# Foreign relations of Guatemala

Guatemala's major diplomatic interests are regional security and increasingly, regional development and economic integration.

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Guatemala maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | El Salvador | 21 March 1821 |
| 2 | Honduras | 1821 |
| 3 | United States | 4 August 1824 |
| 4 | Colombia | 15 March 1825 |
| 5 | France | 2 March 1831 |
| 6 | United Kingdom | 12 July 1837 |
| 7 | Costa Rica | 18 August 1839 |
| 8 | Chile | 8 August 1840 |
| 9 | Belgium | 1841 |
| 10 | Dominican Republic | 31 August 1844 |
| 11 | Nicaragua | 15 May 1845 |
| 12 | Mexico | 6 September 1848 |
| 13 | Netherlands | 22 March 1856 |
| 14 | Peru | 20 April 1857 |
| 15 | Spain | 29 May 1863 |
| 16 | Italy | 25 February 1864 |
| 17 | Turkey | 18 July 1874 |
| 18 | Denmark | 30 April 1880 |
| 19 | Serbia | 1 July 1882 |
| 20 | Portugal | 20 August 1884 |
| 21 | Ecuador | 6 May 1890 |
| — | Venezuela (suspended) | 22 June 1891 |
| 21 | Cuba | 30 April 1902 |
| 23 | Brazil | 21 November 1906 |
| 24 | Switzerland | 14 December 1906 |
| 25 | Uruguay | 16 March 1907 |
| 26 | Paraguay | 1 May 1907 |
| 27 | Argentina | 7 October 1918 |
| 28 | Luxembourg | 7 November 1924 |
| 29 | Czech Republic | 20 March 1930 |
| 30 | Sweden | 9 December 1930 |
| — | Republic of China | 15 June 1933 |
| 31 | Poland | 18 November 1933 |
| 32 | Panama | 25 January 1935 |
| 33 | Japan | 20 February 1935 |
| — | Holy See | 11 March 1936 |
| 34 | Norway | 18 August 1938 |
| 35 | Russia | 19 April 1945 |
| 36 | Israel | 15 May 1948 |
| 37 | Haiti | 1948 |
| 38 | Bolivia | 1952 |
| 39 | Austria | 9 September 1955 |
| 40 | Germany | 9 October 1959 |
| 41 | Thailand | 7 March 1957 |
| — | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 11 December 1957 |
| 42 | Canada | 16 September 1961 |
| 43 | South Korea | 24 October 1962 |
| 44 | Grenada | 16 July 1966 |
| 45 | Greece | 20 July 1966 |
| 46 | Finland | 18 August 1967 |
| 47 | Egypt | 7 September 1970 |
| 48 | Morocco | 15 March 1971 |
| 49 | India | 16 May 1972 |
| 50 | Philippines | 21 June 1972 |
| 51 | Australia | 7 January 1974 |
| 52 | Iraq | 2 February 1978 |
| 53 | Suriname | 9 May 1979 |
| 54 | Bangladesh | 7 October 1983 |
| 55 | Algeria | 31 January 1990 |
| 56 | Jordan | 31 January 1990 |
| 57 | Lebanon | 31 January 1990 |
| 58 | Hungary | 11 October 1990 |
| 59 | Romania | 7 December 1990 |
| 60 | Belize | 11 September 1991 |
| 61 | Jamaica | 11 December 1991 |
| 62 | Barbados | 27 January 1992 |
| 63 | Antigua and Barbuda | 3 February 1992 |
| 64 | Bahamas | 30 March 1992 |
| 65 | Saint Lucia | 1 April 1992 |
| 66 | Indonesia | 29 April 1992 |
| 67 | Guyana | 1 May 1992 |
| 68 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 14 May 1992 |
| 69 | Singapore | 1 December 1992 |
| 70 | United Arab Emirates | 15 December 1992 |
| 71 | Cyprus | 17 December 1992 |
| 72 | Croatia | 22 December 1992 |
| 73 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1992 |
| 75 | Vietnam | 7 January 1993 |
| 76 | Ukraine | 12 January 1993 |
| 77 | Seychelles | 13 January 1993 |
| 78 | Latvia | 14 January 1993 |
| 79 | Iran | 25 January 1993 |
| 80 | Malaysia | 27 January 1993 |
| 81 | Maldives | 27 January 1993 |
| 82 | Estonia | 3 February 1993 |
| 83 | Kyrgyzstan | 10 February 1993 |
| 84 | Guinea | 12 February 1993 |
| 85 | Namibia | 19 February 1993 |
| 86 | Albania | 9 March 1993 |
| 87 | Belarus | 11 March 1993 |
| 88 | Moldova | 6 April 1993 |
| 89 | Cameroon | 14 April 1993 |
| 90 | Slovakia | 15 April 1993 |
| 91 | Federated States of Micronesia | 13 May 1993 |
| 92 | Iceland | 5 August 1993 |
| 93 | Oman | 10 October 1993 |
| 94 | Slovenia | 25 November 1993 |
| 95 | Lithuania | 14 December 1993 |
| 96 | Bulgaria | 14 January 1994 |
| 97 | Trinidad and Tobago | 25 May 1994 |
| 98 | Ghana | 26 September 1994 |
| 99 | Azerbaijan | 1 November 1994 |
| 100 | South Africa | 12 January 1995 |
| 101 | Benin | 14 November 1995 |
| 102 | Andorra | 27 November 1995 |
| 103 | Malta | 11 December 1995 |
| 104 | Kuwait | 12 December 1995 |
| 105 | Cambodia | 26 January 1996 |
| 106 | Turkmenistan | 22 August 1996 |
| 107 | Mozambique | 4 February 1997 |
| 108 | Armenia | 29 June 1998 |
| 109 | New Zealand | January 1999 |
| 110 | North Macedonia | 21 November 2001 |
| 111 | Nigeria | December 2001 |
| 112 | San Marino | 14 February 2002 |
| 113 | Brunei | 30 June 2004 |
| 114 | Ireland | 2004 |
| 115 | Mongolia | 3 July 2006 |
| 116 | Mali | 7 July 2006 |
| 117 | Burkina Faso | 21 July 2006 |
| 118 | Cape Verde | 25 July 2006 |
| 119 | Nepal | 8 August 2006 |
| 120 | Tajikistan | 20 August 2006 |
| 121 | Gambia | 5 September 2006 |
| 122 | Mauritius | 7 September 2006 |
| 123 | Montenegro | 27 September 2006 |
| 124 | Nauru | 6 December 2006 |
