May 2019 |
| 152 | Eritrea | 6 June 2019 |
| 153 | Uganda | 7 June 2019 |
| 154 | Central African Republic | 12 June 2019 |
| 155 | Marshall Islands | 13 June 2019 |
| 156 | Palau | 17 June 2019 |
| 157 | Burundi | 26 June 2019 |
| 158 | Tunisia | 2 July 2019 |
| 159 | Gambia | 8 July 2019 |
| 160 | South Sudan | 22 July 2019 |
| 161 | Kenya | 30 July 2019 |
| 162 | Niger | 8 August 2019 |
| 163 | Monaco | 4 September 2019 |
| 164 | Djibouti | 9 September 2019 |
| 165 | Eswatini | 17 September 2019 |
| 166 | Comoros | 18 September 2019 |
| 167 | Mauritania | 14 October 2019 |
| 168 | Namibia | 16 October 2019 |
| 169 | Nauru | 18 October 2019 |
| 170 | Togo | 23 October 2019 |
| 171 | Cameroon | 1 November 2019 |
| 172 | Rwanda | 8 November 2019 |
| 173 | Federated States of Micronesia | 11 December 2019 |
| 174 | Myanmar | 6 August 2020 |
| 175 | Sierra Leone | 25 September 2020 |
| 176 | Kiribati | 17 May 2021 |
| 177 | Gabon | 14 June 2021 |
| 178 | Chad | 24 September 2021 |
| 179 | Malawi | 25 September 2022 |
| 180 | Papua New Guinea | 17 February 2023 |
| 181 | Tonga | 28 February 2024 |
| 182 | Somalia | 27 September 2024 |
| 183 | São Tomé and Príncipe | Unknown |
| 184 | Senegal | Unknown |
| 185 | Trinidad and Tobago | Unknown |

## Bilateral relations

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| China | 1985 (With the People's Republic of China) | See China–Nicaragua relations Nicaragua established diplomatic relations of the nationalist government of Republican China in 1930 but maintained relations after the central government of the Republic of China retreated to Taiwan after declaring the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. After the Sandinista National Liberation Front took power in 1979, Nicaragua recognized the PRC on 7 December 1985 until 9 November 1990 when FSLN was defeated and resumed relations with the ROC, which continued under Daniel Ortega's presidency since 2007. On 9 December 2021, Nicaragua resumed relations with the PRC. |
| Colombia | | See Colombia–Nicaragua relations The relationship between the two Latin American countries has evolved amid conflicts over the San Andrés y Providencia Islands located in the Caribbean close to the Nicaraguan shoreline and the maritime boundaries covering 150,000 km$^2$ that included the islands of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina and the banks of Roncador, Serrana, Serranilla and Quitasueño as well as the arbitrarily designed 82nd meridian west which Colombia claims as a border but which the International Court has sided with Nicaragua in disavowing. The archipelago has been under Colombian control since 1931 when a treaty was signed during US occupation of Nicaragua, giving Colombia control over the islands. Colombia has an embassy in Managua. Nicaragua has an embassy in Bogotá. |
| Cuba | 3 September 1905 | See Cuba–Nicaragua relations Relations between the two countries were particularly positive during Nicaragua's initial Sandinista period and have been strong since the 2007 election of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua. |
| Denmark | | See Denmark–Nicaragua relations |
| Finland | | See Finland–Nicaragua relations Finland is a significant donor of aid to Nicaragua. In 2007, total aid amounted to around EUR 14.5 million. The cooperation focused on rural development, health care and supporting local government. In 1992, the Finnish government announced an aid program of US$27.4 million. In 2006, the Finnish government pledged 4.9 million euros to help the Nicaraguan government integrate the ICT systems of 20 town councils. In 2008, the Finnish government revoked a 1.95 million euro aid package meant for Nicaragua in protest of what it alleged was a lack of transparency in Nicaragua's national budget and its municipal elections. In 2004, Finnish President Tarja Halonen visited Nicaragua where she stated "The Finnish government and Parliament have decided that Nicaragua is one of the main targets of Finnish development aid. However, the visit has shown that Finland is not only giving money – it is also interested in what is happening here". The Finnish President also made a speech to the National Assembly of Nicaragua on 31 May 2004. In 2003, the two countries signed the Agreement for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments. In February 2012, Finland made decision to stop development aid to Nicaragua. The main reason was concern over the state of the democracy in Nicaragua. Finland is accredited to Nicaragua from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. Nicaragua has an honorary consulate in Helsinki. |
