# Foreign relations of Benin

After seizing power in the 1972 coup d'état, Major Mathieu Kérékou declared the People's Republic of Benin a Marxist-Leninist state and sought financial support from communist governments in Eastern Europe and Asia. To distance the modern state from its colonial past, the country became the People's Republic of Benin in 1975. However, Benin dropped the socialist ideology in 1989 following pressure from creditors and domestic unrest related to economic hardship.
In recent years Benin has strengthened ties with France, the former colonial power, as well as the United States and the main international lending institutions. Benin has also adopted a mediating role in the political crises in Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, and Togo and provided a contribution to the United Nations force in Haiti, all of which were indications of the country's growing confidence in the international community. Some of the allies of Benin are France, India, US, UK, Netherlands, Ghana, and China.

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Benin maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | United Kingdom | 1 August 1960 |
| 2 | United States | 1 August 1960 |
| 3 | France | 2 August 1960 |
| 4 | Germany | 12 August 1960 |
| 5 | Haiti | December 1960 |
| 6 | Belgium | 3 January 1961 |
| 7 | Japan | April 1961 |
| 8 | Brazil | 17 May 1961 |
| 9 | South Korea | 1 August 1961 |
| 10 | Nigeria | 12 September 1961 |
| 11 | Sweden | 17 November 1961 |
| 12 | Switzerland | 21 November 1961 |
| 13 | Italy | 30 November 1961 |
| 14 | Israel | 5 December 1961 |
| 15 | Netherlands | 26 December 1961 |
| 16 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1961 |
| 17 | Liberia | 1961 |
| 18 | Sierra Leone | 1961 |
| 19 | Guinea | 26 February 1962 |
| 20 | Canada | 27 April 1962 |
| 21 | Russia | 4 June 1962 |
| 22 | Czech Republic | 11 June 1962 |
| 23 | Poland | 14 June 1962 |
| 24 | Ghana | 20 June 1962 |
| 25 | Hungary | 21 June 1962 |
| 26 | Bulgaria | 25 June 1962 |
| 27 | Lebanon | 27 June 1962 |
| 28 | Romania | 29 June 1962 |
| 29 | Serbia | 3 July 1962 |
| 30 | Sudan | 23 July 1962 |
| 31 | India | 25 June 1963 |
| 32 | Pakistan | 10 December 1963 |
| 33 | Norway | 25 September 1964 |
| 34 | Algeria | 7 November 1964 |
| 35 | China | 12 November 1964 |
| 36 | Syria | 29 November 1964 |
| 37 | Austria | 1 December 1964 |
| 38 | Denmark | 15 December 1964 |
| 39 | Egypt | 15 December 1964 |
| 40 | Mali | 27 August 1965 |
| 41 | Spain | 25 March 1966 |
| 42 | Ethiopia | 7 May 1966 |
| 43 | Morocco | 5 November 1966 |
| 44 | Tunisia | 22 December 1966 |
| 45 | Luxembourg | 17 September 1968 |
| 46 | Gabon | 29 October 1969 |
| 47 | Mauritania | 1970 |
| — | Holy See | 29 June 1971 |
| — | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 1972 |
| 48 | North Korea | 5 February 1973 |
| 49 | Cameroon | 5 March 1973 |
| 50 | Vietnam | 14 March 1973 |
| 51 | Libya | 31 March 1973 |
| 52 | Cuba | 1 February 1974 |
| 53 | Zambia | 8 February 1974 |
| 54 | Turkey | 29 March 1974 |
| 55 | Argentina | 20 May 1974 |
| 56 | Albania | 4 October 1974 |
| 57 | Mexico | 30 October 1975 |
| 58 | Angola | 11 October 1976 |
| 59 | Chad | 18 October 1976 |
| 60 | Laos | 2 January 1977 |
| 61 | Mongolia | 30 March 1977 |
| 62 | Portugal | 21 July 1977 |
| 63 | Republic of the Congo | 9 September 1978 |
| 64 | Uganda | 1978 |
| 65 | Tanzania | 25 May 1979 |
| 66 | Thailand | 5 October 1980 |
| 67 | Equatorial Guinea | 10 April 1981 |
| 68 | Kenya | 12 March 1982 |
| 69 | Somalia | 12 March 1982 |
| 70 | Niger | 14 May 1982 |
| 71 | Togo | 5 September 1983 |
| 72 | Ivory Coast | 28 October 1983 |
| 73 | Iran | 1983 |
| 74 | Nicaragua | 5 June 1984 |
| 75 | Afghanistan | 5 December 1984 |
| 76 | Rwanda | 21 March 1985 |
| — | State of Palestine | 1985 |
| 77 | United Arab Emirates | 5 January 1986 |
| 78 | Kuwait | 24 December 1987 |
| 79 | Seychelles | 1 March 1988 |
| 80 | Colombia | 30 November 1988 |
| 81 | Finland | 22 December 1988 |
| 82 | Namibia | 13 August 1990 |
| 83 | Venezuela | 20 June 1991 |
| 84 | Ukraine | 10 April 1992 |
| 85 | Slovakia | 19 January 1993 |
| 86 | Singapore | 21 February 1994 |
| 87 | Brunei | 1 March 1994 |
| 88 | Indonesia | 10 March 1994 |
| 89 | South Africa | 19 May 1994 |
| 90 | Costa Rica | 28 June 1994 |
| 91 | Cambodia | 23 January 1995 |
| 92 | Malaysia | 30 January 1995 |
| 93 | Guatemala | 14 November 1995 |
