# Foreign relations of Malawi

Malawi's former President Bakili Muluzi continued the pro-Western foreign policy established by his predecessor, Hastings Banda. It maintains excellent diplomatic relations with principal Western countries. Malawi's close relations with South Africa throughout the apartheid era strained its relations with other African nations. Following the collapse of apartheid in 1994, Malawi developed, and currently maintains, strong diplomatic relations with all African countries.

## Bilateral donors

Important bilateral donors include Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Republic of China (Taiwan), the United Kingdom, and the United States. Multilateral donors include the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union, the African Development Bank, and the United Nations organizations.

## SADC

Malawi assumed the chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in 2001. Muluzi took an active role in SADC on issues such as the global coalition against terrorism and land reform in Zimbabwe.

## ACP

Malawi has been a member of the ACP group since Lomé I and is also a party to the Cotonou Agreement, the partnership agreement between the European Community/European Union and 77 states from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

## Memberships in international organizations

Malawi is a member of the following international organizations: the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Nations and some of its specialized and related agencies (i.e. UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO), IMF, World Bank, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Berne Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, Organization of African Unity (OAU), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Lomé Convention, African Development Bank (AFDB), Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Non-Aligned Movement, G-77, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Malawi is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered under Article 98).

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Malawi maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | United Kingdom | 6 July 1964 |
| 2 | France | 6 July 1964 |
| 3 | Germany | 6 July 1964 |
| 4 | United States | 6 July 1964 |
| 5 | Ghana | 8 July 1964 |
| 6 | Israel | 15 July 1964 |
| 7 | Ethiopia | 30 July 1964 |
| 8 | India | 19 October 1964 |
| 9 | Egypt | 25 November 1964 |
| 10 | Norway | 9 March 1965 |
| 11 | South Korea | 9 March 1965 |
| 12 | Portugal | 27 May 1965 |
| 13 | Kenya | 28 September 1965 |
| 14 | Austria | 2 December 1965 |
| 15 | Netherlands | 16 December 1965 |
| 16 | Pakistan | 1965 |
| 17 | Sweden | 1965 |
| 18 | Belgium | 28 January 1966 |
| — | Holy See | 5 February 1966 |
| 19 | Denmark | 22 February 1966 |
| 20 | Switzerland | 19 May 1966 |
| 21 | Japan | 17 June 1966 |
| 22 | Italy | 20 September 1966 |
| 23 | Botswana | 1 July 1967 |
| 24 | South Africa | 10 September 1967 |
| 25 | Turkey | 4 August 1969 |
| 26 | Nigeria | 29 November 1969 |
| 27 | Greece | 30 April 1970 |
| 28 | Zambia | 15 September 1970 |
| 29 | Spain | 27 October 1972 |
| 30 | Canada | 12 February 1974 |
| 31 | Cameroon | 10 September 1974 |
| 32 | Lesotho | 4 September 1976 |
| 33 | Luxembourg | 28 October 1980 |
| 34 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | November 1980 |
| 35 | Algeria | 19 June 1981 |
| 36 | Mozambique | 1 July 1981 |
| 37 | Zimbabwe | 17 July 1981 |
| 38 | Uganda | 1981 |
| 39 | North Korea | 25 June 1982 |
| 40 | Australia | 1 July 1983 |
