# Foreign relations of Cameroon

Cameroon's noncontentious, low-profile approach to foreign relations puts it squarely in the middle of other African and developing country states on major issues. It supports the principles of non-interference in the affairs of third world countries and increased assistance to underdeveloped countries. Cameroon is an active participant in the United Nations, where its voting record demonstrates its commitment to causes that include international peacekeeping, the rule of law, environmental protection, and Third World economic development. In the UN and other human rights fora, Cameroon's non-confrontational approach has generally led it to avoid criticizing other countries.
Cameroon enjoys good relations with France, the United States and other developed countries. Cameroon enjoys generally good relations with its African neighbors. It supports UN peacekeeping activities in Central Africa.

## International disputes

Delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is complete and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; dispute with Nigeria over land and maritime boundaries around the Bakasi Peninsula and Lake Chad is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as is a dispute with Equatorial Guinea over the exclusive maritime economic zone. As of 10 October 2012, it has been resolved that Cameroon own Bakassi.
Cameroon also faces a complaint filed with the African Commission on Human Rights by the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) and the Southern Cameroons Peoples Organization (SCAPO) against the Government of the Republic of Cameroon, in which the complainants allege that the Republic of Cameroon is illegally occupying the territory of Southern Cameroons. The SCNC and SCAPO ultimately seek the independence of the territory of Southern Cameroons. As of 2008, both parties have submitted briefs and responded to the Human Rights Commissions' inquiries. A ruling by the African Commission on Human Rights is awaited.