| 94 | Latvia | 19 March 1997 |
| 95 | Philippines | 8 August 1997 |
| 96 | Azerbaijan | 14 October 1999 |
| 97 | Qatar | 2 November 1999 |
| 98 | Dominican Republic | 24 November 1999 |
| 99 | Croatia | 26 March 2001 |
| 100 | Belarus | 21 June 2001 |
| 101 | Mauritius | 24 March 2003 |
| 102 | Saudi Arabia | 25 June 2004 |
| 103 | North Macedonia | 26 November 2004 |
| 104 | Slovenia | 1 December 2004 |
| 105 | Iceland | 23 February 2005 |
| 106 | Australia | 28 April 2005 |
| 107 | Estonia | 27 June 2005 |
| 108 | Uzbekistan | 17 August 2005 |
| 109 | Lithuania | 2 September 2005 |
| 110 | Panama | 20 September 2005 |
| 111 | Andorra | 24 March 2006 |
| 112 | Jamaica | 25 April 2006 |
| 113 | Botswana | 21 February 2007 |
| 114 | Armenia | 2 August 2007 |
| 115 | Uruguay | 14 February 2008 |
| 116 | Djibouti | 16 June 2008 |
| 117 | Bangladesh | 14 July 2008 |
| 118 | Kyrgyzstan | 29 January 2009 |
| 119 | Paraguay | 18 February 2009 |
| 120 | Malta | 25 March 2009 |
| 121 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 11 September 2009 |
| 122 | Chile | 25 August 2010 |
| 123 | Tajikistan | 8 July 2011 |
| 124 | Kazakhstan | 13 September 2011 |
| 125 | Montenegro | 15 September 2011 |
| 126 | Fiji | 16 September 2011 |
| 127 | Maldives | 16 September 2011 |
| 128 | South Sudan | 29 January 2013 |
| 129 | New Zealand | 27 June 2013 |
| 130 | Sri Lanka | 12 August 2013 |
| 131 | Burundi | 13 January 2014 |
| 132 | Yemen | 24 February 2014 |
| 133 | Jordan | 4 June 2014 |
| 134 | Georgia | 25 September 2014 |
| 135 | Peru | 22 November 2017 |
| 136 | Nepal | 23 January 2018 |
| 137 | Moldova | 24 January 2018 |
| 138 | Comoros | 17 May 2018 |
| 139 | Zimbabwe | 19 July 2018 |
| 140 | Turkmenistan | 26 July 2018 |
| 141 | Mozambique | 24 October 2018 |
| 142 | Oman | 16 November 2018 |
| 143 | Malawi | 19 February 2019 |
| 144 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 20 February 2019 |
| 145 | Monaco | 8 March 2019 |
| 146 | Ireland | 28 May 2019 |
| 147 | Liechtenstein | 26 June 2019 |
| 148 | Myanmar | 2 July 2019 |
| 149 | Ecuador | 7 October 2019 |
| 150 | San Marino | 29 September 2020 |
| 151 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 2 June 2022 |
| 152 | Guinea-Bissau | 10 November 2022 |
| 153 | Belize | 14 September 2023 |
| 154 | Bahrain | 21 September 2023 |
| 155 | Grenada | 21 September 2023 |
| 156 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 3 October 2023 |
| 157 | Cyprus | 10 October 2023 |
| 158 | Timor-Leste | 10 October 2023 |
| 159 | El Salvador | 18 October 2023 |
| 160 | Antigua and Barbuda | 21 December 2023 |
| 161 | Bahamas | 21 January 2024 |
| 162 | Saint Lucia | 25 June 2024 |
| 163 | Marshall Islands | 2 July 2024 |
| 164 | Guyana | 9 July 2024 |
| 165 | Bolivia | 24 July 2024 |
| 166 | Dominica | 24 September 2024 |
| 167 | Nauru | 6 November 2024 |
| 168 | Burkina Faso | Unknown |
| 169 | Cape Verde | Unknown |
| 170 | Central African Republic | Unknown |
| 171 | Gambia | Unknown |
| 172 | Greece | Unknown |
| 173 | Iraq | Unknown |
| 174 | Madagascar | Unknown |
| 175 | Senegal | Unknown |

## Bilateral relations

| Sovereign state | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Algeria | 7 November 1964 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 7 November 1964 when Algeria's first Ambassador to Dahomey Mr. Tahar Gaid presented his letters of credence |
| Bangladesh | 14 July 2008 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 14 July 2008 when has been accredited first Ambassador of Benin to Bangladesh (resident in Beijing) Mr. Sedozan Jean-Claude Apithy. |
| China | 12 November 1964 | See Benin–China relations The People's Republic of China and the Republic of Benin established diplomatic relations on November 12, 1964, yet in January 1966, Benin unilaterally severed the relations with China and the April that year to "resume relations" with Taiwan. On December 29, 1972, the Mathieu Kérékon Government restored the relations with China and then the relations saw a favorable development afterwards. Benin has an embassy in Beijing. China has an embassy in Cotonou. |