| Georgia | Diplomatic relations severed in November 2008 | Nicaraguan-Georgian diplomatic relations established on 19 September 1994 and ended on 29 November 2008. The Georgian Foreign Ministry said that it had cut diplomatic ties with Nicaragua in a response to the latter's recognition of independence of breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia. |
| Germany | | See Germany–Nicaragua relations Germany has an embassy in Managua. In April 2024, Nicaragua closed its embassy in Berlin. In future, official duties will be assumed by the Nicaraguan diplomatic mission in Austria. |
| Greece | | See Greece–Nicaragua relations Greece is accredited to Nicaragua through its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. Nicaragua is accredited to Greece through its embassy in Rome, Italy. |
| Holy See | | See Holy See–Nicaragua relations Holy See had an Apostolic Nunciature in Managua until 2023. Nicaragua had an embassy in Rome to the Holy See until 2023. |
| India | | See India-Nicaragua relations India has an honorary consulate in Managua. Nicaragua has honorary consulate in New Delhi and in Mumbai. |
| Israel | Diplomatic relations severed in October 2024 | Israel was the last country that still shipped weapons to the embattled Anastacio Somoza regime in 1978–1979 (the dictator's father had supported Israel in 1948, establishing a "special relationship" between Nicaragua and Israel), becoming the regime's main supplier of arms, after the Carter administration had cut off supplies amid the public outcry over Somozista troops' atrocities. This soured the relations with the -Sandinista government; the relations were then gradually normalized. In March 2017, Nicaragua and Israel reestablished diplomatic relations after they were suspended in 2010. In October 2024, Nicaragua broke ties with Israel again in solidarity with the Palestinian government and people amid the Israel-Hamas War. |
| Mexico | 1838 | See Mexico–Nicaragua relations Mexico has an embassy in Managua. Nicaragua has an embassy in Mexico City. |
| Soviet Union- Russia | October 1979 | See Nicaragua–Russia relations Both countries signed diplomatic missions on October 18, 1979, a few months after the Sandinista revolution. President Vladimir Putin visited Nicaragua on July 12, 2014. Nicaragua has an embassy in Moscow. Russia has an embassy in Managua. |
| South Korea | January 1962 | The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Nicaragua began in January 1962. Nicaragua has an embassy in Seoul. South Korea has an embassy in Managua. |
| Netherlands | Diplomatic Relations severed in October 2022 | The direct cause for severing relations was the Netherlands' decision to definitively terminate its financial contribution to the Nicaraguan authorities for the construction of a hospital in Nicaragua, which has been on hold for several years. |
| Spain | 20 March 1851 | See Nicaragua–Spain relations Nicaragua has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Managua. Both countries are full members of the Association of Spanish Language Academies and the Organization of Ibero-American States Nicaragua was a colony of Spain from the 16th century, Nicaragua gained independence from Spain in 1821. Nicaragua was in a coalition led by Spain during the Iraq War the Multi-National Force – Iraq between 2003 up to 2004. |
| Switzerland | 1956 | Swiss Cooperation Office in Managua Relations with Nicaragua and Switzerland focus on development cooperation, humanitarian aid and trade. Nicaragua is accredited to Switzerland from its embassy in Berlin, Germany. Switzerland is accredited to Nicaragua from its embassy in San José, Costa Rica and maintains a Swiss cooperation office in Managua. |
| Syria | February 14, 1999 | See Nicaragua–Syria relations |
| Turkey | Nov. 11, 1926 | See Nicaragua–Turkey relations Turkey has an embassy in Managua. Nicaraguan embassy in Berlin is accredited to Turkey. Trade volume between the two countries was US$11.6 million in 2019 (Nicaraguan exports/imports: 0.5/11.1 million USD). |
| United Kingdom | 1859 | See Foreign relations of the United Kingdom Nicaragua established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 18 January 1859. Nicaragua maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Nicaragua from its embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica; there is no British embassy in Nicaragua. Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization, as well as the Central America–UK Association Agreement. Bilaterally the two countries have an investment agreement. |
| United States | 1824; 1849 | See Nicaragua–United States relations Embassy of Nicaragua in Washington, D.C. Nicaragua has an embassy in Washington, D.C., and consulates-general in Miami and New York. United States has an embassy in Managua. |
| Uruguay | 1849 | See Nicaragua–Uruguay relations Embassy of Nicaragua in Montevideo Nicaragua has an embassy in Montevideo. Uruguay is accredited to Nicaragua from its embassy in Guatemala City, Guatemala. |