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Cameroon maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | France | 1 January 1960 |
| 2 | Germany | 1 January 1960 |
| 3 | Japan | 1 January 1960 |
| 4 | United States | 1 January 1960 |
| 5 | Finland | 15 January 1960 |
| 6 | United Kingdom | 1 February 1960 |
| 7 | Israel | 15 September 1960 |
| 8 | Liberia | 23 November 1960 |
| 9 | Nigeria | November 1960 |
| 10 | Burkina Faso | 1960 |
| 11 | Central African Republic | 1960 |
| 12 | Denmark | 1960 |
| 13 | Mauritania | 1960 |
| 14 | Senegal | 1960 |
| 15 | Egypt | 7 January 1961 |
| 16 | Tunisia | 18 February 1961 |
| 17 | South Korea | 10 August 1961 |
| 18 | Switzerland | 9 November 1961 |
| 19 | Spain | 10 November 1961 |
| 20 | Netherlands | 2 December 1961 |
| 21 | Canada | 7 December 1961 |
| 22 | Philippines | 11 December 1961 |
| 23 | Italy | 28 February 1962 |
| 24 | Belgium | 14 March 1962 |
| 25 | Luxembourg | 7 June 1962 |
| 26 | Turkey | 11 October 1962 |
| 27 | Mali | 13 October 1962 |
| 28 | Ivory Coast | 26 November 1962 |
| 29 | Republic of the Congo | 29 November 1962 |
| 30 | Chad | 1962 |
| 31 | Lebanon | 1962 |
| 32 | Pakistan | 1962 |
| 33 | Gabon | 1 February 1963 |
| 34 | India | 4 April 1963 |
| 35 | Sudan | 12 July 1963 |
| 36 | Ethiopia | 9 August 1963 |
| 37 | Ghana | 20 August 1963 |
| 38 | Guinea | 13 September 1963 |
| 39 | Algeria | 1 January 1964 |
| 40 | Russia | 18 February 1964 |
| 41 | Chile | 11 August 1964 |
| 42 | Sweden | 24 September 1964 |
| 43 | Syria | 29 November 1964 |
| 44 | Norway | 15 June 1965 |
| 45 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 21 June 1965 |
| 46 | Thailand | 20 July 1965 |
| 47 | Morocco | 13 August 1965 |
| 48 | Serbia | 12 December 1965 |
| 49 | Gambia | 1965 |
| — | Holy See | 27 August 1966 |
| 50 | Saudi Arabia | 6 October 1966 |
| 51 | Austria | 29 March 1968 |
| 52 | Equatorial Guinea | 27 October 1968 |
| 53 | Lesotho | 29 October 1968 |
| 54 | Libya | 3 August 1969 |
| 55 | Romania | 14 May 1970 |
| 56 | China | 26 March 1971 |
| 57 | North Korea | 3 March 1972 |
| 58 | Poland | 14 March 1972 |
| 59 | Zambia | 21 April 1972 |
| 60 | Vietnam | 30 August 1972 |
| 61 | Tanzania | August 1972 |
| 62 | Uganda | August 1972 |
| 63 | Kenya | 5 September 1972 |
| 64 | Cambodia | 13 October 1972 |
| 65 | Benin | 5 March 1973 |
| 66 | Greece | 28 April 1973 |
| 67 | Albania | 20 August 1973 |
| 68 | Niger | 13 February 1974 |
| 69 | Rwanda | 11 March 1974 |
| 70 | Costa Rica | 3 April 1974 |
| 71 | Cuba | 31 August 1974 |
| 72 | Malawi | 10 September 1974 |
| 73 | Cyprus | 1974 |
| 74 | Argentina | 2 January 1975 |
| 75 | United Arab Emirates | 24 February 1975 |
| 76 | Qatar | 26 February 1975 |
| 77 | Bahrain | 27 February 1975 |
| 78 | Iran | 10 March 1975 |
| 79 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 14 July 1975 |
| 80 | Kuwait | 22 September 1975 |
| 81 | Mozambique | 9 December 1975 |
| 82 | Mexico | 23 December 1975 |
| 83 | Iraq | 1975 |
| 84 | Sierra Leone | 30 September 1976 |
| 85 | Trinidad and Tobago | 19 December 1976 |
| 86 | Brazil | 1976 |
| 87 | Portugal | 12 February 1977 |
| 88 | Djibouti | 22 January 1978 |
| 89 | Angola | 21 August 1979 |
| 90 | Burundi | 1 August 1980 |
| 91 | Haiti | 11 January 1981 |
| 92 | Vanuatu | 1 November 1981 |
| 93 | Bulgaria | 24 February 1984 |
| 94 | Hungary | 21 January 1987 |
| 95 | Colombia | 8 March 1989 |
| 96 | Namibia | 10 July 1990 |
| 97 | Czech Republic | 27 September 1990 |
| 98 | Zimbabwe | 28 February 1991 |
| 99 | Malaysia | 8 March 1991 |
| 100 | Venezuela | 25 June 1991 |
| 101 | Jamaica | 26 September 1991 |
| 102 | Singapore | 30 September 1991 |
| 103 | Bahamas | 4 October 1991 |
| 104 | Indonesia | 16 June 1992 |
| 105 | Guatemala | 14 April 1993 |
| 106 | Ukraine | 21 October 1993 |
| 107 | Slovakia | 15 November 1993 |
| 108 | Paraguay | 3 December 1993 |
| 109 | South Africa | 29 April 1994 |
| 110 | Azerbaijan | 24 September 1995 |
| 111 | Slovenia | 29 September 1998 |
| 112 | Oman | 30 November 1998 |
| 113 | North Macedonia | 6 April 2001 |
| 114 | Australia | 2 March 2002 |
| 115 | Croatia | 18 October 2002 |
| 116 | Timor-Leste | 20 May 2003 |
| 117 | Malta | 27 January 2006 |
| 118 | Estonia | 27 July 2006 |
| 119 | Belarus | 14 November 2006 |
| 120 | Ireland | 23 April 2007 |
| 121 | Armenia | 28 May 2007 |
| 122 | Iceland | 19 September 2007 |
| 123 | Kazakhstan | 14 May 2009 |
| 124 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 10 September 2009 |
| 125 | Andorra | 21 October 2010 |
| 126 | Panama | 14 August 2011 |
| 127 | Lithuania | 16 September 2013 |
| 128 | Georgia | 26 September 2013 |
| 129 | Mongolia | 2 April 2015 |
| 130 | Latvia | 16 April 2015 |
| 131 | Uruguay | 18 December 2017 |
| 132 | Moldova | 27 March 2019 |
| 133 | Kyrgyzstan | 27 September 2019 |
| 134 | Nicaragua | 1 November 2019 |
| 135 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 9 June 2021 |
| 136 | Nepal | 22 June 2023 |
| 137 | Bangladesh | Unknown |
| 138 | Cape Verde | Unknown |
| 139 | Guinea-Bissau | Unknown |
| 140 | Madagascar | Unknown |
| 141 | Peru | Unknown |
| 142 | Togo | Unknown |

## Bilateral relations

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Australia | 2 March 2002 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 March 2002 Both countries are full members of The Commonwealth. Cameroon is accredited to Australia through its embassy in Tokyo, Japan. Australia is represented in Cameroon through its High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria. |
| Canada | 7 December 1961 | Cameroon and Canada have established diplomatic ties on 7 December 1961 with three agreements and four protocoles signed in 1965. Both countries share the use of English and French as the two official languages as well as memberships in the Francophonie and The Commonwealth. Cameroon has a high commission in Ottawa. Canada has a high commission in Yaoundé. |
| Chile | 11 August 1964 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 11 August 1964 |
| China | 26 March 1971 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 March 1971See also: Cameroon–China relations The People's Republic of China has a number of health and infrastructure projects underway in Cameroon. In January 2007, China signed a series of economic agreements with Cameroon, giving more than $54 million in loans., China constructed the multipurpose sports complex in Yaounde and renovated the famous Amadou Ahidjo stadium. |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 3 September 1962 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 September 1962 Cameroon has an embassy in Abidjan. Côte d'Ivoire has an embassy in Yaounde which also functions as the non-resident embassy to Central African Republic. |
| France | 1 January 1960 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 January 1960 Cameroon has particularly close ties with France, with whom it has numerous military, economic, and cultural agreements, the construction of the Bonaberi bridge in Douala is pioneered by the French and they are to exploit uranium discovered in the North by 2018. |
| Israel | 15 September 1960 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 September 1960, but relations was broken on 13 October 1973 and re-established diplomatic relations on 26 August 1986See also: Cameroon–Israel relations Cameroon's Rapid Reaction Force is trained and armed by Israel, and Cameroon supports Israel in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) draft resolution votes. Many citizens of Cameroon receive training and education in agriculture in Israel. The Israeli ambassador described Cameroon as Israel's best friend in Africa. Additionally, Cameroon strongly opposes the existence of and antagonizes Palestine and is one of only two nations in Africa not to have yet recognized it |
| Mexico | 22 December 1975 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 December 1975 Cameroon is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States with a consulate in Mexico City. Mexico is accredited to Cameroon from its embassy in Abuja, Nigeria with a consulate in Yaoundé. |
| Nigeria | November 1960 | Both countries established diplomatic relations in November 1960See also: Cameroon–Nigeria relations Cameroon is engaged in a sporadic armed conflict with Nigeria in the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula. The dispute was resolved through the 2006 Greentree Agreement which led to the full withdrawal of Nigerian troops from the region and its administrative transfer back to Cameroon in August 2013. The two countries agree on maritime delimitation.Economic relations between both states are however timid, the uprise of the Boko Haram terrorists group called for military co-operation between Cameroon and Nigeria. |
| Russia | 20 February 1964 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 20 February 1964See also: Cameroon–Russia relations Cameroon has an embassy in Moscow. Russia has an embassy in Yaoundé. |
| South Korea | 10 August 1961 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 August 1961. In 2012 Bilateral Trade was US$64 million |
| Spain | 10 November 1961 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 November 1961See also: Cameroon–Spain relations |
| Turkey | 9 August 1963 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 9 August 1963 Cameroon has an embassy in Ankara Turkey has an embassy in Yaoundé Trade volume between the two countries was US$205 million in 2019 (Cameroon's exports/imports: 54/151 million USD). There are direct flights from Istanbul to Yaoundé. |
| United Kingdom | 1 February 1960 | See Foreign relations of the United Kingdom Cameroon established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 1 February 1960. Botswana maintains a high commission in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Cameroon through its high commission in Yaoundé. The UK governed western Cameroon from 1916 to 1961, when it joined the Federal Republic of Cameroon. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have an Economic Partnership Agreement. |
| United States | 1 January 1960 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 January 1960See also: Cameroon–United States relations Cameroon has an embassy in Washington, D.C. United States has an embassy in Yaoundé. |
| Vietnam | 30 August 1972 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 August 1972. Vietnam is represented in Cameroon through a non-resident embassy in Abuja, Nigeria and an honorary consulate in Douala. In 2014 Nexttel, Joint operative company of Viettel becomes the First 3G operator in Cameroon. |

## Multilateral relations

In addition to the United Nations, Cameroon is very active in other multilateral organisations or global institutions such as the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, The Commonwealth, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Group of 77, the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States.