| 125 | Equatorial Guinea | 18 December 2006 |
| 126 | Uzbekistan | 9 February 2007 |
| 127 | Qatar | 27 February 2007 |
| 128 | Zimbabwe | 2 March 2007 |
| 129 | Tunisia | 19 March 2007 |
| 130 | Botswana | 7 May 2007 |
| 131 | Bahrain | 21 May 2007 |
| 132 | Libya | 5 September 2007 |
| 133 | Samoa | 20 September 2007 |
| 134 | North Korea | 26 September 2007 |
| 135 | Monaco | 2 November 2007 |
| 136 | Niger | 13 November 2007 |
| 137 | Laos | 20 February 2008 |
| 138 | Kenya | 25 September 2008 |
| 139 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 9 September 2009 |
| 140 | Dominica | 12 August 2009 |
| 141 | Georgia | 27 April 2010 |
| 142 | Solomon Islands | 8 March 2011 |
| 143 | Tuvalu | 20 May 2011 |
| 144 | Kazakhstan | 2 September 2011 |
| 145 | Pakistan | 14 October 2011 |
| 146 | Ethiopia | 20 June 2012 |
| 147 | Sri Lanka | 26 February 2013 |
| 148 | Zambia | 19 March 2013 |
| 149 | Fiji | 13 September 2013 |
| 150 | Ivory Coast | 13 March 2014 |
| 151 | Senegal | 29 September 2015 |
| 152 | Liechtenstein | 22 December 2015 |
| 153 | Saudi Arabia | 21 April 2017 |
| 154 | Marshall Islands | 20 June 2017 |
| 155 | Djibouti | 28 February 2018 |
| 156 | Gabon | 31 December 2022 |
| 157 | Palau | 19 January 2023 |
| 158 | Timor-Leste | 3 April 2023 |
| 159 | Angola | 22 September 2023 |
| 160 | Togo | 22 September 2023 |
| 161 | Rwanda | 24 September 2024 |
| 162 | Kiribati | 4 October 2024 |
| 163 | Vanuatu | 4 October 2024 |

## Bilateral relations

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Andorra | 27 November 2007 | Andorra does not have an accreditation to Guatemala. Guatemala is accredited to Andorra from its embassy in Madrid, Spain. |
| Argentina | | Argentina has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Buenos Aires. |
| Armenia | 29 June 1998 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 29 June 1998. |
| Azerbaijan | 1 November 1994 | Azerbaijan is accredited to Guatemala through its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. Guatemala is accredited to Azerbaijan through its consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. |
| Australia | | There are four Australia–Guatemala bilateral treaties. Guatemala has an embassy in Canberra, Australia. The Australian embassy in Mexico has consular responsibility for Guatemala. Trade between the two countries is A$32 Million. |
| Belize | 11 September 1993 | See Belize-Guatemala relations Guatemala has a longstanding claim to a large portion of Belize. The territorial dispute caused problems with the United Kingdom and later with Belize following its 1981 independence from the UK. In December 1989, Guatemala sponsored Belize for permanent observer status in the Organization of American States (OAS). In September 1991 Guatemala recognized Belize's independence and established diplomatic ties, while acknowledging that the boundaries remained in dispute. In anticipation of an effort to bring the border dispute to an end in early 1996, the Guatemalan Congress ratified two long-pending international agreements governing frontier issues and maritime rights. In early 2000 the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry proposed a border settlement that would transfer more than half of Belize's territory to Guatemala. Following a spate of border incidents, both sides agreed during talks under OAS auspices in November 2000 to confidence-building measures to reduce tensions. They followed that with an agreement on opening substantive discussions on the dispute. Both Guatemala and Belize are participating in the confidence-building measures, including the Guatemala-Belize Language Exchange Project. In September 2010, the Guatemalan Congress overwhelmingly gave its approval for a referendum to be held; giving the people of Guatemala a say in whether or not that country's claim to Belize should be taken to the International Court of Justice. Under the special agreement (compromise) signed in December 2008 by Belize and Guatemala it was agreed that if the people of both nations approved, by way of a simultaneous referendum on the same day, that the dispute would proceed to the ICJ. The outcome of any ruling handed down by the ICJ will be final and binding, regardless of in whose favor the ruling is handed down. |
| Bolivia | 1952 | Guatemala is accredited to Bolivia from its embassy in Lima, Peru. Bolivia is accredited to Guatemala from its embassy in San José, Costa Rica. |
| Brazil | 21 November 1906 | Brazil has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Brasília. |
| Canada | 16 September 1961 | Canada has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Ottawa and a consulate-general in Montreal. |
| Chile | 8 August 1840 | Chile has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Santiago de Chile. |
