# Foreign relations of Cape Verde

Cape Verde follows a policy of nonalignment and seeks cooperative relations with all friendly states. Angola, Brazil, the People's Republic of China, Cuba, France, Germany, Portugal, Senegal, Russia, South Korea and the United States maintain embassies in Praia.
Cape Verde is actively interested in foreign affairs, especially in Africa. It has bilateral relations with some Lusophone nations and holds membership in a number of international organizations. It also participates in most international conferences on economic and political issues.

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Cape Verde maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | Guinea-Bissau | 5 July 1975 |
| 2 | Senegal | 6 July 1975 |
| 3 | Guinea | 8 July 1975 |
| 4 | Vietnam | 8 July 1975 |
| 5 | Japan | 11 July 1975 |
| 6 | Hungary | 16 July 1975 |
| 7 | Portugal | 18 July 1975 |
| 8 | United States | 19 July 1975 |
| 9 | Liberia | 27 July 1975 |
| 10 | North Korea | 18 August 1975 |
| 11 | Cuba | 5 September 1975 |
| 12 | Romania | 17 September 1975 |
| 13 | Russia | 19 September 1975 |
| 14 | Argentina | 26 September 1975 |
| 15 | Czech Republic | 28 October 1975 |
| 16 | Mongolia | 19 November 1975 |
| 17 | Brazil | 5 December 1975 |
| 18 | France | 31 December 1975 |
| 19 | Equatorial Guinea | 1975 |
| 20 | Poland | 12 February 1976 |
| 21 | Mexico | 19 February 1976 |
| 22 | Mozambique | 15 March 1976 |
| 23 | China | 25 April 1976 |
| — | Holy See | 12 May 1976 |
| 24 | Canada | 20 July 1976 |
| 25 | Nigeria | 18 August 1976 |
| 26 | Egypt | 19 October 1976 |
| 27 | Italy | 18 November 1976 |
| 28 | Netherlands | 20 November 1976 |
| 29 | Sweden | 4 December 1976 |
| 30 | Serbia | 1976 |
| 31 | Mauritania | 18 January 1977 |
| 32 | Luxembourg | 31 March 1977 |
| 33 | Norway | 9 May 1977 |
| 34 | United Kingdom | 17 May 1977 |
| 35 | India | 6 June 1977 |
| 36 | Belgium | 12 July 1977 |
| 37 | Iceland | 20 July 1977 |
| 38 | Ghana | 4 October 1977 |
| 39 | Algeria | 19 October 1977 |
| 40 | Angola | 30 October 1977 |
| 41 | Spain | 21 December 1977 |
| 42 | Republic of the Congo | 1977 |
| 43 | Sierra Leone | 8 January 1978 |
| 44 | Gambia | January 1978 |
| 45 | Iraq | Before March 1978 |
| 46 | Austria | 29 April 1978 |
| 47 | Turkey | 24 June 1979 |
| 48 | Ivory Coast | 3 December 1979 |
| 49 | Tanzania | 11 March 1980 |
| 50 | Bulgaria | 5 June 1980 |
| 51 | Switzerland | 25 June 1980 |
| 52 | Albania | 6 August 1980 |
| — | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (frozen) | 30 September 1980 |
| 53 | Tunisia | 1981 |
| 54 | Zambia | 10 July 1982 |
| 55 | Finland | 22 July 1983 |
| 56 | Nicaragua | 25 October 1983 |
| 57 | Ethiopia | October 1983 |
| 58 | Cambodia | 23 March 1984 |
| 59 | Morocco | 1985 |
| 60 | Zimbabwe | March 1986 |
| 61 | Greece | 24 April 1986 |
| 62 | Thailand | 2 December 1986 |
| 63 | Seychelles | 9 March 1987 |
| 64 | Kuwait | 30 March 1987 |
| 65 | Colombia | 27 July 1987 |
| 66 | Pakistan | 30 October 1987 |
| 67 | South Korea | 3 October 1988 |
| 68 | Peru | 1 November 1988 |
| 69 | Bolivia | 1 March 1989 |
| 70 | Estonia | 1 October 1991 |
| 71 | Malaysia | 19 January 1992 |
| 72 | Ukraine | 25 March 1992 |
| 73 | Lithuania | 28 May 1992 |
| 74 | Belarus | 4 June 1992 |
| 75 | Kazakhstan | 30 July 1992 |
| 76 | Slovenia | 17 August 1992 |
| 77 | Latvia | 21 October 1992 |
| 78 | Armenia | 26 February 1993 |
| 79 | Slovakia | 7 April 1993 |
| 80 | South Africa | 4 April 1994 |
| 81 | Israel | July 1994 |
| 82 | Croatia | 19 August 1994 |
| 83 | Singapore | 6 October 1995 |
| 84 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 18 October 1995 |
| 85 | Marshall Islands | 1 December 1995 |
| 86 | Costa Rica | 23 May 1996 |
| — | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 1996 |
| 87 | Namibia | 21 August 1996 |
| 88 | Germany | 1 July 1997 |
| 89 | Jamaica | 22 March 1999 |
| 90 | Chile | 20 October 1999 |
| 91 | Philippines | 21 March 2000 |
| 92 | Cyprus | 31 March 2000 |
| 93 | Maldives | 23 April 2003 |
| 94 | Madagascar | 9 October 2003 |
| 95 | Azerbaijan | 22 March 2004 |
| 96 | Moldova | 2 September 2004 |
| 97 | North Macedonia | 10 December 2004 |
| 98 | Bahrain | 17 March 2005 |
| 99 | Qatar | 23 March 2005 |
| 100 | Oman | 22 May 2006 |
| 101 | Andorra | 30 June 2006 |
| 102 | United Arab Emirates | July 2006 |
| 103 | Guatemala | 25 July 2006 |
| 104 | Venezuela | 20 September 2006 |
| 105 | Saudi Arabia | 14 March 2007 |
| 106 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 30 June 2007 |
| 107 | Dominican Republic | 28 September 2007 |
