# Foreign relations of Lesotho

Lesotho's geographic location makes it extremely vulnerable to political and economic developments in South Africa. Its capital is the small city of Maseru. It is a member of many regional economic organizations including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Lesotho also is active in the United Nations, the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, and many other international organizations. In addition to the Republic of Korea, the United States, South Africa, Ireland, People's Republic of China, Libya, and the European Union all currently retain resident diplomatic missions in Lesotho. Foreign relations of Lesotho are administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations.
Lesotho has historically maintained generally close ties with Ireland (Lesotho's largest bilateral aid donor), the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other Western states. Although Lesotho decided in 1990 to break relations with the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) and re-establish relations with the Republic of China (commonly known by its main island as Taiwan), it had restored ties with the P.R.C. in 1994.

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Lesotho maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | United Kingdom | 4 October 1966 |
| 2 | United States | 4 October 1966 |
| 3 | Israel | 4 October 1966 |
| 4 | Ghana | 24 November 1966 |
| 5 | South Korea | 7 December 1966 |
| 6 | Denmark | 1966 |
| — | Holy See | 11 March 1967 |
| 7 | Canada | 27 April 1967 |
| 8 | Italy | June 1967 |
| 9 | France | 21 August 1967 |
| 10 | Switzerland | 22 August 1967 |
| 11 | Belgium | 24 August 1967 |
| 12 | Austria | 1967 |
| 13 | Germany | 15 February 1968 |
| 14 | Netherlands | 22 February 1968 |
| 15 | Kenya | 20 June 1968 |
| 16 | Uganda | 4 October 1968 |
| 17 | Liberia | 20 October 1968 |
| 18 | Sierra Leone | 22 October 1968 |
| 19 | Ivory Coast | 28 October 1968 |
| 20 | Cameroon | 29 October 1968 |
| 21 | Sweden | 1968 |
| 22 | Tanzania | 23 January 1971 |
| 23 | India | 8 June 1971 |
| 24 | Japan | 29 July 1971 |
| 25 | Nigeria | November 1971 |
| 26 | Iran | 15 December 1971 |
| 27 | Madagascar | 7 December 1971 |
| 28 | Serbia | 25 September 1972 |
| 29 | Botswana | April 1973 |
| 30 | Kuwait | 30 April 1973 |
| 31 | Egypt | 31 May 1973 |
| 32 | Australia | 9 July 1973 |
| 33 | Zambia | 19 September 1973 |
| 34 | Romania | 1 May 1975 |
| 35 | United Arab Emirates | 8 July 1975 |
| 36 | Mozambique | 9 September 1975 |
| 37 | Mexico | 14 November 1975 |
| 38 | Brazil | 3 December 1975 |
| 39 | Eswatini | 12 February 1976 |
| 40 | Portugal | 29 March 1976 |
| 41 | Spain | 3 May 1976 |
| 42 | Norway | 8 May 1976 |
| 43 | Bahrain | 24 July 1976 |
| 44 | Malawi | 4 September 1976 |
| 45 | Greece | 31 January 1977 |
| 46 | Poland | 20 December 1978 |
| 47 | Finland | 1 February 1979 |
| 48 | Cuba | 14 June 1979 |
| 49 | Guyana | 25 August 1979 |
| 50 | Jamaica | 19 October 1979 |
| 51 | Guinea | 1 November 1979 |
| 52 | Barbados | 25 November 1979 |
| 53 | Russia | 1 February 1980 |
| 54 | Bulgaria | 10 July 1980 |
| 55 | North Korea | 19 July 1980 |
| 56 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 6 November 1980 |
| 57 | Turkey | 1980 |
| 58 | Zimbabwe | 1 July 1982 |
| 59 | Czech Republic | 7 November 1982 |
| 60 | Bangladesh | 4 March 1983 |
| 61 | Hungary | 29 March 1983 |
| 62 | China | 30 April 1983 |
| 63 | Nicaragua | 14 June 1983 |
| 64 | Venezuela | 26 June 1983 |
| 65 | Iceland | 24 August 1983 |
| 66 | Algeria | 1983 |
| 67 | Angola | 1983 |
| 68 | Iraq | 1983 |
| 69 | Rwanda | 1983 |
| 70 | Pakistan | 4 July 1984 |
| 71 | Mongolia | 2 July 1985 |
| 72 | Ethiopia | 1987 |
| 73 | Malaysia | 31 March 1988 |
| 74 | Thailand | 17 April 1989 |
| 75 | Peru | 21 July 1989 |
| 76 | Singapore | 12 January 1990 |
| 77 | Namibia | 11 April 1990 |
| 78 | Morocco | 1990 |
| 79 | South Africa | 21 May 1992 |
| 80 | Indonesia | 4 November 1993 |
| 81 | Slovakia | 8 May 1995 |
| 82 | Vietnam | 6 January 1998 |
| 83 | Philippines | 15 April 1998 |
| 84 | Colombia | 17 April 1998 |
| 85 | Costa Rica | 17 April 1998 |
| 86 | Uruguay | 26 May 1998 |
| 87 | Chile | 25 August 1998 |
| 88 | North Macedonia | 3 September 1998 |
| 89 | Croatia | 6 November 1998 |
| 90 | Argentina | 19 May 1999 |
| 91 | Brunei | 30 March 2000 |
| 92 | New Zealand | 27 April 2000 |
| 93 | Ukraine | 1 June 2000 |
| 94 | Sri Lanka | 14 July 2000 |
| 95 | Lithuania | 20 July 2000 |
| 96 | Tunisia | 1 December 2000 |
| 97 | Qatar | 10 April 2001 |
| 98 | Cyprus | 25 February 2004 |
| 99 | Mauritius | 20 July 2004 |
| 100 | Ireland | 14 June 2005 |
| 101 | Lebanon | 1 September 2005 |
| 102 | Malta | 11 April 2006 |
| 103 | Monaco | 15 July 2008 |
| 104 | Nepal | 18 May 2010 |
| 105 | San Marino | 30 November 2010 |
| 106 | Seychelles | 25 January 2011 |
| 107 | Estonia | 26 September 2012 |
| 108 | Azerbaijan | 28 September 2012 |
| 109 | Trinidad and Tobago | 2 November 2012 |
| 110 | Georgia | 23 September 2013 |
| 111 | Montenegro | 23 September 2013 |
| 112 | Latvia | 10 February 2014 |
| 113 | Kazakhstan | 2 April 2015 |
| 114 | Eritrea | 21 June 2015 |
| 115 | Burkina Faso | 14 April 2016 |
| 116 | Mauritania | 9 March 2017 |
| 117 | Kyrgyzstan | 20 July 2017 |
| 118 | Niger | 17 August 2017 |
| — | State of Palestine | 23 November 2017 |
| 119 | Belarus | 2020 |
| 120 | Maldives | 29 March 2021 |
| 121 | Saudi Arabia | 20 August 2021 |
| — | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 7 December 2021 |
| 122 | Dominican Republic | 2 November 2023 |
| 123 | Bhutan | 29 October 2024 |
| 124 | Bolivia | 8 November 2024 |
| 125 | Libya | Unknown |
| 126 | Luxembourg | Unknown |
| — | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | Unknown |

## Bilateral relations

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Canada | 1967 | See Canada–Lesotho relations Canada is represented in Lesotho via parallel accreditation of its high commission in Pretoria, South Africa and has an honorary consulate in Maseru. Since 2006, Lesotho has a high commission in Ottawa Both countries are full members of Commonwealth of Nations. Pakalitha Mosisili was educated in through Canadian Government provided scholarships |
| Cyprus | 25 February 2004 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 February 2004. Cyprus is represented in Lesotho through its High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa. Lesotho is represented in Cyprus via parallel accreditation of its High Commission in London. Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations. |
| France | | See France–Lesotho relations France is accredited to Lesotho from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. Lesotho is accredited to France from its embassy in Berlin, Germany. |
| Germany | 1966 | Germany is represented in Lesotho through its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. Lesotho has an embassy in Berlin. |
| Greece | 31 January 1977 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 31 January 1977 Greece is represented in Lesotho through its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. Lesotho is represented in Greece via parallel accreditation of its embassy in Rome, Italy. |
| India | 8 June 1971 | See India–Lesotho relations The High Commission in Pretoria has been concurrently accredited to Lesotho. Lesotho has a High Commission in New Delhi. |
| Ireland | 14 June 2005 | Lesotho has significant relations with Ireland. On 13 November 1997, Liz O'Donnell (Irish Minister for State) spoke about the relationship between the two nations and Ireland's future commitment towards Lesotho. The Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern visited Lesotho in 2000. This relationship was further strengthened by a visit from the then President of Ireland Mary McAleese between 14 and 16 June 2006 on her speech about the long-standing relationship with Lesotho and shared history between both nations. The Irish Government has donated aid to Lesotho since 1975. Donations to Lesotho is Ireland's longest running aid programme. On 14 February 2005, Lesotho announced that Ireland is the largest bilateral donor with financial support in excess of M70 million in each of the past three years. Ireland also supports Lesotho's Flying Doctor Service, education, sanitation, water and various health such as the Fight against AIDS with the Clinton Foundation. |
| Mexico | 14 November 1975 | Lesotho is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. Mexico is accredited to Lesotho from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. |
| South Korea | 7 December 1966 | Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Korea and Lesotho is 7 December 1966 and in 2011 Bilateral Trade were Exports $27,330,000, Imports: $290,000. |
| Turkey | 1980 | Embassy of Lesotho in Rome is accredited to Turkey. Turkish ambassador in Pretoria to South Africa is also accredited to Lesotho. Trade volume between the two countries was 1.65 million USD in 2019 (Lesotho's exports/imports: 0.03/1.62 million USD). |
| United Kingdom | 4 October 1966 | Lesotho established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966. Lesotho maintains a high commission in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Lesotho through its high commission in Maseru. The UK governed Lesotho from 1884 to 1966, when it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth and the World Trade Organization, as well as the SACUM–UK Economic Partnership Agreement. Bilaterally the two countries have an Investment Agreement. |
| United States | 4 October 1966 | See Lesotho-United States relations The United States was one of the first four countries to establish an embassy in Maseru after Lesotho gained its independence from Great Britain in 1966. Since this time, Lesotho and the United States have consistently maintained warm bilateral relations. In 1996, the United States closed its bilateral aid program in Lesotho. The Southern African regional office of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Gaborone, Botswana now administers most of the U.S. assistance to Lesotho, which totalled approximately $2 million in FY 2004. Total U.S. aid to Lesotho is over $69 million, including humanitarian food assistance. The Peace Corps has operated in Lesotho since 1969.About 69 Peace Corps volunteers concentrate in the sectors of health, agriculture, education, rural community development, and the environment. The Government of Lesotho encourages greater American participation in commercial life and welcomes interest from potential U.S. investors and suppliers. In 2007, the Government of Lesotho signed a compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation to provide $362.5 million in support to develop Lesotho's water sector, healthcare infrastructure, and private sector.  This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State. |

## Notable people

* Lefa Mokotjo (1999–2005), ambassador of the Kingdom of Lesotho to the People's Republic of China