| Republic of China (Taiwan) | 15 June 1933 | As of March 2023, Guatemala is one of 13 nations who recognize the legitimacy of the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan under the One China policy. The ROC has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Taipei. |
| Costa Rica | 18 August 1839 | Costa Rica has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in San José. |
| Cuba | 30 April 1902 | See Cuba–Guatemala relations Cuba has an embassy in Guatemala City Guatemala has an embassy in Havana |
| El Salvador | 21 March 1821 | See El Salvador–Guatemala relations El Salvador has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in San Salvador. |
| France | 2 March 1831 | France has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Paris. |
| Germany | | Germany has an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Berlin. |
| Guyana | 1 May 1992 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 May 1992. Both countries are full members of Organization of American States and Association of Caribbean States. |
| Haiti | 1948 | Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1948. See Haiti–Guatemala relations Haiti has a diplomatic consulate in Guatemala City. Guatemala has a diplomatic consulate in Port-au-Prince. |
| Honduras | 1821 | See Guatemala–Honduras relations Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1821. Guatemala has an embassy in Tegucigalpa and a consulate in San Pedro Sula. Honduras has an embassy in Guatemala. |
| India | 16 May 1972 | See Guatemala–India relations India maintains an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in New Delhi. |
| Indonesia | 29 April 1992 | Indonesia is accredited to Guatemala from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. Guatemala has an embassy in Jakarta. |
| Israel | 15 May 1948 | Dinner hosted by Israeli Ambassador to Guatemala Joshua Shai, in honor of President of Guatemala Enrique Peralta Azurdia, at his residence in Guatemala, 1964. Israel maintains an embassy in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an embassy in Jerusalem. In May 2018, Guatemala was the second country after the United States to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The first COVID vaccines to arrive in Guatemala were received from donations sent by Israel. |
| Mexico | 6 September 1838 | See Guatemala–Mexico relations; Guatemalan immigration to Mexico Diplomatic relations between Mexico and Guatemala began in 1838 after the dissolution of the Federal Republic of Central America. Mexico has an embassy in Guatemala City and a consulate in Quetzaltenango and Tecún Umán. Guatemala has an embassy in Mexico City and consulates-general in Cancún, Mérida, Monterrey, Oaxaca City, San Luis Potosí, Tapachula, Tenosique, Tijuana, Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Veracruz City; consulates in Acayucan, Ciudad Hidalgo, Comitán and consular office in Arriaga. Both countries are members of the Organization of American States, Organization of Ibero-American States, and the Rio Group. |
| Morocco | 15 March 1971 | Guatemala has an embassy in Rabat. Morocco has an embassy in Guatemala City. |
| Nicaragua | 15 May 1845 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 May 1845. Guatemala has an embassy in Managua. Nicaragua has an embassy in Guatemala City. |
| Panama | 25 January 1935 | Guatemala has an embassy in Panama City. Panama has an embassy in Guatemala City. |
| Paraguay | 1 May 1907 | Guatemala is accredited to Paraguay from its embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Paraguay is accredited to Guatemala from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. |
| Philippines | 21 June 1972 | Guatemala is accredited to Philippines from its embassy in Tokyo, Japan. Philippines is accredited to Guatemala through its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. |
| Russia | 19 April 1945 | See Guatemala–Russia relations Guatemala has an embassy in Moscow. Russia has an embassy in Guatemala City. |
| South Korea | 24 October 1962 | Guatemala has an embassy in Seoul, South Korea. South Korea has an embassy in Guatemala City. |
| Spain | 29 May 1863 | See Guatemala–Spain relations Guatemala has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Guatemala City. |
| Sweden | 9 December 1930 | Guatemala has an embassy in Stockholm. Sweden has an embassy in Guatemala City, which is also accredited to El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. |
| Thailand | 3 March 1957 | Guatemala has an embassy in Bangkok. Thailand is accredited to Guatemala through its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. |
| Turkey | 18 July 1874 | See Guatemala–Turkey relations Guatemala has an embassy in Ankara and an honorary consulate in Istanbul. Turkey has an embassy in Guatemala City. Trade volume between the two countries was US$63.5 million in 2019 (Guatemalan exports/imports: 10/53.5 million USD). |