| 41 | Tanzania | 16 May 1985 |
| 42 | Albania | 11 July 1985 |
| 43 | Romania | 15 July 1985 |
| 44 | Finland | 1 May 1986 |
| 45 | Thailand | 1 June 1987 |
| 46 | Namibia | 21 March 1990 |
| 47 | Brazil | 23 August 1990 |
| 48 | Chile | 30 November 1990 |
| 49 | Hungary | 26 December 1990 |
| 50 | Czech Republic | 20 March 1991 |
| 51 | Malaysia | 6 November 1991 |
| 52 | Poland | 10 July 1992 |
| 53 | Russia | 2 November 1993 |
| 54 | Angola | 9 November 1993 |
| 55 | Slovakia | 30 December 1993 |
| 56 | Bulgaria | 23 November 1994 |
| 57 | Kuwait | 19 June 1995 |
| 58 | Iran | 18 February 1996 |
| 59 | United Arab Emirates | 12 June 1996 |
| 60 | Cuba | 10 December 1997 |
| 61 | Serbia | 13 February 1998 |
| 62 | Turkmenistan | 20 February 1998 |
| 63 | Colombia | 30 March 1998 |
| 64 | Trinidad and Tobago | 21 April 1998 |
| 65 | Bahrain | 9 June 1998 |
| 66 | Iceland | 14 August 1998 |
| 67 | Singapore | 24 August 1998 |
| 68 | Latvia | 10 September 1998 |
| — | State of Palestine | 23 October 1998 |
| 69 | Croatia | 13 November 1998 |
| 70 | Mexico | 10 December 1998 |
| 71 | Ukraine | 22 December 1998 |
| 72 | Libya | 1998 |
| 73 | Argentina | 11 March 1999 |
| 74 | Jordan | 23 June 1999 |
| 75 | Saudi Arabia | 15 August 1999 |
| 76 | North Macedonia | 27 September 1999 |
| 77 | Jamaica | 30 September 1999 |
| 78 | Sudan | 12 April 2000 |
| 79 | Cyprus | 22 June 2000 |
| 80 | Brunei | 11 October 2000 |
| 81 | Morocco | 31 January 2001 |
| 82 | Mauritius | 9 February 2001 |
| 83 | Philippines | 3 May 2001 |
| 84 | Seychelles | 22 May 2001 |
| 85 | Rwanda | 26 June 2001 |
| 86 | Belarus | 13 July 2001 |
| — | Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (cancelled) | 24 March 2002 |
| 87 | Ireland | 2002 |
| 88 | Azerbaijan | 21 May 2004 |
| 89 | Venezuela | 31 January 2007 |
| 90 | China | 28 December 2007 |
| 91 | Liberia | 26 February 2009 |
| 92 | Sri Lanka | 9 June 2011 |
| 93 | Fiji | 25 June 2011 |
| 94 | Estonia | 19 July 2011 |
| 95 | Cambodia | 20 July 2011 |
| 96 | Malta | 21 July 2011 |
| 97 | Slovenia | 21 July 2011 |
| 98 | Montenegro | 16 September 2011 |
| 99 | Georgia | 19 September 2011 |
| 100 | South Sudan | 26 September 2011 |
| 101 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 18 October 2011 |
| 102 | Lithuania | 18 November 2011 |
| 103 | Mongolia | 21 December 2011 |
| 104 | Burkina Faso | 2011 |
| 105 | Armenia | 20 January 2012 |
| 106 | Myanmar | 30 January 2012 |
| 107 | Bangladesh | 15 March 2012 |
| 108 | Monaco | 31 July 2012 |
| 109 | Qatar | 26 September 2012 |
| 110 | New Zealand | 20 March 2013 |
| 111 | Indonesia | 29 September 2014 |
| 112 | Niger | 8 March 2016 |
| 113 | Sierra Leone | 8 March 2016 |
| 114 | Senegal | 9 March 2016 |
| — | Kosovo | 20 July 2016 |
| 115 | Oman | 7 December 2016 |
| 116 | Tunisia | 3 May 2017 |
| 117 | Eritrea | 20 July 2017 |
| 118 | Lebanon | 18 October 2017 |
| 119 | Benin | 19 February 2019 |
| 120 | Gambia | 19 February 2019 |
| 121 | Kyrgyzstan | 22 September 2022 |
| 122 | Maldives | 24 September 2022 |
| 123 | Nicaragua | 25 September 2022 |
| 124 | Comoros | 7 October 2022 |
| 125 | Republic of the Congo | 18 October 2022 |
| 126 | Mauritania | 18 October 2022 |
| 127 | Nepal | 16 February 2023 |
| 128 | Mali | 2 August 2023 |
| 129 | Dominican Republic | 1 November 2023 |
| 130 | San Marino | 8 December 2023 |
| 131 | Iraq | 27 June 2024 |
| 132 | Vietnam | 23 September 2024 |
| 133 | Bahamas | 22 October 2024 |
| 134 | Chad | 26 November 2024 |
| 135 | Burundi | Unknown |
| 136 | Eswatini | Unknown |
| 137 | Madagascar | Unknown |