| Comoros | 17 May 2018 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 May 2018 when Ambassador of Benin to Comoros (resident in Pretoria) Mr. Erick Franck Saїzonou presented his credentials to President Azali Assoumani. |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 1961 | Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1961 when has been accredited Mr. Paul Fabo as Chargé d'Affaires of Dahomey to Leopoldville (Kinshasa) (1961–1963) and later ambassador to DRC (Zaire) (1963–1973). |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 28 October 1983 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 October 1983 when Ambassador of Benin to Côte d'Ivoire Mr. Benon Nicolas presented his credentials to President Houphouët - Boigny. |
| Denmark | 15 December 1964 | See Benin–Denmark relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 December 1964 when was accredited first ambassador of Dahomey to Denmark Dr. Nicolas Amoussou Ewagnignon Denmark is accredited to Benin from its embassy in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. |
| Egypt | 15 December 1964 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 December 1964 when decided to open Embassy of Egypt in Dahomey. |
| Equatorial Guinea | 10 April 1981 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 April 1981 when first Ambassador of Equatorial Guinea to Benin presented his credentials to Head of State, Colonel Mathieu Kérékou. |
| Ethiopia | 7 May 1966 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 7 May 1966 when first Ambassador of Ethiopia to Dahomey ( resident in Lagos ) Mr. Dawit Abdou presented his credentials. Benin has an embassy in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia is accredited to Benin from its embassy in Abuja, Nigeria. |
| France | 2 August 1960 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 August 1960 Benin has an embassy in Paris. France has an embassy in Cotonou. |
| Gabon | 29 October 1969 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 29 October 1969 when Gabon's new Ambassador to Dahomey (Benin), M. Marcel Sandoungout, has presented his credentials to President Zinsou. |
| Germany | 12 August 1960 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 August 1960 when first Ambassador of FRG to Dahomey (resident in Abidjan) Mr. Theodor Axenfeld presented his credentials |
| Guinea | 26 February 1962 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 February 1962 when first Ambassador of Guinea to Dahomey Mr. Leon Maka presented his credentials to President Maga. |
| Haiti | December 1960 | See Benin–Haiti relations Both countries established diplomatic relations in December 1960 with opened Embassy of Haiti in Dahomey. It was closed in 1963 and reopened in Cotonou in February 2004. Embassy Haiti in Benin was finally closed on 11 December 2018. The two countries share an extensive cultural history by way of the Atlantic slave trade and the resulting importing of Vodou as a religious force in Haitian society. Benin does not have an accreditation to Haiti. Haiti is accredited to Benin from its embassy in Paris, France. |
| India | 25 June 1963 | See Benin–India relations India is accredited to Benin from its high commission in Abuja, Nigeria. |
| Italy | 30 November 1961 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 November 1961 when first ambassador of Italy to Dahomey Mr. Renzo Luigi Romanelli presented his credentials to President Hubert Maga |
| Kenya | 12 March 1982 | See Benin–Kenya relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 March 1982 when first ambassador of Kenya to Benin Mr. Alfred Imbahale Machayo presented his credentials to Head of State of Benin Mr. Mathieu Kérékou. Benin is accredited to Kenya from its embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Kenya's is accredited to Benin from its high commission in Abuja, Nigeria. |
| Lebanon | 27 June 1962 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 June 1962 when first ambassador of Lebanon to Dahomey presented his credentials to President Hubert Maga. |
| Mali | 27 August 1965 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 August 1965 when first ambassador of Mali to Dahomey (resident in Niamey) Mr. Hangadoumbo Toure presented his credentials. |
| Mexico | 30 October 1975 | Benin is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. Mexico is accredited to Benin from its embassy in Abuja, Nigeria and has an honorary consulate in Cotonou. |
| Nigeria | 12 September 1961 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 September 1961 when has been appointed Chargé d'Affaires of Dahomey to Nigeria Mr. Obed Pessou. Benin enjoys stable relations with Nigeria, the main regional power. In fact, Benin is dependent on Nigeria for most of its export. Its economy is primarily based on informal trade with Nigeria. Benin has an embassy in Abuja and a consulate-general in Lagos. Nigeria has an embassy in Cotonou. |