| United Kingdom | 12 July 1837 | See Foreign relations of the United Kingdom Guatemala established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 12 July 1837. Guatemala maintains an embassy in London. United Kingdom is accredited to Guatemala from its embassy in Guatemala City. Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact, the International Criminal Court, and the World Trade Organization, as well as the Central America–UK Association Agreement. |
| United States | 4 August 1824 | See Guatemala–United States relations Relations between the United States and Guatemala traditionally have been close, although at times strained by human rights and civil-military issues. U.S. policy objectives in Guatemala include: Supporting the institutionalization of democracy and implementation of the Peace Accords Encouraging respect for human rights and the rule of law, and implementation of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) Supporting broad-based economic growth and sustainable development and maintaining mutually beneficial trade and commercial relations, including ensuring that benefits of Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) reach all sectors of the Guatemalan populace Cooperating to combat money laundering, corruption, narcotics trafficking, alien-smuggling, and other transnational crime Supporting Central American integration through support for resolution of border/territorial disputes The United States, as a member of "the Friends of Guatemala", along with Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Norway, and Venezuela, played an important role in the UN-moderated peace accords. The United States strongly supported the six substantive and three procedural accords, which, along with the signing of the December 29, 1996 final accord, form the blueprint for profound political, economic, and social change. To that end, the U.S. government committed over $500 million to support peace implementation since 1997. In recent years the number of violent crimes reported by U.S. citizens has steadily increased, though the number of Americans traveling to Guatemala has increased. Most U.S. assistance to Guatemala is provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) offices for Guatemala. USAID/Guatemala's current program builds on the gains of the peace process that followed the signing of the peace accords in December 1996, as well as on the achievements of its 1997–2004 peace program. The current program works to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives by focusing on Guatemala's potential as Central America's largest economy and trading partner of the United States, but also recognizes the country's lagging social indicators and widespread poverty. The three areas of focus for USAID/Guatemala's program are modeled after the Millennium Challenge Account areas—ruling justly, economic freedom, and investing in people. |
| Uruguay | 16 March 1907 | See Guatemala–Uruguay relations Guatemala has an embassy in Montevideo. Uruguay has an embassy in Guatemala City. |
| Venezuela | 31 October 1890 | Main article: Guatemala–Venezuela relations Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei announced it would sever ties with Venezuela, prompting to close its embassy both in Caracas and Guatemala City, following the ongoing presidential crisis. |

## Multilateral relations

The Central American Ministers of Trade meet on a regular basis to work on regional approaches to trade issues. In March 1998, Guatemala joined its Central American neighbors in signing a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). In 2000 it joined Honduras and El Salvador in signing a free trade agreement with Mexico, which went into effect in 2001. Guatemala also originated the idea for, and is the seat of, the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN).
Guatemala participates in several regional groups, particularly those related to the environment and trade. For example, US President Clinton and the Central American presidents signed the CONCAUSA (Conjunto Centroamerica-USA) agreement at the Summit of the Americas in December 1994. CONCAUSA is a cooperative plan of action to promote clean, efficient energy use; conserve the region's biodiversity; strengthen legal and institutional frameworks and compliance mechanisms; and improve and harmonize environmental protection standards.
Illicit drugs: Guatemala is a transit country for cocaine shipments; minor producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; active eradication program in 1996 effectively eliminated the cannabis crop; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (cocaine shipments).