## Bilateral Relations

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Australia | 1 July 1983 | Australia is represented in Malawi by its embassy in Harare. Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations. |
| Botswana | 1 July 1967 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 July 1967 when first High Commissioner of Botswana Mr. H. Mannathoko presented his credentials to President of Malawi. Both countries are full members of the Southern African Development Community, Commonwealth of Nations and of the Non-Aligned Movement. |
| Canada | 12 February 1974 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 February 1974 Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations. |
| China | 28 December 2007 | Hastings Banda recognized the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1967. In January 2008, Malawi switched this recognition to the People's Republic of China. Archived 29 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine Since 2008 there has been a significant shift by the Malawian government towards accepting investment from China. Potentially this may be part of a wider power struggle between the East and West in Africa. |
| Greece | 30 April 1970 | Greece is represented in Malawi by its embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe. Malawi is represented in Greece by its embassy in Brussels, Belgium. |
| India | 19 October 1964 | See India–Malawi relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 October 1964 when has been accredited Acting High Commissioner of India to Malawi Mr. Dileep S. Kamtekar. |
| Iran | 5 April 1971 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 April 1971. But diplomatic relations were severed on 11 February 1979 and re-established on 18 February 1996. |
| Israel | 15 July 1964 | See Israel–Malawi relations |
| Mexico | 10 December 1998 | Malawi is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. Mexico is accredited to Malawi from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. |
| Mozambique | 1 July 1981 | See Malawi–Mozambique relations Between 1985 and 1995, Malawi accommodated more than a million refugees from Mozambique. The refugee crisis placed a substantial strain on Malawi's economy but also drew significant inflows of international assistance. The accommodation and eventual repatriation of the Mozambicans is considered a major success by international organizations. |
| Philippines | 3 May 2001 | Neither country has an embassy in each other's territories. The Philippines's embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, is accredited to Malawi; on the other hand, Malawi's embassy in Tokyo, Japan, is accredited to the Philippines. As of 25 May 2018, the date of presentation of credentials of Philippine non-resident ambassador Uriel Norman Garibay to President Arthur Peter Mutharika, there are 41 Filipino nationals residing in Malawi, mainly in Blantyre and Lilongwe. |
| Poland | 10 July 1992 | See Malawi–Poland relations |
| Qatar | 26 September 2012 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 September 2012 when Ambassador of Malawi to Qatar (resident in Kuwait City) Mr. Yunis Abdul Karim has presented his credentials. |
| Rwanda | 26 June 2001 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 June 2001 when accredited first Ambassador of Rwanda to Malawi (resident in Dar es Salaam) Mr. Zephyr Mutanguha In 1996, Malawi received a number of Rwandan and Congolese refugees seeking asylum. The government did not turn away refugees, but it did invoke the principle of "first country of asylum." Under this principle, refugees who requested asylum in another country first, or who had the opportunity to do so would not subsequently be granted asylum in Malawi. There were no reports of the forcible repatriation of refugees. |
| South Africa | 10 September 1967 | See Malawi–South Africa relations The colonial structures of Malawian labour export to South African mines continued after Malawi achieved independence in 1964. Led by dictator Hastings Banda, Malawi was the only African country to maintain close relations with White-ruled South Africa until the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela. Malawians were viewed as important workers in the South African mines due to their "skills, work discipline and lack of militancy" From 1988 to 1992, around 13,000 Malawian migrant laborers were forcefully repatriated out of South Africa. Officially, this was because 200 Malawians had tested positive for HIV in the previous two years, but many believe that it was due to the need for retrenchment of laborers during a crisis in South Africa's mining industry. Since South Africa and Malawi had their first democratic elections in 1994, Malawi and South Africa have enhanced relations. In 2008, the two governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding designed to enhance the relationship between the two countries through enhanced security cooperation. |
| South Korea | 9 March 1965 | In 2011 Bilateral Trade between both nations totaled US$31 million. |
| Turkey | 4 August 1969 | Embassy of Malawi in Berlin is accredited to Turkey. Turkish Embassy in Lusaka is accredited to Malawi. Trade volume between the two countries was US$21 million in 2019 (Malawi's exports/imports: 16.4/4.67 million USD). |
| Ukraine | 22 December 1998 | See Malawi–Ukraine relations |
| United Kingdom | 6 July 1964 | See Malawi–United Kingdom relations Malawi established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 6 July 1964. Malawi maintains a high commission in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Malawi through its high commission in Lilongwe. The UK governed Malawi from 1893 until 1964, when Malawi gained full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, the International Criminal Court, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Development Partnership, and a Double Taxation Agreement. Historical ties make the UK historically one of the more important donors and supporters of Malawi. However, the expulsion of the UK's High Commissioner in April 2011 may change this relationship. Since the expulsion the UK has suspended direct government aid, citing concerns over governance and human rights. |
| United States | 6 July 1964 | See Malawi–United States relations See also: Cochrane-Dyet 2011 Cable Controversy The transition from a one-party state to a multi-party democracy significantly strengthened the already cordial U.S. relationship with Malawi. Significant numbers of Malawians study in the United States. The United States has an active Peace Corps program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, and an Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in Malawi. In July 2011, the United States suspended direct funding. The US government agency responsible, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, suspended aid because it was 'deeply upset' by the deaths of the 19 people during the July protests. |
| Zimbabwe | 17 July 1981 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 July 1981 when has been appointed first High Commissioner of Malawi to Zimbabwe Mr. M. A. Banda and open High Commission of Malawi in Harare. |

## Malawi and the Commonwealth of Nations

Malawi became a full member of the Commonwealth of Nations on independence from the United Kingdom in 1964. Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, was Queen of Malawi, represented by the Governor-General of Malawi, until the country became a republic in the Commonwealth of Nations in 1966, when the then Prime Minister of Malawi, Hastings Banda, declared himself the first President of Malawi.