| Pakistan | 10 December 1963 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 December 1963 when the Pakistan Government has decided to concurrently accredit M. S. Shaikh, High Commissioner for Pakistan in Nigeria, as the country's ambassador to Dahomey. |
| Philippines | 8 August 1997 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 8 August 1997 when has been accredited Ambassador of Philippines to Benin (resident in Lagos) Mr. Masarango Masrumpa. |
| Russia | 4 June 1962 | See Benin–Russia relations Benin has an embassy in Moscow. Russia has an embassy in Cotonou. |
| Rwanda | 21 March 1985 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 March 1985 when Ambassador of Rwanda to Benin Mr. Calixte Hatungimana presented his credentials to général Mathieu Kerekou. |
| Somalia | 12 March 1982 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 March 1982 when first ambassador of Somalia to Benin Mr. Hussein Assan Farah presented his credentials to Head of State of Benin Mr. Mathieu Kérékou. |
| South Africa | 19 May 1994 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 May 1994 Benin does not have an accreditation for South Africa. South Africa has an embassy in Cotonou. |
| Tanzania | 25 May 1979 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 May 1979 when first ambassador of Tanzania to Benin Mr. Mirisho Sarakikya presented his credentials to President M. Kerekou |
| Togo | 5 September 1983 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 September 1983 when Ambassador of Benin to Togo (resident in accra) Mr. Lucien Tonoukoin presented his credentials to Head of State General Eyadema. |
| Tunisia | 18 January 1967 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 January 1967 when Tunisian Ambassador to Dahomey, with residence in Abidjan, Mr. Mehiri Abdeljelil, has presented his credentials to General Soglo. |
| Turkey | 29 March 1974 | Benin–Turkey relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 29 March 1974 when first Turkish Ambassador Mr. Talat Benler presented his credentials to President Mathieu Kerekou in Cotonou. Turkey has an embassy in Cotonou. Trade volume between the two countries was US$142 million in 2019. There are direct flights from Istanbul to Cotonou since 2014. |
| United Kingdom | 1 August 1960 | Benin established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 1 August 1960. Benin does not maintain an embassy in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is not accredited to Benin through an embassy; the UK develops relations through its high commission in Accra, Ghana. Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact, the International Criminal Court, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have an Investment Agreement. |
| United States | 1 August 1960 | See Benin–United States relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 August 1960 The two nations have had an excellent history of relations in the years since Benin embraced democracy. The U.S. Government continues to assist Benin with the improvement of living standards that are key to the ultimate success of Benin's experiment with democratic government and economic liberalization, and are consistent with U.S. values and national interest in reducing poverty and promoting growth. The bulk of the U.S. effort in support of consolidating democracy in Benin is focused on long-term human resource development through U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs. Benin has an embassy in Washington, D.C. United States has an embassy in Cotonou. |
| Yemen | 24 February 2014 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 February 2014 when Ambassador of Benin to Yemen Mr. Taher Mohammed Dambaya presented his credentials to President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. |
| Zambia | 8 February 1974 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 8 February 1974 when Zambian ambassador Andreya S. Masiye presented credentials to President Kerekou |
| Zimbabwe | 19 July 2018 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 July 2018 when first ambassador of Benin to Zimbabwe Mr. Eric Saizonou presented his credentials to President Emmerson Mnangagwa. |