# Foreign relations of Seychelles

The Seychelles follows a policy of what it describes as "positive" nonalignment and strongly supports the principle of reduced superpower presence in the Indian Ocean. The Seychelles' foreign policy position has placed it generally toward the left of the spectrum within the Non-Aligned Movement. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, India, the People's Republic of China, Libya and Cuba maintain embassies in Victoria.
The government of the Seychelles withdrew diplomatic recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic on March 17, 2008, according to an official government source.

## Trends

The Seychelles government is one of the proponents of the Indian Ocean zone of peace concept and it has promoted an end to the United States presence on Diego Garcia. The country has adopted a pragmatic policy, however, and serves as an important rest and recreation stop for US ships serving in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean.
In its foreign relations, the Seychelles maximizes the benefits it receives from both China and India by taking advantage of those two countries' rivalry with respect to the strategic waterway in which the Seychelles exists.$^{:47}$

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which the Seychelles maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | United Kingdom | 28 June 1976 |
| 2 | North Korea | 28 June 1976 |
| 3 | South Korea | 28 June 1976 |
| 4 | Australia | 29 June 1976 |
| 5 | France | 29 June 1976 |
| 6 | India | 29 June 1976 |
| 7 | Italy | 29 June 1976 |
| 8 | Japan | 29 June 1976 |
| 9 | Russia | 29 June 1976 |
| 10 | China | 30 June 1976 |
| 11 | Romania | 30 June 1976 |
| 12 | Pakistan | June 1976 |
| 13 | Belgium | 1 July 1976 |
| 14 | Canada | 1 July 1976 |
| 15 | Cyprus | 1 July 1976 |
| 16 | United States | 1 July 1976 |
| 17 | Egypt | 14 July 1976 |
| 18 | Iran | July 1976 |
| 19 | Serbia | 1 August 1976 |
| 20 | Libya | 15 August 1976 |
| 21 | Portugal | 16 August 1976 |
| 22 | Vietnam | 16 August 1976 |
| 23 | Czech Republic | 14 December 1976 |
| 24 | Austria | 12 January 1977 |
| 25 | Germany | 18 January 1977 |
| 26 | Netherlands | 19 January 1977 |
| 27 | Nigeria | 28 January 1977 |
| 28 | Hungary | 30 November 1977 |
| 29 | Cuba | 12 April 1978 |
| 30 | Spain | 3 November 1978 |
| 31 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1978 |
| 32 | Guinea | 1978 |
| 33 | Jamaica | 15 January 1979 |
| 34 | Poland | 12 February 1979 |
| 35 | Sweden | 14 August 1979 |
| 36 | Denmark | 27 November 1979 |
| 37 | Algeria | 26 January 1980 |
| 38 | Grenada | 22 April 1980 |
| 39 | Albania | 16 May 1980 |
| 40 | Maldives | 1 July 1980 |
| 41 | Greece | 16 July 1980 |
| 42 | Bulgaria | 14 August 1980 |
| 43 | Mongolia | 20 August 1980 |
| 44 | Switzerland | 10 March 1981 |
| 45 | Ethiopia | 14 April 1982 |
| 46 | United Arab Emirates | 18 December 1982 |
| 47 | Bangladesh | 28 February 1983 |
| 48 | Oman | 13 April 1983 |
| 49 | Bahrain | 4 May 1983 |
| 50 | Mozambique | August 1983 |
| 51 | Qatar | 7 April 1984 |
| 52 | Nicaragua | 22 May 1984 |
| — | Holy See | 27 July 1984 |
| 53 | Norway | 1 February 1985 |
| 54 | Indonesia | 16 December 1985 |
| 55 | Somalia | 14 April 1986 |
| 56 | Mexico | 1 June 1986 |
| 57 | Vanuatu | 15 July 1986 |
| 58 | Tunisia | 25 August 1986 |
| 59 | Argentina | 2 October 1986 |
| 60 | Nepal | 10 October 1986 |
| 61 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 22 October 1986 |
| 62 | Angola | 7 November 1986 |
| 63 | Brazil | 10 November 1986 |
| 64 | Tanzania | 11 November 1986 |
| 65 | Fiji | 4 December 1986 |
| 66 | Cape Verde | 9 March 1987 |
| 67 | Zimbabwe | 11 March 1987 |
| 68 | Finland | 1 April 1987 |
| 69 | Malaysia | 1 May 1987 |
| 70 | Philippines | 9 October 1987 |
| 71 | Benin | 1 March 1988 |
| 72 | Comoros | 30 June 1988 |
| 73 | Senegal | 8 July 1988 |
| 74 | Kuwait | 11 July 1988 |