| Venezuela | 1979 | Venezuela and Nicaragua have had diplomatic relations since January 1979. During the Venezuelan government of Carlos Andrés Pérez, they helped FSLN to overthrow regime of longtime Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle. Relations between Nicaragua and Venezuela have significantly improved during the presidency of Hugo Chávez. In 2007 Nicaragua became a formal member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) international cooperation organization and the Caribbean oil alliance Petrocaribe. In the recent years Nicaragua has received discounted oil from Venezuela with low payments. The presidents of Venezuela and Nicaragua, President Hugo Chávez and President Daniel Ortega, have both described themselves as good friends and visited one another's nations. Nicaragua has an embassy in Caracas. Venezuela has an embassy in Managua. |

### States with limited recognition

The following table includes Republic of China, Georgia, and some of the states with limited recognition:
| Name | Recognized by Nicaragua | Notes |
| Abkhazia | | See Abkhazia–Nicaragua relations Nicaragua recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia on September 5, 2008. At a press conference in November 2008, Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos López said, "Certainly, we think that the decision [to recognize independent Abkhazia and South Ossetia] was fair and appropriate. They [the republics] must be given time for inner formalities. We will coordinate the possibility and terms of direct diplomatic relations at a convenient moment. Obviously and logically, we will be acting via our friends, probably Russia, to establish closer contacts and diplomatic relations [with the republics]." |
| Palestine | Yes | Palestine has an embassy in Managua. Nicaraguan foreign minister, Denis Moncada, has publicly expressed solidarity with Palestinian statehood and called for "an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories," and the "liberation of Palestinian prisoners." |
| Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | Yes | Recognized by 34 UN states, claimed by Morocco. |
| South Ossetia | Yes | See Nicaragua–South Ossetia relations Nicaragua extended diplomatic recognition to South Ossetia and Abkhazia on 5 September 2008. After the recognition was announced, the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry stated that they would immediately establish ties with Tskhinvali and would eventually appoint an ambassador to the republic. At a press conference in November 2008, Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos López said, "Certainly, we think that the decision [to recognize independent Abkhazia and South Ossetia] was fair and appropriate. They [the republics] must be given time for inner formalities. We will coordinate the possibility and terms of direct diplomatic relations at a convenient moment. Obviously and logically, we will be acting via our friends, probably Russia, to establish closer contacts and diplomatic relations [with the republics]." The recognition of South Ossetia by Nicaragua triggered immediate reactions from other countries involved in the dispute over the status of South Ossetia. Georgia responded to Nicaragua's concurrent recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by cutting diplomatic relations with the Central American state at the end of November 2008. Russia offered to strengthen ties with Nicaragua and to provide aid to Nicaragua to help rebuild areas damaged by hurricanes. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce canceled a planned trip to Nicaragua, with the U.S. Ambassador in Managua saying, "It isn't the appropriate moment for the visit." |
| Sovereign Military Order of Malta | Yes | A sovereign entity without territory, established diplomatic relations with 104 states. |
| Taiwan | Diplomatic relations severed in 2021 | Nicaragua used to maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of the People's Republic of China. In 2007, President Daniel Ortega stated that Nicaragua will maintain its diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Ortega defended Nicaragua's right of having diplomatic relations with Taiwan and China at the same time and insisted that Nicaragua will not break its diplomatic relations with Taiwan and Vice-president Jaime Morales Carazo (during Ortega's first tenure) criticized the People's Republic of China for conditioning Nicaragua's diplomatic relations. Nicaragua maintained its diplomatic relations with Taiwan until 2021. On December 9, 2021, Nicaragua broke off diplomatic relations with the Republic of China and recognised the PRC as the legitimate Chinese government. |