| 108 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 10 November 2008 |
| 109 | Australia | 22 September 2009 |
| 110 | Timor-Leste | 18 November 2009 |
| — | State of Palestine | 4 December 2009 |
| 111 | Georgia | 22 January 2010 |
| 112 | Sudan | 30 May 2010 |
| 113 | Ecuador | 10 August 2010 |
| 114 | Montenegro | 17 December 2010 |
| 115 | Solomon Islands | 26 May 2011 |
| 116 | Fiji | 2 April 2012 |
| 117 | Indonesia | 5 December 2012 |
| 118 | Mali | 6 December 2012 |
| 119 | Gabon | 7 December 2012 |
| 120 | Uruguay | 10 September 2013 |
| 121 | Burkina Faso | 14 May 2014 |
| 122 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 14 May 2014 |
| 123 | Malta | 27 March 2016 |
| 124 | Iran | 31 July 2016 |
| 125 | Rwanda | 4 May 2017 |
| 126 | Nepal | 3 August 2017 |
| 127 | Monaco | 10 August 2017 |
| 128 | Bangladesh | 6 June 2018 |
| 129 | Tajikistan | 7 June 2018 |
| 130 | Dominica | 15 May 2019 |
| 131 | Denmark | 29 May 2019 |
| 132 | San Marino | 25 September 2019 |
| 133 | Kyrgyzstan | 26 September 2019 |
| 134 | Ireland | 4 March 2020 |
| 135 | Panama | 5 April 2021 |
| 136 | Lebanon | 20 May 2021 |
| 137 | Barbados | 21 July 2022 |
| 138 | Antigua and Barbuda | September 2022 |
| 139 | Saint Lucia | 20 September 2022 |
| 140 | Palau | 22 September 2022 |
| 141 | Bahamas | 8 December 2022 |
| 142 | Suriname | 12 December 2022 |
| 143 | Trinidad and Tobago | 14 March 2023 |
| 144 | Guyana | 4 April 2023 |
| 145 | Samoa | 9 May 2023 |
| 146 | Belize | 15 February 2024 |
| 147 | El Salvador | 15 February 2024 |
| 148 | Comoros | 25 April 2024 |
| 149 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 10 May 2024 |
| 150 | Uzbekistan | 23 September 2024 |
| 151 | Cameroon | Unknown |
| 152 | Kenya | Unknown |
| 153 | Libya | Unknown |

## Bilateral relations

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Angola | 30 October 1977 | See Angola–Cape Verde relations Cape Verde signed a friendship accord with Angola in December 1975, shortly after Angola gained its independence. Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau served as stop-over points for Cuban troops on their way to Angola to fight UNITA rebels and South African troops. Prime Minister Pedro Pires sent FARP soldiers to Angola where they served as the personal bodyguards of Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos. Angola has an embassy in Praia. Cape Verde has an embassy in Luanda and a consulate in Benguela. |
| Brazil | 5 December 1975 | See Brazil–Cape Verde relations Cape Verde has an embassy in Brasília. Brazil has an embassy in Praia. |
| China | 25 April 1976 | See Cape Verde–China relations In January 2007, Manuel Inocêncio Sousa, Minister of Infrastructure, Transports and Sea, acknowledged the People's Republic of China's importance to Cape Verde stating: "China has been a friend of Cape Verde even before it gained independence from Portugal 30 years ago. Bilateral relations have been very good: in 2002, for example, the trade value between our two countries reached US $1.8 million, in Chinese exports of light industry products and miscellaneous goods." Cape Verde has an embassy in Beijing. China has an embassy in Praia. |
| Czech Republic | 28 October 1975 and 1 January 1993 | Cape Verde is accredited to the Czech Republic from its embassy in Berlin, Germany. Czech Republic is accredited to Cape Verde by its embassy in Lisbon, Portugal and an honorary consulate in Praia. |
| France | 31 December 1975 | See Cape Verde–France relations Cape Verde has an embassy in Paris and a consulate-general in Nice. France has an embassy in Praia. |
| Guinea-Bissau | 5 July 1975 | See Cape Verde–Guinea-Bissau relations The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is about 900 km south-east of Cape Verde in coastal West Africa. Both were colonies of the Portuguese Empire and they campaigned together for independence with a plan for unification, but the countries separated after 1980. Cape Verde has an embassy in Bissau. Guinea-Bissau has an embassy in Praia. |
| Hungary | 16 July 1975 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 July 1975 Hungary is represented in Cape-Verde by its embassy in Lisbon, Portugal and an honorary consulate in Praia. |
| India | 6 June 1977 | See Cape Verde–India relations After Cape Verde became a Portuguese colony in the 15th century, it became an important transit point for trade routes from Europe to India and Australia. The Embassy of India in Dakar, Senegal is concurrently accredited to Cape Verde. Cape Verde maintains an Honorary Consulate General in New Delhi. Foreign Minister Jose Brito was the first Cape Verdean minister to visit India in November 2009. Minister of State for Rural Development Sudarshan Bhagat visited Cape Verde in September 2015 as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy. Bhagat invited Cape Verde to send a delegation to attend the third India Africa Forum Summit. Foreign Minister Tolentini Araujo Jorge led the Cape Verdean delegation to participate in the Summit in New Delhi in October 2015. Bilateral trade between Cape Verde and India totaled US$4.20 million in 2014 to 2015, declining by 40.72% from the previous fiscal. India exported $1.43 million worth of goods to Cape Verde, and imported $2.77 million. The main commodities exported from India to Cape Verde are drugs, pharmaceuticals, plastic and linoleum products, and man-made fibers. IBSA provided a grant to refurbish a healthcare Centre in Cape Verde. India provided a line of credit worth $5 million to establish a Technology Park in the country. India donated $50,000 in 2010 to help the Government of Cape Verde to fight dengue fever, and supplied computers for the Government's "A New World" programme in October 2012. Citizens of Cape Verde are eligible for scholarships under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. A small Indian community resides in Cape Verde. |
| Indonesia | | Indonesia is represented in Cape Verde by its embassy in Dakar. |
| Mexico | 19 February 1976 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 February 1976 Cape Verde is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. Mexico is accredited to Cape Verde from its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City. |
| Mozambique | 15 March 1976 | Cape Verde is accredited to Mozambique from its embassy in Luanda, Angola and maintains an honorary consulate in Maputo. Mozambique is accredited to Cape Verde from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Maputo. Both nations also conduct diplomatic relations from their respective ambassadors accredited to the CPLP in Lisbon, Portugal. |
| Poland | | Cape Verde is accredited to Poland from its embassy in Berlin, Germany. Poland is accredited to Cape Verde from its embassy in Dakar, Senegal. |
| Portugal | 18 July 1975 | See Cape Verde–Portugal relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 6 July 1975 when Chargé d'Affaires of Portugal Embassy in Praia Manuel António Pacheco Jorge Barreiros presented letters of credentials Cape Verde has an embassy in Lisbon. Portugal has an embassy in Praia. |
| Russia | 19 September 1975 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 14 July 1975 Cape Verde has an honorary consulate in Moscow. Russia has an embassy in Praia. |
| South Africa | 4 April 1994 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 April 1994 Cape Verde is accredited to South Africa from its embassy in Luanda, Angola. South Africa is accredited to Cape Verde from its embassy in Dakar, Senegal. |
| South Korea | 3 October 1988 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 October 1988 In 2011 Bilateral Trade were Exports $1,140,792 (Machineries, Automobile, Optical Instruments) Imports: $65,166. |
| Spain | 21 December 1977 | See Cape Verde–Spain relations Cape Verde has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Praia. |
| Turkey | 24 June 1979 | See Cape Verde–Turkey relations The Turkish embassy in Dakar, Senegal is accredited to Cape Verde. Trade volume between the two countries was $9.5 million in 2019. |
| Ukraine | 25 March 1992 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 March 1992 Ukraine is represented in Cape-Verde by its embassy in Dakar, Senegal. |
| United States | 19 July 1975 | See Cape Verde–United States relations The United States provided emergency humanitarian aid and economic assistance to Cape Verde in the period immediately following Cape Verde's independence, as well as after natural disasters, including a hurricane that struck the island of Brava in 1982, and after a severe volcanic eruption on Fogo in 1995. Cape Verde also is eligible for trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and has signed an Open Skies agreement to facilitate air travel safety and expansion. On July 4, 2005, Cape Verde became the third country to sign a compact with the U.S. Government-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC); the five-year assistance package is worth over $110 million in addressing rural economic expansion, infrastructure development, and development of the credit sector. Cape Verde has an embassy in Washington, D.C., and a consulate in Boston. United States has an embassy in Praia.  This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State. |