| 75 | Saint Lucia | 13 July 1988 |
| 76 | Mauritius | 17 July 1988 |
| 77 | Thailand | 19 July 1988 |
| 78 | Colombia | 5 August 1988 |
| 79 | Singapore | 16 September 1988 |
| 80 | Botswana | 30 September 1988 |
| 81 | Ghana | 10 October 1988 |
| 82 | Morocco | 17 December 1988 |
| 83 | Luxembourg | 17 February 1989 |
| 84 | Malta | 11 April 1989 |
| 85 | Madagascar | 12 April 1989 |
| 86 | Ivory Coast | 19 April 1989 |
| 87 | Kenya | 10 January 1990 |
| 88 | Brunei | 1 May 1990 |
| 89 | Iceland | 8 November 1990 |
| — | State of Palestine | 1990 |
| 90 | Venezuela | 15 April 1991 |
| 91 | Chile | 30 October 1991 |
| 92 | Belize | 20 November 1991 |
| 93 | Ecuador | 6 December 1991 |
| 94 | Namibia | 9 December 1991 |
| 95 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 12 December 1991 |
| 96 | Mauritania | 10 January 1992 |
| 97 | Peru | 15 January 1992 |
| 98 | Costa Rica | 17 March 1992 |
| 99 | Uganda | 6 April 1992 |
| 100 | Israel | 30 June 1992 |
| 101 | Slovenia | 21 October 1992 |
| 102 | New Zealand | 1992 |
| 103 | Slovakia | 6 January 1993 |
| 104 | Guatemala | 13 January 1993 |
| 105 | Marshall Islands | 2 February 1993 |
| 106 | Djibouti | 3 February 1993 |
| 107 | Equatorial Guinea | 14 April 1993 |
| 108 | Paraguay | 23 April 1993 |
| 109 | Guyana | 28 April 1993 |
| 110 | Panama | 21 May 1993 |
| 111 | Lithuania | 1 July 1993 |
| 112 | South Africa | 23 March 1994 |
| 113 | Latvia | 23 March 1994 |
| — | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | June 1994 |
| 114 | Ukraine | 30 September 1994 |
| 115 | Azerbaijan | 2 November 1994 |
| 116 | Turkey | 22 June 1995 |
| 117 | Cambodia | 15 August 1996 |
| 118 | Gabon | 14 November 1996 |
| 119 | Croatia | 30 September 1997 |
| 120 | Zambia | 11 March 1998 |
| 121 | Sri Lanka | 3 October 1998 |
| 122 | Ireland | 9 October 1999 |
| 123 | Andorra | 28 April 2000 |
| 124 | Samoa | 29 August 2000 |
| 125 | Saudi Arabia | 28 September 2000 |
| 126 | Haiti | 15 October 2000 |
| 127 | North Macedonia | 7 February 2001 |
| 128 | Mali | April 2001 |
| 129 | Malawi | 22 May 2001 |
| 130 | Sudan | 21 September 2001 |
| 131 | Belarus | 4 October 2001 |
| 132 | Eswatini | 14 March 2002 |
| 133 | San Marino | 14 March 2002 |
| 134 | Eritrea | 25 April 2002 |
| 135 | Tonga | 12 July 2002 |
| 136 | Burundi | 15 July 2002 |
| 137 | Armenia | 24 March 2006 |
| 138 | Laos | 22 June 2006 |
| 139 | Estonia | 15 November 2006 |
| 140 | Rwanda | 2006 |
| 141 | Monaco | 15 April 2008 |
| 142 | Dominican Republic | 23 September 2008 |
| 143 | Uruguay | 12 November 2008 |
| 144 | Trinidad and Tobago | 24 November 2009 |
| 145 | Montenegro | 19 May 2010 |
| 146 | Solomon Islands | 20 December 2010 |
| 147 | Tuvalu | 20 December 2010 |
| 148 | Lesotho | 25 January 2011 |
| 149 | Nauru | 14 April 2011 |
| 150 | Georgia | 15 March 2013 |
| 151 | South Sudan | 24 July 2013 |
| 152 | Kazakhstan | 11 March 2014 |
| 153 | Kyrgyzstan | 15 March 2014 |
| 154 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 4 June 2014 |
| 155 | Niger | 18 November 2014 |
| 156 | Togo | 3 March 2015 |
| 157 | Palau | 30 March 2015 |
| 158 | Afghanistan | 24 February 2017 |
| 159 | Kiribati | 24 February 2017 |
| 160 | Central African Republic | 16 May 2017 |
| 161 | Burkina Faso | 16 May 2017 |
| 162 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 26 May 2017 |
| 163 | Myanmar | 12 July 2017 |
| 164 | Tajikistan | 28 December 2017 |
| 165 | Dominica | 23 June 2021 |
| 166 | Gambia | 16 November 2023 |
| — | Cook Islands | 31 May 2024 |
| 167 | Turkmenistan | 13 August 2024 |
| 168 | Suriname | 22 September 2024 |
| 169 | Antigua and Barbuda | 23 September 2024 |
| 170 | Uzbekistan | 23 September 2024 |
| 171 | Bahamas | 24 October 2024 |
| 172 | El Salvador | 12 November 2024 |
| 173 | Sierra Leone | 16 February 2025 |
| 174 | Republic of the Congo | Unknown |
| 175 | Iraq | Unknown |
| 176 | Yemen | Unknown |

## Bilateral relations

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| China | 30 June 1976 | See China–Seychelles relations China has an embassy in Victoria. Seychelles has an embassy in Beijing and a consulate-general in Shanghai. |
| Cuba | 12 April 1978 | Diplomatic relations between Seychelles and Cuba established as of 12 April 1978 and 26 April 2017 President Seychelles inauguration Embassy of Seychelles in Havana,Cuba In 2022, Seychelles closed its embassy in Havana. Cuba has an embassy in Victoria. Seychelles does not have an accreditation to Cuba. |
| Cyprus | 1 July 1976 | Diplomatic relations between Seychelles and Cyprus established as of 1 July 1976 Both countries a members of the Commonwealth of Nations List of bilateral agreements. Cyprus is represented in Seychelles through its embassy in Muscat, Oman. Seychelles is represented in Cyprus through its High Commission in London, United Kingdom. Two countries are a member of La Francophonie. |
| France | 29 June 1976 | Diplomatic relations between Seychelles and France established as of 29 June 1976Embassy of Seychelles in Paris France has an embassy in Victoria. Seychelles has an embassy in Paris. Seychelles claimed the French-owned Glorioso Islands in the Indian Ocean before the France–Seychelles Maritime Boundary Agreement. Both countries are members of La Francophonie. |
| Greece | 16 July 1980 | Diplomatic relations between Seychelles and Greece established as of 16 July 1980 Greece is accredited to Seychelles from its embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Seychelles is accredited to Greece from its embassy in Paris, France. |
| India | 29 June 1976 | See India–Seychelles relations Diplomatic relations between Seychelles and India established as of 29 June 1976 In an effort to reduce the increasing piracy in the nearby region, Seychelles requested the Indian Navy to carry out anti-piracy operations in her waters. This made India-Seychelles relations stronger. The Seychelles also praised the Indian Navy for their anti-piracy operations. India has a High Commission in Victoria. Seychelles maintains a High Commission in New Delhi. |
| Malaysia | 1 May 1987 | See Malaysia–Seychelles relations Malaysia is accredited to Seychelles from its embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe. Seychelles has a high commission in Kuala Lumpur. |
| Mauritius | 17 June 1988 | Diplomatic relations between Seychelles and Mauritius established as of 17 June 1988 Mauritius has an honorary consulate in Victoria. Seychelles has an honorary consulate in Port Louis. Both are the members of Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie. |
| Mexico | 1 June 1986 | Diplomatic relations between Seychelles and Mexico established as of 1 June 1986 Mexico is accredited to the Seychelles from its embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Seychelles does not have an accreditation to Mexico. |
| North Korea | 29 June 1976 and 24 August 1976 | See North Korea–Seychelles relations Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the North Korea and the Republic of Seychelles is June 28, 1976. From 1980, DPR Korea and Seychelles have a good relations in military. |
| Russia | 30 June 1976 | See Russia–Seychelles relations Diplomatic relations between Seychelles and the Soviet Union were established on 30 June 1976, a day after the island nation gained its independence from the United Kingdom. Russia has an embassy in Victoria. Seychelles is accredited to Russia from its embassy in Paris, France and maintains an honorary consulate in Saint Petersburg. |
| Switzerland | 10 March 1981 | Diplomatic relations between Seychelles and Switzerland established as of 10 March 1981 Both countries are full members of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. Seychelles is accredited to Switzerland from its embassy in Paris, France. Switzerland is accredited to Seychelles from its embassy in Antananarivo, Madagascar. |
| Turkey | 22 June 1995 | Diplomatic relations between Seychelles and Turkey established as of 22 June 1995 Embassy of Seychelles in Paris is accredited to Turkey. The Turkish Embassy in Nairobi is accredited to Seychelles. Trade volume between the two countries was US$25.4 million in 2019 (Turkish exports/imports: 17.7/7.7 million USD). |
| United Arab Emirates | 18 December 1982 | Diplomatic relations between Seychelles and United Arab Emirates established as of 18 December 1982 Seychelles has an embassy in Abu Dhabi. UAE has an embassy in Victoria. |
| United Kingdom | 29 June 1976 | The Seychelles became a crown colony separate from Mauritius in 1903 and independence was granted in 1976, as a republic within the Commonwealth. Seychelles has a high commission in London. United Kingdom has a high commission in Victoria. |
| United States | 1 July 1976 | See Seychelles–United States relations Seychelles is accredited to the United States from its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City. United States has an embassy in Victoria. |
| Vietnam | 16 August 1979 | President James Alix Michel's official visited to Vietnam in August, 2013. The statement says this is an official visit to Vietnam made by a high-ranking leader of Seychelles. Both countries are members of La Francophonie. |

## The Seychelles and the Commonwealth of Nations

The Seychelles is a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations.