Foreign relations of the United Kingdom

The diplomatic foreign relations of the United Kingdom are conducted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, headed by the Foreign Secretary. The prime minister and numerous other agencies play a role in setting policy, and many institutions and businesses have a voice and a role.

The United Kingdom was the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries, most notably during the so-called "Pax Britannica"—a period of unrivaled supremacy and unprecedented international peace during the mid-to-late 1800s. The country continued to be widely considered a superpower until the Suez crisis of 1956 and the dismantling of the British Empire left the UK's dominant role in global affairs to be gradually diminished. Nevertheless, the United Kingdom remains a great power and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a founding member of the G7, G20, NATO, AUKUS, OECD, WTO, Council of Europe, OSCE, and the Commonwealth of Nations, the latter being a legacy of the British Empire. The UK had been a member state of the European Union (and a member of its predecessors) since 1973. However, due to the outcome of a 2016 membership referendum, proceedings to withdraw from the EU began in 2017 and concluded when the UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, and the transition period on 31 December 2020 with an EU trade agreement. Since the vote and the conclusion of trade talks with the EU, policymakers have begun pursuing new trade agreements with other global partners.

History

Main article: History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom

Further information: Timeline of British diplomatic history and History of the United Kingdom

 

The Battle of Nivelle - a Peninsular War battle between the French and the British armies in France in 1813

Following the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain (which united England and Scotland) in 1707, British foreign relations largely continued those of the Kingdom of England. British foreign policy initially focused on achieving a balance of power within Europe, with no one country achieving dominance over the affairs of the continent. This policy remained a major justification for Britain's wars against Napoleon, and for British involvement in the First and Second World Wars. Secondly Britain continued the expansion of its colonial "First British Empire" by migration and investment.

France was the chief enemy until the defeat of Napoleon in 1815. It had a much larger population and a more powerful army, but a weaker navy. The British were generally successful in their many wars. The notable exception, the American War of Independence (1775–1783), saw Britain, without any major allies, defeated by the American colonials who had the support of France, the Netherlands and (indirectly) Spain. A favoured British diplomatic strategy involved subsidising the armies of continental allies (such as Prussia), thereby turning London's enormous financial power to military advantage. Britain relied heavily on its Royal Navy for security, seeking to keep it the most powerful fleet afloat, eventually with a full complement of bases across the globe. British dominance of the seas was vital to the formation and maintaining of the British Empire, which was achieved through the support of a navy larger than the next two largest navies combined, prior to 1920. The British generally stood alone until the early 20th century, when it became friendly with the U.S. and made alliances with Japan, France and Russia and Germany former antagonist now ally.

1814–1914

Main article: History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom § 1814-1914

Further information: International relations of the Great Powers (1814–1919) and Foreign policy of William Ewart Gladstone

 

Map of the British Empire (as of 1910). At its height, it was the largest empire in history.

The 100 years were generally peaceful--a sort of Pax Britannica enforced by the Royal Navy. There were two important wars, both limited in scope. The Crimean War (1853–1856) saw the defeat of Russia and its threat to the Ottoman Empire. The Second Boer War (1899–1902) saw the defeat of the two Boer republics in South Africa and Boxer Rebellion happen the same year. London became the world's financial centre, and commercial enterprise expanded across the globe. The "Second British Empire" was built with a base in Asia (especially India) and Africa.

First World War

Main article: History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom § First World War

Further information: Causes of World War I and Treaty of Versailles

1920s

Main article: History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom § 1920s

After 1918 Britain was a "troubled giant" that was less of a dominant diplomatic force in the 1920s than before. It often had to give way to the United States, which frequently exercised its financial superiority.^[1] The main themes of British foreign policy included a leading role at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919–1920, where Lloyd George worked hard to moderate French demands for revenge on Germany.^[2] He was partly successful, but Britain soon had to moderate French policy toward Germany further, as in the Locarno Treaties of 1925.^[3][4] Furthermore, Britain obtained "mandates" that allowed it and its dominions to govern most of the former German and Ottoman colonies.^[5]

Britain became an active member of the new League of Nations, but its list of major achievements was slight.^[6][7]

Disarmament was high on the agenda, and Britain played a major role following the United States in the Washington Naval Conference of 1921 in working toward naval disarmament of the major powers. By 1933 disarmament agreements had collapsed and the issue became rearming for a war against Germany.^[8]

Britain was partially successful in negotiating better terms with United States regarding the large war loans which Britain was obliged to repay.^[9] Britain supported the international solution to German reparations through the Dawes Plan and the Young Plan. After the Dawes Plan had helped stabilize Germany's currency and lowered its annual payments, Germany was able to pay its annual reparations using money borrowed from New York banks, and Britain used the money received to pay Washington.^[10] The Great Depression starting in 1929 put enormous pressure on the British economy. Britain revived Imperial Preference, which meant low tariffs within the British Empire and higher barriers to trade with outside countries. The flow of money from New York dried up, and the system of reparations and payment of debt died in 1931.

In domestic British politics, the emerging Labour Party had a distinctive and suspicious foreign policy based on pacifism. Its leaders believed that peace was impossible because of capitalism, secret diplomacy, and the trade in armaments. Labour stressed material factors that ignored the psychological memories of the Great War and the highly emotional tensions regarding nationalism and the boundaries of countries. Nevertheless, party leader Ramsay MacDonald devoted much of his attention to European policies.^[11]

1930s

Main article: History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom § 1930s

Further information: Appeasement and Neville Chamberlain's European Policy

 

Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, and Mussolini pictured before signing the 1938 Munich Agreement, which gave the Sudetenland to Nazi Germany.

Vivid memories of the horrors and deaths of the First World War inclined many Britons—and their leaders in all parties—to pacifism in the interwar era. This led directly to the appeasement of dictators (notably of Mussolini and of Hitler) in order to avoid their threats of war.^[12]

The challenge came from those dictators, first from Benito Mussolini, Duce of Italy, then from Adolf Hitler, Führer of a much more powerful Nazi Germany. The League of Nations proved disappointing to its supporters; it failed to resolve any of the threats posed by the dictators. British policy involved "appeasing" them in the hopes they would be satiated. By 1938 it was clear that war was looming, and that Germany had the world's most powerful military. The final act of appeasement came when Britain and France sacrificed Czechoslovakia to Hitler's demands at the Munich Agreement of September 1938.^[13] Instead of satiation, Hitler menaced Poland, and at last Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain dropped appeasement and stood firm in promising to defend Poland (31 March 1939). Hitler however cut a deal with Joseph Stalin to divide Eastern Europe (23 August 1939); when Germany did invade Poland in September 1939, Britain and France declared war, and the British Commonwealth followed London's lead.^[14]

Second World War

Further information: Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II and Diplomatic history of World War II

Having signed the Anglo-Polish military alliance in August 1939, Britain and France declared war against Germany in September 1939 in response to Germany's invasion of Poland. This declaration included the Crown colonies and India, which Britain directly controlled. The dominions were independent in foreign policy, though all quickly entered the war against Germany. After the French defeat in June 1940, Britain and its empire stood alone in combat against Germany, until June 1941. The United States gave diplomatic, financial and material support, starting in 1940, especially through Lend Lease, which began in 1941 and attain full strength during 1943. In August 1941, Churchill and Roosevelt met and agreed on the Atlantic Charter, which proclaimed "the rights of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they live" should be respected. This wording was ambiguous and would be interpreted differently by the British, Americans, and nationalist movements.^[15]

Starting in December 1941, Japan overran British possessions in Asia, including Hong Kong, Malaya, and especially the key base at Singapore. Japan then marched into Burma, headed toward India. Churchill's reaction to the entry of the United States into the war was that Britain was now assured of victory and the future of the empire was safe, but the rapid defeats irreversibly harmed Britain's standing and prestige as an imperial power. The realisation that Britain could not defend them pushed Australia and New Zealand into permanent close ties with the United States.^[16]

Postwar

Further information: Postwar Britain (1945–1979) and Cold War

 

Overseas military bases in 2016 (blue) and military interventions since 2000 (red).

Economically in dire straits in 1945 (saddled with debt and dealing with widespread destruction of its infrastructure), Britain systematically reduced its overseas commitments. It pursued an alternate role as an active participant in the Cold War against communism, especially as a founding member of NATO in 1949.^[17]

The British had built up a very large worldwide Empire, which peaked in size in 1922, after more than half a century of unchallenged global supremacy. The cumulative costs of fighting two world wars, however, placed a heavy burden upon the home economy, and after 1945 the British Empire rapidly began to disintegrate, with all the major colonies gaining independence. By the mid-to-late 1950s, the UK's status as a superpower was gone in the face of the United States and the Soviet Union. Most former colonies joined the "Commonwealth of Nations", an organisation of fully independent nations now with equal status to the UK. However it attempted no major collective policies.^[18][19] The last major colony, Hong Kong, was handed over to China in 1997.^[20] Fourteen British Overseas Territories maintain a constitutional link to the UK, but are not part of the country per se.^[21]

Britain slashed its involvements in the Middle East after the humiliating Suez Crisis of 1956. However Britain did forge close military ties with the United States, France, and Germany, through the NATO military alliance. After years of debate (and rebuffs), Britain joined the Common Market in 1973; which became the European Union in 1993.^[22] However it did not merge financially, and kept the pound separate from the Euro, which partly isolated it from the EU financial crisis of 2011.^[23] In June 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU.^[24][25]

21st century

Further information: International relations since 1989 and Political history of the United Kingdom (1979–present)

 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U.S. President Donald Trump at the 45th G7 in Biarritz, August 2019.

Foreign policy initiatives of UK governments since the 1990s have included military intervention in conflicts and for peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance programmes and increased aid spending, support for establishment of the International Criminal Court, debt relief for developing countries, prioritisation of initiatives to address climate change, and promotion of free trade.^[26] The British approach has been described as "spread the right norms and sustain NATO".^[27]

Lunn et al. (2008) argue:^[28]

Three key motifs of Tony Blair's 10-year premiership were an activist philosophy of 'interventionism', maintaining a strong alliance with the US and a commitment to placing Britain at the heart of Europe. While the 'special relationship' and the question of Britain's role in Europe have been central to British foreign policy since the Second World War...interventionism was a genuinely new element.

The GREAT campaign of 2012 was one of the most ambitious national promotion efforts ever undertaken by any major nation. It was scheduled take maximum advantage of the worldwide attention to the Summer Olympics in London. The goals were to make British more culture visible in order to stimulate trade, investment and tourism. The government partnered with key leaders in culture, business, diplomacy and education. The campaign unified many themes and targets, including business meetings; scholarly conventions; recreational vehicle dealers; parks and campgrounds; convention and visitors bureaus; hotels; bed and breakfast inns; casinos; and hotels.^[29][30]

In 2013, the government of David Cameron described its approach to foreign policy by saying:^[31]

For any given foreign policy issue, the UK potentially has a range of options for delivering impact in our national interest. ... [W]e have a complex network of alliances and partnerships through which we can work.... These include – besides the EU – the UN and groupings within it, such as the five permanent members of the Security Council (the “P5”); NATO; the Commonwealth; the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development; the G8 and G20 groups of leading industrialised nations; and so on.

The UK began establishing air and naval facilities in the Persian Gulf, located in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman in 2014–15.^{[32][33][34][35]} The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 highlighted a range of foreign policy initiatives of the UK government.^[36][37] Edward Longinotti notes how current British defence policy is grappling with how to accommodate two major commitments, to Europe and to an ‘east of Suez’ global military strategy, within a modest defence budget that can only fund one. He points out that Britain's December 2014 agreement to open a permanent naval base in Bahrain underlines its gradual re-commitment east of Suez.^[38] By some measures, Britain remains the second most powerful country in the world by virtue of its soft power and "logistical capability to deploy, support and sustain [military] forces overseas in large numbers."^[39] Although commentators have questioned the need for global power projection,^[40] the concept of “Global Britain” put forward by the Conservative government in 2019 signalled more military activity in the Middle East and Pacific, outside of NATO's traditional sphere of influence.^[41][42]

At the end of January 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union, with a subsequent trade agreement with the EU in effect from 1 January 2021, setting out the terms of the UK-EU economic relationship and what abilities the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office can use in foreign relations related to trade.

In July 2023, UK and Bahrain signed a memorandum of understanding for strategic investments and collaborations, through Bahraini sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, Investcorp, GFH Financial Group, and Osool Asset Management, that would see the Gulf state's private sector invest 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) in Britain.^[43]

Major international disputes since 1945

 

British street patrol in Aden in 1967

 

A Lynx Helicopter of the British Army Air Corps ready to touch down on a desert road south of Basra Airport, November 2003

from	to	dispute
1946	1949	Involved in Greek Civil War
1945	1948	Administration of the Mandate for Palestine, ending with the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. British forces often faced conflict with Arab nationalists and Jewish Zionist militia.
1947	1991	Cold War with Soviet Union
1948	1949	Berlin Blockade – dispute with USSR over access to West Berlin and general Soviet expansionism in Eastern Europe^[44]
1948	1960	Malayan Emergency – armed conflict against the politically isolated Communist forces of the Malayan National Liberation Army
1950	1953	Korean War – war with North Korea
1951	1954	Abadan Crisis – dispute with Iran over expropriated oil assets
1956	1957	Suez Crisis – armed conflict with Egypt over its seizure of the Suez Canal Zone, and unsupported by most of the international community
1958		First Cod War – fishing dispute with Iceland
1962	1966	Konfrontasi – war with Indonesia
1972	1973	Second Cod War – fishing dispute with Iceland
1975	1976	Third Cod War – fishing dispute with Iceland^[45]
1982		Falklands War – war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands and other British south Atlantic territories
1983		Condemnation of the United States over its invasion of Grenada^[46]
1984		Dispute with Libya after a policewoman is shot dead in London by a gunman from within the Libyan embassy, and considerable Libyan support for the IRA in Northern Ireland.
1988		Dispute with Libya over the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over the Scottish town of Lockerbie^[47]
1991		Gulf War with Iraq^[48]
1995		Under UN mandate, military involvement in former Yugoslavia (specifically Bosnia)
1997		Hong Kong handover to Chinese rule. Britain secures guarantees for a "special status" that would continue capitalism and protect existing British property.^[49]
1999		Involvement in NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia over Kosovo
2000		British action in saving the UN peacekeeping force from collapse and defeating the anti-government rebellion during the Sierra Leone Civil War
2001		UN-sponsored war against, and subsequent occupation of, Afghanistan
2003	2007	Collaboration with US and others in war against, and occupation of, Iraq; over 46,000 British troops subsequently occupy Basra and southern Iraq
2007	ongoing	Diplomatic dispute with Russia over the death of Alexander Litvinenko^[50]
2009	ongoing	Dispute with Iran over its alleged nuclear weapons programme, including sanctions and Iranian condemnation of the British government, culminating in a 2011 attack on the British Embassy in Iran
2011		Under UN mandate, UK armed forces participated in enforcing the Libyan No-Fly Zone as part of Operation Ellamy^[51]
2013		Support for French forces in the Malian civil war
2015		Support for the US-led coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
2016		UN and EU implement a deal with Iran intended to prevent the country gaining access to nuclear weapons^[52]
2018	ongoing	Sanctions on Russia following the poisoning of Sergei Skripal using a nerve agent in Salisbury, England included the expulsions of 23 diplomats, the largest ever since the Cold War, an act that was retaliated by Russia
2019	ongoing	The sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between the United Kingdom and Mauritius. An advisory ruling by International Court of Justice in The Hague found that "the islands were not lawfully separated from the former colony of Mauritius",^[53] a view endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly
2019		The UK seized an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar on the grounds that it was shipping oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. Iran later captured a British oil tanker and its crew members in the Persian Gulf.^[54]
2022	ongoing	The UK provided support and equipment to Ukraine after its invasion by Russia, which declared the United Kingdom an unfriendly country after the UK strongly supported international sanctions against Russia

Sovereignty disputes

 

Gibraltar National Day celebrations in 2013

• Spain claims the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.^[55] Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain under British sovereignty in 1967 and 2002.
• The entire Chagos Archipelago in the British Indian Ocean Territory is claimed by Mauritius. The claim includes the island of Diego Garcia used as a joint UK/US military base since the 1970s when the inhabitants were forcibly removed, Blenheim Reef, Speakers Bank and all the other features.^[56]
• There are conflicting claims over the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, controlled by the United Kingdom but claimed by Argentina. The dispute escalated into the Falklands War in 1982 over the islands' sovereignty, in which Argentina was defeated. The Falkland islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory in 2013.
• There is a territorial claim in Antarctica, the British Antarctic Territory, which overlaps with areas claimed by Chile and Argentina.^[57]

Commonwealth of Nations

 

Members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The UK has varied relationships with the countries that make up the Commonwealth of Nations which originated from the British Empire. Charles III of the United Kingdom is Head of the Commonwealth and is King of 15 of its 56 member states. Those that retain the King as head of state are called Commonwealth realms. Over time several countries have been suspended from the Commonwealth for various reasons. Zimbabwe was suspended because of the authoritarian rule of its President.^[58]

Diplomatic relations

British diplomatic relations date back to the 13th century.^[59] The United Kingdom has established diplomatic relations with all United Nations members, aside from Bhutan, in addition to 3 Non-UN states: the Cook Islands, Holy See, and Kosovo. The following table lists the date from which diplomatic relations were established with foreign countries:

  List of diplomatic relations and dates established

Country	Date	Ref.
Portugal	9 May 1386	^[60]
France	1396	^[61]
Denmark	2 May 1490	^[62]
Spain	1505	^[63]
Russia	20 April 1566	^[64]
Turkey	23 April 1583	^[64]
Netherlands	1 April 1603	^[64]
Sweden	23 December 1653	^[64]
Switzerland	30 August 1689	^[65]
United States	1 June 1785	^[66]
Iran	4 January 1801	^[67]
Austria	27 August 1814	^[68]
Nepal	4 March 1816	^[69]
Peru	10 October 1823	^[70]
Colombia	18 April 1825	^[71]
Argentina	12 May 1825	^[72]
Mexico	26 December 1826	^[73]
Brazil	17 August 1827	^[74]
Belgium	1 December 1830	^[75]
Greece	1 January 1833	^[76]
Venezuela	29 October 1834	^[77]
Serbia	30 January 1837	^[78]
Guatemala	12 July 1837	^[79]
Bolivia	29 September 1840	^[80]
Ethiopia	1841	^[81]
Uruguay	15 July 1842	^[82]
Costa Rica	28 February 1848	^[83]
Honduras	16 June 1849	^[84]
Liberia	1 August 1849	^[85]
Dominican Republic	6 March 1850	^[86]
Ecuador	29 January 1853	^[87]
Paraguay	2 November 1853	^[88]
Chile	4 October 1854	^[89]
Thailand	18 April 1855	^[90]
Japan	26 August 1858	^[91]
Nicaragua	22 February 1859	^[92]
Italy	13 April 1859	^[93]
Haiti	13 May 1859	^[94]
Bulgaria	23 July 1879	^[95]
Luxembourg	27 November 1879	^[96]
Romania	20 February 1880	^[97]
El Salvador	1883	^[98]
Cuba	20 May 1902	^[99]
Norway	6 November 1905	^[100]
Panama	9 April 1908	^[101]
Egypt	19 December 1914	^[102]
Finland	28 March 1918	^[103]
Poland	15 July 1919	^[104]
Czech Republic	3 September 1919	^[105]
Hungary	22 May 1921	^[106]
Albania	9 November 1921	^[107]
Afghanistan	22 November 1921	^[108]
Ireland	6 December 1922	^[109]
Canada	1 July 1926	^[110]
Saudi Arabia	20 May 1927	^[111]
South Africa	17 March 1931	^[112]
Iraq	4 October 1932	^[113]
Australia	March 1936	^[114]
New Zealand	March 1939	^[114]
Iceland	8 May 1940	^[115]
Lebanon	9 February 1942	^[116]
Syria	9 February 1942	^[116]
Jordan	17 June 1946	^[117]
Philippines	4 July 1946	^[118]
Sri Lanka	22 October 1946	^[119]
Myanmar	7 July 1947	^[120]
India	14 August 1947	^[117]
Pakistan	14 August 1947	^[117]
South Korea	18 January 1949	^[121]
Israel	14 May 1949	^[117]
Indonesia	27 December 1949	^[122]
Germany	20 June 1951	^[123]
Yemen	9 December 1951	^[117]
Libya	24 December 1951	^[117]
Cambodia	15 May 1952	^[124]
China	17 June 1954	^[125]
Laos	5 September 1955	^[126]
Sudan	3 March 1956	^[127]
Tunisia	19 June 1956	^[117]
Morocco	28 June 1956	^[117]
Ghana	6 March 1957	^[117]
Malaysia	31 August 1957	^[128]
Guinea	28 May 1959	^[129]
Cameroon	1 February 1960	^[117]
Togo	27 April 1960	^[117]
Madagascar	27 June 1960	^[130]
Democratic Republic of the Congo	7 July 1960	^[131]
Somalia	7 July 1960	^[132]
Cyprus	16 August 1960	^[117]
Senegal	20 August 1960	^[117]
Nigeria	1 October 1960	^[133]
Benin	6 October 1960	^[117]
Burkina Faso	6 October 1960	^[134]
Niger	6 October 1960	^[134]
Ivory Coast	12 October 1960	^[135]
Mauritania	28 November 1960	^[136]
Chad	9 December 1960	^[134]
Central African Republic	9 December 1960	^[134]
Republic of the Congo	9 December 1960	^[134]
Gabon	9 December 1960	^[134]
Mali	22 March 1961	^[117]
Sierra Leone	April 1961	^[117]
Kuwait	8 November 1961	^[117]
Tanzania	9 December 1961	^[137]
Burundi	1 July 1962	^[138]
Rwanda	1 July 1962	^[117]
Jamaica	6 August 1962	^[117]
Trinidad and Tobago	31 August 1962	^[117]
Uganda	9 October 1962	^[139]
Algeria	16 November 1962	^[140]
Mongolia	23 January 1963	^[141]
Kenya	12 December 1963	^[142]
Malawi	July 1964	^[117]
Malta	21 September 1964	^[117]
Zambia	17 October 1964	^[117]
Gambia	1 January 1965	^[117]
Maldives	26 July 1965	^[143]
Singapore	12 November 1965	^[144]
Guyana	26 May 1966	^[117]
Botswana	30 September 1966	^[117]
Barbados	30 November 1966	^[145]
Lesotho	4 October 1966	^[117]
Mauritius	12 March 1968	^[117]
Eswatini	September 1968	^[117]
Equatorial Guinea	20 June 1969	^[146]
Tonga	4 June 1970	^[147]
Samoa	September 1970	^[148]
Fiji	10 October 1970	^[149]
Oman	21 May 1971	^[147]
Bahrain	21 August 1971	^[150]
Qatar	6 September 1971	^[151]
United Arab Emirates	2 December 1971	^[152]
Bangladesh	18 April 1972	^[147]
Bahamas	7 July 1973	^[147]
Vietnam	11 September 1973	^[153]
Grenada	7 February 1974	^[147]
Guinea-Bissau	12 March 1975	^[147]
Mozambique	1 September 1975	^[154]
Papua New Guinea	16 September 1975	^[155]
Suriname	31 March 1976	^[156]
Seychelles	June 1976	^[157]
Cape Verde	17 May 1977	^[158]
Comoros	3 October 1977	^[159]
Angola	14 October 1977	^[160]
Nauru	1 December 1977	^[147]
Djibouti	25 January 1978	^[161]
Solomon Islands	7 July 1978	^[147]
Tuvalu	1 October 1978	^[147]
Dominica	13 December 1978	^[162]
Saint Lucia	22 February 1979	^[147]
São Tomé and Príncipe	3 December 1979	^[147]
Kiribati	12 July 1979	^[147]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	27 October 1979	^[147]
Zimbabwe	18 April 1980	^[147]
Vanuatu	30 July 1980	^[147]
Belize	21 September 1981	^[163]
Antigua and Barbuda	1 November 1981	^[147]
Holy See	16 January 1982	^[164]
Saint Kitts and Nevis	19 September 1983	^[165]
Brunei	14 March 1984	^[166]
Namibia	March 1990	^[167]
Lithuania	4 September 1991	^[168]
Estonia	5 September 1991	^[169]
Latvia	5 September 1991	^[170]
Ukraine	10 January 1992	^[171]
Tajikistan	15 January 1992	^[172]
Moldova	17 January 1992	^[173]
Slovenia	17 January 1992	^[174]
Kazakhstan	19 January 1992	^[175]
Armenia	20 January 1992	^[176]
Turkmenistan	23 January 1992	^[177]
Belarus	27 January 1992	^[178]
Marshall Islands	2 February 1992	^[179]
Uzbekistan	18 February 1992	^[180]
Azerbaijan	11 March 1992	^[181]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	13 April 1992	^[182]
Georgia	27 April 1992	^[183]
Liechtenstein	May 1992	^[184]
Croatia	24 June 1992	^[185]
Kyrgyzstan	12 June 1992	^[186]
Federated States of Micronesia	31 August 1992	^[187]
Slovakia	1 January 1993	^[188]
Eritrea	16 November 1993	^[189]
North Macedonia	16 December 1993	^[190]
Andorra	9 March 1994	^[191]
Palau	16 August 1996	^[192]
Cook Islands	4 December 1997	^[193]
San Marino	18 November 1998	^[194]
North Korea	12 December 2000	^[195]
East Timor	20 May 2002	^[196]
Montenegro	13 June 2006	^[197]
Monaco	21 September 2007	^[198]
Kosovo	18 February 2008	^[199]
South Sudan	9 July 2011	^[200]

Bilateral relations

Africa

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Algeria	1962	See Foreign relations of Algeria
Angola	1977	See Foreign relations of Angola The UK established diplomatic relations with Angola on 14 October 1977.^[160] Angola maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Angola through its embassy in Luanda.^[201] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] and the World Trade Organization.
Benin	1960	See Foreign relations of Benin Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact.^[203]
Botswana	1966	See Botswana–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Botswana on 30 September 1966.^[117] Botswana maintains a high commission in London.^[204] The United Kingdom is accredited to Botswana from its high commission in Gaborone.^[205] The UK governed Botswana from 1885 to 1966, when Botswana achieved independence. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth of Nations and the World Trade Organization, as well as the SACUM-UK Economic Partnership Agreement.^[206]
Burkina Faso	1960	See Foreign relations of Burkina Faso The UK established diplomatic relations with Burkina Faso on 6 October 1960, then known as Upper Volta.^[134] Burkina Faso does not maintain an embassy in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is not accredited to Burkina Faso through an embassy.^[207] Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
Burundi	1962	See Foreign relations of Burundi The UK established diplomatic relations with Burundi on 1 July 1962.^[138] Burundi maintains an embassy in London.^[208] The United Kingdom is accredited to Burundi from its embassy office in Bujumbura.^[209] Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
Central African Republic	1960	See Foreign relations of the Central African Republic The UK established diplomatic relations with the Central African Republic on 9 December 1960.^[134] The Central African Republic does not maintain an embassy in the UK. The United Kingdom is not accredited to the Central African Republic through an embassy. Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
Chad	1960	See Foreign relations of Chad The UK established diplomatic relations with Chad on 9 December 1960.^[134] Chad does not maintain embassy in the UK. The United Kingdom is accredited to Chad through its embassy in N'Djamena.^[210] Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
Democratic Republic of the Congo	1960	See Democratic Republic of the Congo–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 7 July 1960.^[131] The Democratic Republic of the Congo maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from its embassy in Kinshasa.^[211] Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
Egypt	1922	See Egypt–United Kingdom relations
Equatorial Guinea	1969	See Foreign relations of Equatorial Guinea The UK established diplomatic relations with Equatorial Guinea on 20 June 1969.^[146] Equatorial Guinea closed its embassy in London.^[212] The United Kingdom is not accredited to Equatorial Guinea through an embassy. Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact.^[202]
Ethiopia	1841	See Ethiopia–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Ethiopia in 1841.^[81] Ethiopia maintains an embassy in London.^[213] The United Kingdom is accredited to Ethiopia from its embassy in Addis Ababa.^[214] The UK administered Ethiopia from 1941–1942. The UK continued to administered the regions of Ogaden and Haud from 1941, until both territories were relinquished to Ethiopia in 1948 and 1955 respectively.z
Gabon	1960	See Foreign relations of Gabon The UK established diplomatic relations with Botswana on 9 December 1960.^[134] Gabon maintains a high commission in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Gabon through an honoury consul in Libreville.^[215] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] Commonwealth, and the World Trade Organization.
Ghana	1957	See Ghana–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Ghana on 6 March 1957.^[117] Ghana maintains a high commission in London.^[216] The United Kingdom is accredited to Ghana through its high commission in Accra.^[217] The UK governed Ghana from 1821 to 1957, when it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] Commonwealth, and the World Trade Organization. Both countries are parties of the Ghana–UK Economic Partnership Agreement.^[218]
Guinea	1959	See Foreign relations of Guinea The UK established diplomatic relations with Guinea on 28 May 1959.^[129] Guinea maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Guinea through its embassy in Conakry.^[219] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] and the World Trade Organization.
Guinea-Bissau	1975	See Foreign relations of Guinea-Bissau The UK established diplomatic relations with Guinea on 12 March 1975.^[147] Guinea-Bissau does not maintain an embassy in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is not accredited to Guinea-Bissau through an embassy.^[220] Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
Ivory Coast	1960	See Foreign relations of Ivory Coast The UK established diplomatic relations with Ivory Coast on 12 October 1960.^[135] Ivory Coast maintains an embassy in London.^[221] The United Kingdom is accredited to Ivory Coast through its embassy in Abidjan.^[222] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] and the World Trade Organization, as well as the Ivory Coast-UK Economic Partnership Agreement^[223]
Kenya	1963	See Kenya–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Kenya on 12 December 1963.^[142] Kenya maintains a high commission in London.^[224] The United Kingdom is accredited to Kenya through its high commission in Nairobi.^[225] The UK governed Kenya from 1895 to 1963, when it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, and the World Trade Organization, as well as the Kenya-UK Economic Partnership Agreement.^[226]
Liberia	1847	See Liberia–United Kingdom relations Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] and the World Trade Organization.
Libya		See Libya–United Kingdom relations
Malawi	1964	See Malawi–United Kingdom relations
Mali	1961	See Foreign relations of Mali The UK established diplomatic relations with Mali on 22 March 1961.^[117] Mali does not maintain an embassy in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is accredited to Mali through its embassy in Bamako.^[227] Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
Mauritania	1960	See Foreign relations of Mauritania The UK established diplomatic relations with Mauritania on 28 November 1960.^[136] Mauritania maintains an embassy in London.^[228] The United Kingdom is accredited to Mauritania through its embassy in Nouakchott.^[229] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] and the World Trade Organization.
Morocco	1956	See Morocco–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Morocco on 28 June 1956.^[117] Morocco maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Morocco through its embassy in Rabat.^[230] Bilateral relations between Morocco and the UK date back to the early 1200s.^[231] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] and the World Trade Organization. Both countries signed an Association Agreement on 26 October 2019.^[232]
Mozambique	1975	See Foreign relations of Mozambique
Namibia	1990	See Namibia–United Kingdom relations
Republic of the Congo	1960	See Foreign relations of the Republic of the Congo The UK established diplomatic relations with the Republic of the Congo on 9 December 1960.^[134] The Republic of the Congo maintains an embassy in London.^[233] The United Kingdom is not accredited to the Republic of the Congo through an embassy.^[234] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] and the World Trade Organization.
Rwanda	1962	See Rwanda–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Rwanda on 1 July 1962.^[117] Rwanda maintains a high commission in London.^[235] The United Kingdom is accredited to Rwanda from its high commission in Kigali.^[236] Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, and the World Trade Organization.
São Tomé and Príncipe	1979	See Foreign relations of São Tomé and Príncipe Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact.^[237]
Senegal	1960	See Foreign relations of Senegal The UK established diplomatic relations with Senegal on 20 June 1960.^[117] Senegal maintains an embassy in London.^[238] The United Kingdom is accredited to Senegal from its embassy in Dakar.^[239] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] and the World Trade Organization.
Sierra Leone	1961	See Foreign relations of Sierra Leone Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact.^[240]
Somalia	1960	See Somalia–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Somalia on 7 July 1960.^[132] Somalia does not maintain an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Somalia through its embassy in Mogadishu.^[241] The UK governed Somaliland from 1884–1940 and 1941–1960, Somaliland achieved full independence on 26 June 1960. The UK also administered the remaining territory of modern Somalia from 1941–1950, until it became an Italian Trust Territory. Both of these territories unified on the 1 July 1960 to become Somalia.
Somaliland	N/A	See Somaliland–United Kingdom relations The UK has not established diplomatic relations with Somaliland; the UK does not recognise Somaliland to be a sovereign nation. Somaliland maintains a diplomatic mission in London. The United Kingdom does not have a diplomatic mission in Somaliland. On 4 July 2023, Gavin Williamson proposed a bill to the UK Parliament that would invoke the UK to recognise the Republic of Somaliland.^[242] The UK governed Somaliland from 1884–1940 and 1941–1960, Somaliland achieved full independence on 26 June 1960. The Republic of Somaliland declared independence from Somalia on 18 May 1991.
South Africa	1927	See South Africa–United Kingdom relations
Sudan	1956	See Sudan–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Sudan on 3 March 1956.^[127] Sudan maintains an embassy in London.^[243] The United Kingdom is accredited to Sudan through its embassy in Khartoum.^[244] Due to the Battle of Khartoum, the embassy has been temporarily relocated to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.^[245] The UK governed Sudan from 1899 to 1956, when Sudan achieved full independence.^[246]
Tanzania	1964	See Tanzania–United Kingdom relations
Uganda	1962	See Uganda–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Uganda on 9 October 1962.^[139] Uganda maintains an high commission in London.^[247] The United Kingdom is accredited to Uganda through its high commission in Kampala.^[248] The UK governed Uganda from 1894 to 1962, when Uganda achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth of Nations, and the World Trade Organization.
Zambia	1960	See United Kingdom–Zambia relations
Zimbabwe	1980	See United Kingdom–Zimbabwe relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980.^[147] The United Kingdom is accredited to Zimbabwe through its embassy in Harare.^[249] Zimbabwe maintains an embassy in London. Zimbabwe was a possession of the British South Africa Company from 1888 to 1923, until BSAC transferred its administration rights to the British Government. The UK governed Zimbabwe from 1923 to 1980, when Zimbabwe achieved full independence under the Lancaster House Agreement. Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization, and the Eastern and Southern Africa-UK Economic Partnership Agreement: a free trade agreement.^[250]

Asia

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Afghanistan	1921	See Afghanistan–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Afghanistan on 22 November 1921.^[108] The UK currently recognises the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan government, over the de facto Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan government, as the legal administrator of the country. Afghanistan maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom was accredited to Afghanistan through its embassy in Kabul. Following the fall of Kabul to Taliban forces in August 2021, the embassy has been operating from Doha, Qatar.^[251] The UK governed Afghanistan from 1879–1919, until Afghanistan achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
Armenia	1992	See Armenia–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Armenia on 20 January 1992.^[176] Armenia maintains an embassy in London.^[252] The United Kingdom is accredited to Armenia through its embassy in Yerevan.^[253] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Azerbaijan	1992	See Azerbaijan–United Kingdom relations Azerbaijan has an embassy in London.^[254] The United Kingdom has an embassy in Baku.^[255] Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Bahrain	1971	See Bahrain–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Bahrain on 21 August 1971.^[150] Bahrain maintains an embassy in London.^[256] The United Kingdom is accredited to Bahrain through its embassy in Manama.^[257] The UK governed Bahrain from 1861 to 1971, when it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization. The UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council, of which Bahrain is a member, are negotiating a free trade agreement.
Bhutan	N/A	See Foreign relations of Bhutan The UK has not established diplomatic relations with Bhutan; the UK does recognise Bhutan to be a sovereign nation. The UK is accredited to Bhutan through its deputy high commission in Kolkata, India.^[258] Relations between Bhutan and the UK date back to the 18th Century^[259]
Brunei	1984	See Brunei–United Kingdom relations In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate, gaining its independence from British rule less than 100 years later in 1984. The UK and Brunei have a long-standing and strong bilateral relationship, particularly on defence co-operation, trade and education. The UK continues to play a strong role in developing Brunei's oil and gas sector, and the Brunei Investment Agency is a significant investor in the UK, with their largest overseas operations in the City of London. The UK remains the destination of choice for Bruneian students, with about 1,220 of them enrolled in higher education in the UK in 2006–07. The United Kingdom has a high commission in Bandar Seri Begawan, and Brunei has a high commission in London. Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Cambodia	1952	See Cambodia–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Cambodia on 5 May 1952.^[124] Cambodia maintains an embassy in London.^[260] The United Kingdom is accredited to Cambodia through its embassy in Phnom Penh.^[261] The UK broke off diplomatic relations with Cambodia in 1975, following the Fall of Phnom Penh; diplomatic relations were restored in 1991.^[262] Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
China	1954	See China–United Kingdom relations Although on opposing sides of the Cold War, both countries were allies during World War II, and are members of the UN and permanent members of the Security Council. But because of the Cold War, First and Second Opium War, and the status of Hong Kong, and other issues, China-UK relations at some points in history have been complicated, but better at other times. In July 2019, the UN ambassadors from 22 nations, including United Kingdom, signed a joint letter to the UNHRC condemning China's mistreatment of the Uyghurs as well as its mistreatment of other minority groups, urging the Chinese government to close the Xinjiang re-education camps.^[263]
Cyprus	1960	See Cyprus–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Cyprus on 16 August 1960.^[117] Cyprus has a High Commission in London and honorary consulates in Birmingham, Bristol, Dunblane, Glasgow, Northern Ireland and West Yorkshire.^[264] The United Kingdom is accredited to Cyprus through its High Commission in Nicosia.^[265] Cyprus was ruled by the United Kingdom from 1878, until it achieved independence on 16 August 1960. The UK is a signatory to the Treaty of Guarantee, which maintains that Britain is a "guarantor power" of Cyprus's independence; the UK maintains the two sovereign base areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on the island of Cyprus.^[266] Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Georgia	1992	See Georgia–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Georgia on 27 April 1992.^[183] Georgia maintains an embassy in London.^[267] The United Kingdom is accredited to Georgia through its embassy in Tbilisi.^[268] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization. The two countries also have a free trade agreement.^[269]
Hong Kong	N/A	See Hong Kong–United Kingdom relations The UK established modern diplomatic relations with Hong Kong on 1 July 1997. Hong Kong is represented through the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Hong Kong from its Consulate General on Hong Kong Island.^[270] Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841–1997, apart from a period of Japanese occupation from 1941–1945. Hong Kong's sovereignty was transferred to the People's Republic of China in 1997. Both territories share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
India	1947	See India–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with India on 14 August 1947.^[117] India maintains a high commission in London.^[271] The United Kingdom is accredited to India through its high commission in New Delhi, as well as Deputy High Commissions in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and a Nationals Assistance Office in Goa.^[272] The UK governed the India from 1858 to 1947, when it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, G20, and the World Trade Organization. The two countries are currently negotiating a free trade agreement.
Indonesia	1949	See Indonesia–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Indonesia on 27 December 1949.^[122] Indonesia maintains an embassy in London.^[273] The United Kingdom is accredited to Indonesia through its embassy in Jakarta.^[274] Both countries share common membership of the G20, and the World Trade Organization.
Iran	1801	See Iran–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Iran on 4 January 1801.^[67] Iran maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Iran through its embassy in Tehran.^[275]
Iraq	1932	See Iraq–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Iraq on 4 October 1932.^[113] Iraq maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Iraq through its embassy in Baghdad.^[276] The UK governed Iraq from 1921 until 1932, when it achieved full independence.
Israel	1948	See Israel–United Kingdom relations The United Kingdom has an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consul in Eilat.^[277] Israel has an embassy and a consulate in London. The UK's closest partner in the Middle East is Israel, and Israel's closest partner in Europe is the UK.^[278]^[279]
Japan	1854	See Japan–United Kingdom relations Contact began in 1600 with the arrival of William Adams (Adams the Pilot, Miura Anjin) on the shores of Kyūshū at Usuki in Ōita Prefecture. During the Sakoku period (1641–1853) there were no relations. but with the impact of Industrial Revolution, British thread company launched its business in 1907 and thrived. The treaty of 1854 saw the resumption of ties which, despite the hiatus of the Second World War, remain very strong in the present day.
Kazakhstan	1992	See Kazakhstan–United Kingdom relations The United Kingdom opened an embassy in Kazakhstan in October 1992 and Kazakhstan opened an embassy in Britain in February 1996.^[280] Kazakhstan's relations with the West have greatly improved in the last few years as the Government has closely cooperated in the United States-led War on Terror. See also Counter-terrorism in Kazakhstan Britain is the third-largest foreign investor in Kazakhstan with British companies making up 14 per cent of foreign direct investment. Over 100 British companies do business in Kazakhstan.^[281]
Kyrgyzstan	1992	See Kyrgyzstan–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Kyrgyzstan on 12 June 1992.^[186] Kyrgyzstan maintains an embassy in London. The UK is accredited to Kyrgyzstan through its embassy in Bishkek.^[282] Both countries share common membership of the OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Macao	N/A	See Foreign relations of Macao There is no British Embassy in Macao. The Consulate-General in Hong Kong develops and maintains relations between the UK and Macao.^[283]
Malaysia	1957	See Malaysia–United Kingdom relations   The Yang di-Pertuan Agong in a carriage with Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on the state visit to London, 1974 The UK established diplomatic relations with Malaysia on 31 August 1957.^[128] The Malaysia maintains a high commission in London.^[284] The United Kingdom is accredited to the Malaysia through its high commission in Kuala Lumpur.^[285] The UK governed the Malaysia from 1826 to 1942 and 1945 to 1957, when it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, CPTPP, the Five Power Defence Arrangements, and the World Trade Organization.
Maldives	1965	See Foreign relations of the Maldives The UK established diplomatic relations with the Maldives on 26 July 1965.^[143] The Maldives maintains a high commission in London.^[286] The United Kingdom is accredited to the Maldives through its high commission in Malé.^[287] The UK governed the Maldives from 1796 to 1965, when it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, and the World Trade Organization. The two countries are currently negotiating a free trade agreement.^[288]
Myanmar	1947	See Myanmar–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Myanmar on 7 July 1947.^[120] Myanmar maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Myanmar through its embassy in Yangon.^[289] The UK governed Myanmar from 1824–1948, aside from a period of Japanese occupation from 1942–1945, it achieved full independence.^[290] Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
Nepal	1816	See Nepal–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Nepal on 4 March 1816, with the Treaty of Sugauli.^[69] Relations between the UK and Nepal have historically been friendly and there have been close links between the Royal Families. The UK is highly regarded in Nepal as a result of historical ties, development assistance and long-term support in the struggle for democratic peace in Nepal.
North Korea	2000	See North Korea–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with North Korea on 12 December 2000.^[195] North Korea maintains an embassy in London.^[291] The United Kingdom is accredited to North Korea through its embassy in Pyongyang.^[292]
Oman	1971	See Oman–United Kingdom relations The relations between the United Kingdom and Oman are strong and strategic.^[293] In April 2010 the government of Oman stated that it wanted to buy Eurofighter Typhoons from the UK.^[293] The United Kingdom has an embassy in Mina al Fahal^[294] and Oman has an embassy in London.^[295]
Pakistan	1947	See Pakistan–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Pakistan on 14 August 1947.^[117] Pakistan maintains an high commission in London, as well as consulates in Birmingham, Bradford, Glasgow, and Manchester.^[296] The United Kingdom is accredited to Pakistan through its high commission in Islamabad, as well as a deputy high commission in Karachi.^[297] The UK governed Pakistan from 1824 to 1947, as part of the British Raj which also included modern day India and Bangladesh, until it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, and the World Trade Organization.
Palestine	N/A	See Palestine–United Kingdom relations The United Kingdom maintains a consulate in Jerusalem which handles British relations with the Palestinian Authority.^[298] The Foreign and Commonwealth Office states the "Consular district covers Jerusalem (West and East), the West Bank and Gaza. As well as work on the Middle East Peace Process and other political issues, the consulate also promotes trade between the UK and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and manages an extensive programme of aid and development work. The latter is undertaken primarily by the DFID office in Jerusalem.".^[298] The Palestinian Authority is represented in London by Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian General Delegate to the United Kingdom.^[298]
Philippines	1946	See Philippines–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with the Philippines on 4 July 1946.^[118] The Philippines maintains an embassy in London.^[118] The United Kingdom is accredited to the Philippines through its embassy in Manila.^[299] Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
Qatar	1971	See Qatar–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Qatar on 6 September 1971.^[151] Qatar maintains an embassy in London.^[300] The United Kingdom is accredited to Qatar through its embassy in Doha.^[301] The UK governed Qatar from 1916 to 1971, when it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization. The UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council, of which Qatar is a member, are negotiating a free trade agreement.
Saudi Arabia	1927	See Saudi Arabia–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia on 20 May 1927.^[111] Saudi Arabia maintains an embassy in London.^[302] The United Kingdom is accredited to Saudi Arabia through its embassy in Riyadh, as well as a consulate general in Jeddah.^[303] Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization. The UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council, of which Saudi Arabia is a member, are negotiating a free trade agreement.
Singapore	1965	See Singapore–United Kingdom relations Singapore and the United Kingdom share a friendly relationship since Singapore became independent from the United Kingdom in 1959. Singapore retained the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as the final court of appeal up till 1989 (fully abolished in 1994) due to political reasons.
South Korea	1883^[304]	See South Korea–United Kingdom relations Formal relations between South Korea and the United Kingdom commenced on the 18 January 1949^[304] although diplomatic ties go back to 1883.^[305] British military participation in the Korean War during the 1950s was significant, but relations between the two countries at the time were described as "tenuous", with relatively little known about each other. Commercial and trade relationships grew rapidly during the 1970s. During the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s, the Queen made a state visit to South Korea which was well received at a time of crisis in the country. Today, there are strong economic and diplomatic links between the two countries.^[305] The United Kingdom has a visa scheme through which young South Koreans can live and work in the UK for two years.^[306] There is a British embassy in Seoul and a South Korean embassy in London.^[307]^[308]
Sri Lanka	1948	See Sri Lanka–United Kingdom relations President Maithripala Sirisena made an official visit to the United Kingdom in 2015 and met Prime Minister David Cameron and the queen. Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe made an official visit in 2018 to meet Prime Minister Theresa May.
Syria	1942	See Syria–United Kingdom relations In 2001, positive relations were developed between Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Syrian government, as part of the War on Terror. Since the 2011 civil war, relations have deteriorated, and the UK was one of the first countries to recognise the opposition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
Taiwan	N/A	See Taiwan–United Kingdom relations Due to the One China policy the United Kingdom doesn't recognise the Government of the Republic of China and all diplomatic relations between the two countries take place on an unofficial basis. Taiwan maintains the Taipei Representative Office in the U.K. in London with a branch office in Edinburgh. The United Kingdom maintains the British Office Taipei in Taipei.
Tajikistan	1992	See Foreign relations of Tajikistan The UK established diplomatic relations with Tajikistan on 15 January 1992.^[172] Tajikistan maintains an embassy in London.^[309] The UK is accredited to Tajikistan embassy in Dushanbe.^[310] Both countries share common membership of the OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Thailand	1855	See Thailand–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Thailand on 18 April 1855.^[90] Thailand maintains an embassy in London.^[311] The UK is accredited to Thailand through its embassy in Bangkok.^[312] Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization.
Turkey	1793	See Turkey–United Kingdom relations Turkey has an embassy and a consulate general in London.^[313]^[314] The United Kingdom has an embassy in Ankara, a consulate general in Istanbul, a vice consulate in Antalya and a consulate in Izmir. The United Kingdom has honorary consulates in Adana, Bodrum, Fethiye and Marmaris.^[315]^[316] The United Kingdom is the second biggest importer of goods from Turkey, after Germany. Turkey exports around 8 per cent of its total goods to the United Kingdom.^[317] Around 1,000,000 Britons take holidays in Turkey every year, while 100,000 Turks travel to the UK for business or pleasure.^[318] The United Kingdom does not recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The TRNC is only recognised by Turkey. The UK is also a signatory to a treaty with Greece and Turkey concerning the independence of Cyprus, the Treaty of Guarantee, which maintains that Britain is a "guarantor power" of the island's independence.^[266] Both countries are members of NATO.
Turkmenistan	1992	See Foreign relations of Turkmenistan The UK established diplomatic relations with Turkmenistan on 23 January 1992.^[177] Turkmenistan maintains an embassy in London.^[319] The UK is accredited to Turkmenistan through its embassy in Ashgabat.^[320] Both countries share common membership of the OSCE.
United Arab Emirates	1971	See United Arab Emirates–United Kingdom relations The UAE has an embassy in London. The UK maintains an embassy in Abu Dhabi and is unique in having another Embassy in Dubai. The UAE-UK relations have been described as a "special relationship". Queen Elizabeth II has visited the UAE 2 times. 100,000 British citizens live in the UAE.
Uzbekistan	1992	See United Kingdom–Uzbekistan relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Uzbekistan on 18 February 1992.^[180] Turkmenistan maintains an embassy in London.^[321] The UK is accredited to Uzbekistan through its embassy in Tashkent.^[322] Both countries share common membership of the OSCE.
Vietnam	1973	See United Kingdom–Vietnam relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Vietnam on 11 September 1973.^[153] The UK is accredited to Vietnam through its embassy in Hanoi.^[323] Vietnam maintains an embassy in London.^[324] The UK occupied Southern Vietnam and Saigon from 1945–1946. Both countries share common membership of CPTPP, and the World Trade Organization. The UK and Vietnam entered into a strategic partnership agreement in 2010.^[325] The UK and Vietnam have a United Kingdom–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.^[326]

Europe

See also: European Union–United Kingdom relations

The UK maintained good relations with Western Europe since 1945, and Eastern Europe since end of the Cold War in 1989. After years of dispute with France it joined the European Economic Community in 1973, which eventually evolved into the European Union through the Maastricht Treaty twenty years later.^[327] Unlike the majority of European countries, the UK does not use the euro as its currency and is not a member of the Eurozone.^[328] During the years of its membership of the European Union, the United Kingdom had often been referred to as a "peculiar" member, due to its occasional dispute in policies with the organisation. The United Kingdom regularly opted out of EU legislation and policies. Through differences in geography, culture and history, national opinion polls have found that of the 28 nationalities in the European Union, British people have historically felt the least European.^[329][330] On 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union and formally left on 31 January 2020.

Country	Formal relations began	Notes
Albania	1921	See Albania–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Albania on 9 November 1921.^[107] Albania maintains an embassy in London.^[331] The United Kingdom is accredited to Albania through its embassy in Tirana.^[332] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization. The two countries also have a free trade agreement.^[333]
Andorra	1994^[334]	See Foreign relations of Andorra The United Kingdom's consulate-general in Barcelona handles the United Kingdom's consular activities in Andorra.^[335]
Austria	1799	See Austria–United Kingdom relations Austria has an embassy in London and 4 honorary consulates (in Manchester, Edinburgh, Grand Cayman and Hamilton).^[336] The United Kingdom has an embassy in Vienna and 4 honorary consulates in Bergenz, Graz, Innsbruck, and Salzburg.^[337]^[338]
Belarus	1992	See Belarus–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Belarus on 27 January 1992.^[178] Belarus maintains an embassy in London.^[339] The United Kingdom is accredited to Belarus through its embassy in Minsk.^[340] Both countries share common membership of the OSCE.
Belgium	1830	See Belgium–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Belgium on 1 December 1830.^[75] Belgium maintains an embassy in London, in addition to honorary consulates in Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Gibraltar, Kingston-upon-Hull, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Saint Helier and Southampton.^[341] The United Kingdom is accredited to Belgium through its embassy in Brussels.^[342] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[343] Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1992	See Bosnia and Herzegovina–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina on 13 April 1992.^[182] Bosnia and Herzegovina maintains an embassy in London.^[344] The United Kingdom is accredited to Bosnia and Herzegovina through its embassy in Sarajevo, and an embassy office in Banja Luka.^[345] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, and the OSCE.
Bulgaria	1879	See Bulgaria–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Bulgaria on 23 June 1879.^[95] Bulgaria maintains an embassy in London.^[95] The United Kingdom is accredited to Croatia through its embassy in Sofia.^[346] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Croatia	1992	See Croatia–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Croatia on 24 June 1992.^[185] Croatia maintains an embassy in London and a consulate in Edinburgh.^[347] The United Kingdom is accredited to Croatia through its embassy in Zagreb, and consulates in Dubrovnik and Split.^[348] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Czech Republic	1993	See Czech Republic–United Kingdom relations The Czech Republic has an embassy in London and honorary consulates in Belfast and Edinburgh.^[349]^[350] The United Kingdom has an embassy in Prague.^[351] Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom paid a state visit to the Czech Republic in March 1996.^[352] Both countries are members of NATO.
Denmark	1490	See Denmark–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Denmark on 2 May 1490.^[62] Denmark maintains an embassy in London.^[353] The United Kingdom is accredited to Denmark through its an embassy in Copenhagen.^[354] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Estonia	1991	See Estonia–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Estonia on 5 September 1991.^[169] Estonia maintains an embassy in London.^[169] The United Kingdom is accredited to Estonia through its embassy in Tallinn.^[355] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Finland	1919	See Finland–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Finland on 28 March 1919.^[103] Finland maintains an embassy in London and honorary consulates in Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dover, Dundee, Edinburgh, Gibraltar, Glasgow, Hamilton, Harwich, Hull, Immingham, Leeds, Lerwick, Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Plymouth, Rochester, Sheffield, Southampton and St Helier.^[356] The United Kingdom has an embassy in Helsinki and honorary consulates in Åland, Jyväskylä, Kotka, Kuopio, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Turku, Tampere and Vaasa.^[357] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
France	1396	See France–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with France in 1396.^[61] France maintains an embassy in London, and consulates general in London and Edinburgh.^[358] The United Kingdom is accredited to France through its embassy in Paris, and consulates in Bordeaux and Marseille.^[359] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, G7, G20, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Germany	1951	See Germany–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with the Federal Republic of Germany on 20 June 1951.^[123] Germany maintains an embassy in London.^[360] The United Kingdom is accredited to an embassy in Berlin, and consulates generals in Dusseldorf and Munich.^[361] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, G7, G20, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Greece	1833	See Greece–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Greece on 1 January 1833.^[76] Greece maintains an embassy in London, and honorary consulates in Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Gibraltar, Glasgow and Leeds.^[362] The United Kingdom is accredited to Greece through its embassy in Athens and a Honorary Vice Consulate in Patras. The United Kingdom also has honorary consulates in Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, Thessaloniki, and Zakynthos.^[363] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Holy See	1982	See Holy See–United Kingdom relations With the English Reformation, diplomatic links between London and the Holy See, which had been established in 1479, were interrupted in 1536 and again, after a brief restoration in 1553, in 1558. Formal diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Holy See were restored in 1914 and raised to ambassadorial level in 1982.^[364]^[365]
Hungary	1921	See also Hungary–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Hungary on 22 May 1921.^[106] Hungary maintains an embassy in London and a general consulate in Manchester.^[366] The United Kingdom is accredited to Hungary through its embassy in Budapest.^[367] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Iceland	1944	See Iceland–United Kingdom relations Iceland has an embassy in London and 17 honorary consulates in: Aberdeen, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dover, Edinburgh, Fleetwood, Glasgow, Grimsby, Hull, Jersey, Lerwick, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northern Ireland, and Ormskirk.^[368] The United Kingdom has an embassy in Reykjavík and a Honorary Vice-Consulate in Akureyri.^[369]^[370] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] and NATO.
Ireland	1922	See Ireland–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Ireland on 6 December 1922.^[109] Ireland maintains an embassy in London.^[371] The United Kingdom is accredited to Ireland through its an embassy in Dublin.^[372] The UK governed parts of Ireland from the 12th century until 1800, when it was incorporated into the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland achieved full independence on the 6 December 1922.^[109] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] Common Travel Area, Council of Europe, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Italy	1859	See Italy–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Italy on 13 April 1859.^[93] Italy has an embassy in London, a consulate general in Edinburgh and a consulate in Manchester.^[373] The United Kingdom has an embassy in Rome, a consulate general in Milan and a consulate in Naples.^[374]^[375] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, G7, G20, NATO, OECD, OSCE and the World Trade Organization.
Kosovo	2008	See Kosovo–United Kingdom relations Kosovo has a Consular Mission in London.^[376] The United Kingdom has an embassy in Pristina.^[377] When Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008, the United Kingdom became one of the first countries to officially announce recognition of sovereign Kosovo on 18 February 2008.^[378]^[379] The United Kingdom has had an embassy in Pristina since 5 March 2008.^[380] Kosovo has an embassy in London since 1 October 2008.
Latvia	1991	See Foreign relations of Latvia Latvia has an embassy in London and honorary consulates in Edinburgh, Northern Ireland, Manchester and Wales.^[381] The United Kingdom has embassy in Riga.^[382] Both countries are members of NATO.
Lithuania	1991	See Lithuania–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Lithuania on 4 September 1991.^[168] Lithuania maintains an embassy in London.^[383] The United Kingdom is accredited to Lithuania through its embassy in Vilnius.^[384] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Luxembourg	1879	See Foreign relations of Luxembourg The UK established diplomatic relations with Luxembourg on 27 November 1879.^[96] Luxembourg maintains an embassy in London.^[385] The United Kingdom is accredited to Luxembourg through its embassy in Luxembourg City.^[386] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Malta	1964	See Malta–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Malta on 7 September 1964.^[117] Malta maintains a high commission in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Malta through its high commission in Valletta.^[387] The UK governed Malta from 1878 until 1964, when it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Moldova	1992	See Moldova–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Moldova on 17 January 1992.^[173] Moldova maintains an embassy in London.^[388] The United Kingdom is accredited to Moldova through its embassy in Chişinău.^[389] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization. The UK and Moldova have a bilateral free trade agreement.^[390]
Montenegro	2006	See Montenegro–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Montenegro on 13 June 2006.^[197] Montenegro maintains an embassy in London.^[197] The United Kingdom is accredited to Montenegro through its embassy in Podgorica.^[391] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Netherlands	1603	See Netherlands–United Kingdom relations The Netherlands has an embassy in London and consulates in Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Guernsey, Hamilton, Harwich, Hull, Liverpool, Manchester, Plymouth and Southampton. The Netherlands also has a vice consulate in Dover.^[392]^[393] The United Kingdom has an embassy in The Hague and consulates in Amsterdam and Willemstad.^[394]^[395] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] and NATO.
Norway	1905	See Norway–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Norway on 6 November 1905.^[100] Norway maintains an embassy in London, and a consulate general in Edinburgh. Norway also maintains consulates in Aberdeen, Ardrossan, Barrow-on-Furness, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Douglas, Dundee, Gibraltar, Glasgow, Grimsby, Inverness, Jersey, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Plymouth, Southampton and Stornoway.^[396] The United Kingdom is accredited to Norway through its embassy in Oslo, as well as consulates in Ålesund, Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim. The United Kingdom also maintains honorary consulates in Bodø, Kristiansand and Tromsø.^[397] Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Poland	1919	See Poland–United Kingdom relations Poland has an embassy in London, a consulate general in Edinburgh and Manchester. Poland also has honorary consulates in Bristol, Gibraltar, Hull, Kidderminster, Newry and St Helier.^[398]^[399]^[400]^[401] The United Kingdom has an embassy in Warsaw.^[402] Both countries participate in shared defence and security cooperation. Both countries are members of NATO.
Portugal	1386	See Portugal–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Portugal on 9 May 1386.^[60] Portugal maintains an embassy and a consulate general in London and consulates in Belfast, Edinburgh, Hamilton and St Helier.^[403] The United Kingdom is accredited to Portugal through its embassy in Lisbon and consulates in Lisbon and Portimão. The United Kingdom also has honorary consulates in Funchal, Ponta Delgada, and Porto.^[404] The bilateral relation dates back to the Middle Ages in 1373 with the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance. Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co-operation pact,^[202] Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Romania	1880	See Romania–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Romania on 20 February 1880.^[97] Romania maintains an embassy London, and consulate generals in Edinburgh and Manchester. Romania also maintains honorary consulates in Hirwaun, Leeds, Morpeth-Newcastle and Southampton.^[405] The United Kingdom is accredited to Romania through its embassy in Bucharest.^[406] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, NATO, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization.
Russia	1553	See Russia–United Kingdom relations Russia has an embassy in London and a consulate in Edinburgh.^[407]^[408] The United Kingdom has an embassy in Moscow and consulate generals in Ekaterinburg and Saint Petersburg.^[409]^[410] Spanning nearly five centuries, the relationship has often switched from a state of alliance to rivalry. Both countries were allies during World War I and II. During the Cold War, both countries participated in intense espionage activity against each other. In the early-21st century, especially following the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, relations became strained again, and since 2014 have grown more unfriendly due to the Russo-Ukrainian War and to activities by Russia such as the suspected 2018 poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, seen as hostile by the UK and by many in the Western world. In the wake of the poisoning, 28 countries expelled suspected Russian spies acting as diplomats.^[411]
San Marino	1899	See San Marino–United Kingdom relations San Marino has a consulate general in London.^[412] The United Kingdom has a consulate general to San Marino in Rome.^[413]
Serbia	1837	See Serbia–United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Serbia on 20 February 1880.^[78] Serbia maintains an embassy in London.^[414] The United Kingdom is accredited to Serbia through its embassy in Belgrade.^[415] Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, and OSCE.
April 12, 2024 Latest articles January 01, 1970 Edwin Torres (poet) January 01, 1970 Edwin Vose Sumner Jr. January 01, 1970 Edwin Van Dyke January 01, 1970 Edzna January 01, 1970 Ed Arthurton January 01, 1970 Ed Arnold (politician) January 01, 1970 Ed Belfour Top Goaltender Trophy January 01, 1970 Ed Bird-Estella Provincial Park January 01, 1970 Ed Butler January 01, 1970 Ed Finn Most Read January 01, 1970 Qingdao No.1 International School of Shandong Province January 01, 1970 Qinghai, China January 01, 1970 Qinghai China Men's International January 01, 1970 Qinghai China Women's International January 01, 1970 Qingshan Formation foreign, relations, united, kingdom, diplomatic, foreign, relations, united, kingdom, conducted, foreign, commonwealth, development, office, headed, foreign, secretary, prime, minister, numerous, other, agencies, play, role, setting, policy, many, institutions. The diplomatic foreign relations of the United Kingdom are conducted by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office headed by the Foreign Secretary The prime minister and numerous other agencies play a role in setting policy and many institutions and businesses have a voice and a role The United Kingdom was the world s foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries most notably during the so called Pax Britannica a period of unrivaled supremacy and unprecedented international peace during the mid to late 1800s The country continued to be widely considered a superpower until the Suez crisis of 1956 and the dismantling of the British Empire left the UK s dominant role in global affairs to be gradually diminished Nevertheless the United Kingdom remains a great power and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council a founding member of the G7 G20 NATO AUKUS OECD WTO Council of Europe OSCE and the Commonwealth of Nations the latter being a legacy of the British Empire The UK had been a member state of the European Union and a member of its predecessors since 1973 However due to the outcome of a 2016 membership referendum proceedings to withdraw from the EU began in 2017 and concluded when the UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020 and the transition period on 31 December 2020 with an EU trade agreement Since the vote and the conclusion of trade talks with the EU policymakers have begun pursuing new trade agreements with other global partners Contents 1 History 1 1 1814 1914 1 2 First World War 1 3 1920s 1 4 1930s 1 5 Second World War 1 6 Postwar 1 7 21st century 2 Major international disputes since 1945 3 Sovereignty disputes 4 Commonwealth of Nations 5 Diplomatic relations 6 Bilateral relations 6 1 Africa 6 2 Asia 6 3 Europe 6 4 North America 6 5 Oceania 6 6 South America 7 International organisations 8 See also 9 References 10 Bibliography 10 1 Primary sources 11 External linksHistory editMain article History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom Further information Timeline of British diplomatic history and History of the United Kingdom nbsp The Battle of Nivelle a Peninsular War battle between the French and the British armies in France in 1813Following the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain which united England and Scotland in 1707 British foreign relations largely continued those of the Kingdom of England British foreign policy initially focused on achieving a balance of power within Europe with no one country achieving dominance over the affairs of the continent This policy remained a major justification for Britain s wars against Napoleon and for British involvement in the First and Second World Wars Secondly Britain continued the expansion of its colonial First British Empire by migration and investment France was the chief enemy until the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 It had a much larger population and a more powerful army but a weaker navy The British were generally successful in their many wars The notable exception the American War of Independence 1775 1783 saw Britain without any major allies defeated by the American colonials who had the support of France the Netherlands and indirectly Spain A favoured British diplomatic strategy involved subsidising the armies of continental allies such as Prussia thereby turning London s enormous financial power to military advantage Britain relied heavily on its Royal Navy for security seeking to keep it the most powerful fleet afloat eventually with a full complement of bases across the globe British dominance of the seas was vital to the formation and maintaining of the British Empire which was achieved through the support of a navy larger than the next two largest navies combined prior to 1920 The British generally stood alone until the early 20th century when it became friendly with the U S and made alliances with Japan France and Russia and Germany former antagonist now ally 1814 1914 edit Main article History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom 1814 1914 Further information International relations of the Great Powers 1814 1919 and Foreign policy of William Ewart Gladstone nbsp Map of the British Empire as of 1910 At its height it was the largest empire in history The 100 years were generally peaceful a sort of Pax Britannica enforced by the Royal Navy There were two important wars both limited in scope The Crimean War 1853 1856 saw the defeat of Russia and its threat to the Ottoman Empire The Second Boer War 1899 1902 saw the defeat of the two Boer republics in South Africa and Boxer Rebellion happen the same year London became the world s financial centre and commercial enterprise expanded across the globe The Second British Empire was built with a base in Asia especially India and Africa First World War edit Main article History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom First World War Further information Causes of World War I and Treaty of Versailles 1920s edit Main article History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom 1920s After 1918 Britain was a troubled giant that was less of a dominant diplomatic force in the 1920s than before It often had to give way to the United States which frequently exercised its financial superiority 1 The main themes of British foreign policy included a leading role at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 1920 where Lloyd George worked hard to moderate French demands for revenge on Germany 2 He was partly successful but Britain soon had to moderate French policy toward Germany further as in the Locarno Treaties of 1925 3 4 Furthermore Britain obtained mandates that allowed it and its dominions to govern most of the former German and Ottoman colonies 5 Britain became an active member of the new League of Nations but its list of major achievements was slight 6 7 Disarmament was high on the agenda and Britain played a major role following the United States in the Washington Naval Conference of 1921 in working toward naval disarmament of the major powers By 1933 disarmament agreements had collapsed and the issue became rearming for a war against Germany 8 Britain was partially successful in negotiating better terms with United States regarding the large war loans which Britain was obliged to repay 9 Britain supported the international solution to German reparations through the Dawes Plan and the Young Plan After the Dawes Plan had helped stabilize Germany s currency and lowered its annual payments Germany was able to pay its annual reparations using money borrowed from New York banks and Britain used the money received to pay Washington 10 The Great Depression starting in 1929 put enormous pressure on the British economy Britain revived Imperial Preference which meant low tariffs within the British Empire and higher barriers to trade with outside countries The flow of money from New York dried up and the system of reparations and payment of debt died in 1931 In domestic British politics the emerging Labour Party had a distinctive and suspicious foreign policy based on pacifism Its leaders believed that peace was impossible because of capitalism secret diplomacy and the trade in armaments Labour stressed material factors that ignored the psychological memories of the Great War and the highly emotional tensions regarding nationalism and the boundaries of countries Nevertheless party leader Ramsay MacDonald devoted much of his attention to European policies 11 1930s edit Main article History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom 1930s Further information Appeasement and Neville Chamberlain s European Policy nbsp Chamberlain Daladier Hitler and Mussolini pictured before signing the 1938 Munich Agreement which gave the Sudetenland to Nazi Germany Vivid memories of the horrors and deaths of the First World War inclined many Britons and their leaders in all parties to pacifism in the interwar era This led directly to the appeasement of dictators notably of Mussolini and of Hitler in order to avoid their threats of war 12 The challenge came from those dictators first from Benito Mussolini Duce of Italy then from Adolf Hitler Fuhrer of a much more powerful Nazi Germany The League of Nations proved disappointing to its supporters it failed to resolve any of the threats posed by the dictators British policy involved appeasing them in the hopes they would be satiated By 1938 it was clear that war was looming and that Germany had the world s most powerful military The final act of appeasement came when Britain and France sacrificed Czechoslovakia to Hitler s demands at the Munich Agreement of September 1938 13 Instead of satiation Hitler menaced Poland and at last Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain dropped appeasement and stood firm in promising to defend Poland 31 March 1939 Hitler however cut a deal with Joseph Stalin to divide Eastern Europe 23 August 1939 when Germany did invade Poland in September 1939 Britain and France declared war and the British Commonwealth followed London s lead 14 Second World War edit Further information Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II and Diplomatic history of World War II Having signed the Anglo Polish military alliance in August 1939 Britain and France declared war against Germany in September 1939 in response to Germany s invasion of Poland This declaration included the Crown colonies and India which Britain directly controlled The dominions were independent in foreign policy though all quickly entered the war against Germany After the French defeat in June 1940 Britain and its empire stood alone in combat against Germany until June 1941 The United States gave diplomatic financial and material support starting in 1940 especially through Lend Lease which began in 1941 and attain full strength during 1943 In August 1941 Churchill and Roosevelt met and agreed on the Atlantic Charter which proclaimed the rights of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they live should be respected This wording was ambiguous and would be interpreted differently by the British Americans and nationalist movements 15 Starting in December 1941 Japan overran British possessions in Asia including Hong Kong Malaya and especially the key base at Singapore Japan then marched into Burma headed toward India Churchill s reaction to the entry of the United States into the war was that Britain was now assured of victory and the future of the empire was safe but the rapid defeats irreversibly harmed Britain s standing and prestige as an imperial power The realisation that Britain could not defend them pushed Australia and New Zealand into permanent close ties with the United States 16 Postwar edit Further information Postwar Britain 1945 1979 and Cold War nbsp Overseas military bases in 2016 blue and military interventions since 2000 red Economically in dire straits in 1945 saddled with debt and dealing with widespread destruction of its infrastructure Britain systematically reduced its overseas commitments It pursued an alternate role as an active participant in the Cold War against communism especially as a founding member of NATO in 1949 17 The British had built up a very large worldwide Empire which peaked in size in 1922 after more than half a century of unchallenged global supremacy The cumulative costs of fighting two world wars however placed a heavy burden upon the home economy and after 1945 the British Empire rapidly began to disintegrate with all the major colonies gaining independence By the mid to late 1950s the UK s status as a superpower was gone in the face of the United States and the Soviet Union Most former colonies joined the Commonwealth of Nations an organisation of fully independent nations now with equal status to the UK However it attempted no major collective policies 18 19 The last major colony Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997 20 Fourteen British Overseas Territories maintain a constitutional link to the UK but are not part of the country per se 21 Britain slashed its involvements in the Middle East after the humiliating Suez Crisis of 1956 However Britain did forge close military ties with the United States France and Germany through the NATO military alliance After years of debate and rebuffs Britain joined the Common Market in 1973 which became the European Union in 1993 22 However it did not merge financially and kept the pound separate from the Euro which partly isolated it from the EU financial crisis of 2011 23 In June 2016 the UK voted to leave the EU 24 25 21st century edit Further information International relations since 1989 and Political history of the United Kingdom 1979 present nbsp British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U S President Donald Trump at the 45th G7 in Biarritz August 2019 Foreign policy initiatives of UK governments since the 1990s have included military intervention in conflicts and for peacekeeping humanitarian assistance programmes and increased aid spending support for establishment of the International Criminal Court debt relief for developing countries prioritisation of initiatives to address climate change and promotion of free trade 26 The British approach has been described as spread the right norms and sustain NATO 27 Lunn et al 2008 argue 28 Three key motifs of Tony Blair s 10 year premiership were an activist philosophy of interventionism maintaining a strong alliance with the US and a commitment to placing Britain at the heart of Europe While the special relationship and the question of Britain s role in Europe have been central to British foreign policy since the Second World War interventionism was a genuinely new element The GREAT campaign of 2012 was one of the most ambitious national promotion efforts ever undertaken by any major nation It was scheduled take maximum advantage of the worldwide attention to the Summer Olympics in London The goals were to make British more culture visible in order to stimulate trade investment and tourism The government partnered with key leaders in culture business diplomacy and education The campaign unified many themes and targets including business meetings scholarly conventions recreational vehicle dealers parks and campgrounds convention and visitors bureaus hotels bed and breakfast inns casinos and hotels 29 30 In 2013 the government of David Cameron described its approach to foreign policy by saying 31 For any given foreign policy issue the UK potentially has a range of options for delivering impact in our national interest W e have a complex network of alliances and partnerships through which we can work These include besides the EU the UN and groupings within it such as the five permanent members of the Security Council the P5 NATO the Commonwealth the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development the G8 and G20 groups of leading industrialised nations and so on The UK began establishing air and naval facilities in the Persian Gulf located in the United Arab Emirates Bahrain and Oman in 2014 15 32 33 34 35 The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 highlighted a range of foreign policy initiatives of the UK government 36 37 Edward Longinotti notes how current British defence policy is grappling with how to accommodate two major commitments to Europe and to an east of Suez global military strategy within a modest defence budget that can only fund one He points out that Britain s December 2014 agreement to open a permanent naval base in Bahrain underlines its gradual re commitment east of Suez 38 By some measures Britain remains the second most powerful country in the world by virtue of its soft power and logistical capability to deploy support and sustain military forces overseas in large numbers 39 Although commentators have questioned the need for global power projection 40 the concept of Global Britain put forward by the Conservative government in 2019 signalled more military activity in the Middle East and Pacific outside of NATO s traditional sphere of influence 41 42 At the end of January 2020 the United Kingdom left the European Union with a subsequent trade agreement with the EU in effect from 1 January 2021 setting out the terms of the UK EU economic relationship and what abilities the Foreign Commonwealth amp Development Office can use in foreign relations related to trade In July 2023 UK and Bahrain signed a memorandum of understanding for strategic investments and collaborations through Bahraini sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat Investcorp GFH Financial Group and Osool Asset Management that would see the Gulf state s private sector invest 1 billion pounds 1 3 billion in Britain 43 Major international disputes since 1945 edit nbsp British street patrol in Aden in 1967 nbsp A Lynx Helicopter of the British Army Air Corps ready to touch down on a desert road south of Basra Airport November 2003from to dispute1946 1949 Involved in Greek Civil War1945 1948 Administration of the Mandate for Palestine ending with the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 British forces often faced conflict with Arab nationalists and Jewish Zionist militia 1947 1991 Cold War with Soviet Union1948 1949 Berlin Blockade dispute with USSR over access to West Berlin and general Soviet expansionism in Eastern Europe 44 1948 1960 Malayan Emergency armed conflict against the politically isolated Communist forces of the Malayan National Liberation Army1950 1953 Korean War war with North Korea1951 1954 Abadan Crisis dispute with Iran over expropriated oil assets1956 1957 Suez Crisis armed conflict with Egypt over its seizure of the Suez Canal Zone and unsupported by most of the international community1958 First Cod War fishing dispute with Iceland1962 1966 Konfrontasi war with Indonesia1972 1973 Second Cod War fishing dispute with Iceland1975 1976 Third Cod War fishing dispute with Iceland 45 1982 Falklands War war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands and other British south Atlantic territories1983 Condemnation of the United States over its invasion of Grenada 46 1984 Dispute with Libya after a policewoman is shot dead in London by a gunman from within the Libyan embassy and considerable Libyan support for the IRA in Northern Ireland 1988 Dispute with Libya over the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over the Scottish town of Lockerbie 47 1991 Gulf War with Iraq 48 1995 Under UN mandate military involvement in former Yugoslavia specifically Bosnia 1997 Hong Kong handover to Chinese rule Britain secures guarantees for a special status that would continue capitalism and protect existing British property 49 1999 Involvement in NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia over Kosovo2000 British action in saving the UN peacekeeping force from collapse and defeating the anti government rebellion during the Sierra Leone Civil War2001 UN sponsored war against and subsequent occupation of Afghanistan2003 2007 Collaboration with US and others in war against and occupation of Iraq over 46 000 British troops subsequently occupy Basra and southern Iraq2007 ongoing Diplomatic dispute with Russia over the death of Alexander Litvinenko 50 2009 ongoing Dispute with Iran over its alleged nuclear weapons programme including sanctions and Iranian condemnation of the British government culminating in a 2011 attack on the British Embassy in Iran2011 Under UN mandate UK armed forces participated in enforcing the Libyan No Fly Zone as part of Operation Ellamy 51 2013 Support for French forces in the Malian civil war2015 Support for the US led coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant2016 UN and EU implement a deal with Iran intended to prevent the country gaining access to nuclear weapons 52 2018 ongoing Sanctions on Russia following the poisoning of Sergei Skripal using a nerve agent in Salisbury England included the expulsions of 23 diplomats the largest ever since the Cold War an act that was retaliated by Russia2019 ongoing The sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between the United Kingdom and Mauritius An advisory ruling by International Court of Justice in The Hague found that the islands were not lawfully separated from the former colony of Mauritius 53 a view endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly2019 The UK seized an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar on the grounds that it was shipping oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions Iran later captured a British oil tanker and its crew members in the Persian Gulf 54 2022 ongoing The UK provided support and equipment to Ukraine after its invasion by Russia which declared the United Kingdom an unfriendly country after the UK strongly supported international sanctions against RussiaSovereignty disputes edit nbsp Gibraltar National Day celebrations in 2013Spain claims the British overseas territory of Gibraltar 55 Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain under British sovereignty in 1967 and 2002 The entire Chagos Archipelago in the British Indian Ocean Territory is claimed by Mauritius The claim includes the island of Diego Garcia used as a joint UK US military base since the 1970s when the inhabitants were forcibly removed Blenheim Reef Speakers Bank and all the other features 56 There are conflicting claims over the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands controlled by the United Kingdom but claimed by Argentina The dispute escalated into the Falklands War in 1982 over the islands sovereignty in which Argentina was defeated The Falkland islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory in 2013 There is a territorial claim in Antarctica the British Antarctic Territory which overlaps with areas claimed by Chile and Argentina 57 Commonwealth of Nations edit nbsp Members of the Commonwealth of Nations The UK has varied relationships with the countries that make up the Commonwealth of Nations which originated from the British Empire Charles III of the United Kingdom is Head of the Commonwealth and is King of 15 of its 56 member states Those that retain the King as head of state are called Commonwealth realms Over time several countries have been suspended from the Commonwealth for various reasons Zimbabwe was suspended because of the authoritarian rule of its President 58 Diplomatic relations editBritish diplomatic relations date back to the 13th century 59 The United Kingdom has established diplomatic relations with all United Nations members aside from Bhutan in addition to 3 Non UN states the Cook Islands Holy See and Kosovo The following table lists the date from which diplomatic relations were established with foreign countries nbsp List of diplomatic relations and dates established Country Date Ref nbsp Portugal 9 May 1386 60 nbsp France 1396 61 nbsp Denmark 2 May 1490 62 nbsp Spain 1505 63 nbsp Russia 20 April 1566 64 nbsp Turkey 23 April 1583 64 nbsp Netherlands 1 April 1603 64 nbsp Sweden 23 December 1653 64 nbsp Switzerland 30 August 1689 65 nbsp United States 1 June 1785 66 nbsp Iran 4 January 1801 67 nbsp Austria 27 August 1814 68 nbsp Nepal 4 March 1816 69 nbsp Peru 10 October 1823 70 nbsp Colombia 18 April 1825 71 nbsp Argentina 12 May 1825 72 nbsp Mexico 26 December 1826 73 nbsp Brazil 17 August 1827 74 nbsp Belgium 1 December 1830 75 nbsp Greece 1 January 1833 76 nbsp Venezuela 29 October 1834 77 nbsp Serbia 30 January 1837 78 nbsp Guatemala 12 July 1837 79 nbsp Bolivia 29 September 1840 80 nbsp Ethiopia 1841 81 nbsp Uruguay 15 July 1842 82 nbsp Costa Rica 28 February 1848 83 nbsp Honduras 16 June 1849 84 nbsp Liberia 1 August 1849 85 nbsp Dominican Republic 6 March 1850 86 nbsp Ecuador 29 January 1853 87 nbsp Paraguay 2 November 1853 88 nbsp Chile 4 October 1854 89 nbsp Thailand 18 April 1855 90 nbsp Japan 26 August 1858 91 nbsp Nicaragua 22 February 1859 92 nbsp Italy 13 April 1859 93 nbsp Haiti 13 May 1859 94 nbsp Bulgaria 23 July 1879 95 nbsp Luxembourg 27 November 1879 96 nbsp Romania 20 February 1880 97 nbsp El Salvador 1883 98 nbsp Cuba 20 May 1902 99 nbsp Norway 6 November 1905 100 nbsp Panama 9 April 1908 101 nbsp Egypt 19 December 1914 102 nbsp Finland 28 March 1918 103 nbsp Poland 15 July 1919 104 nbsp Czech Republic 3 September 1919 105 nbsp Hungary 22 May 1921 106 nbsp Albania 9 November 1921 107 nbsp Afghanistan 22 November 1921 108 nbsp Ireland 6 December 1922 109 nbsp Canada 1 July 1926 110 nbsp Saudi Arabia 20 May 1927 111 nbsp South Africa 17 March 1931 112 nbsp Iraq 4 October 1932 113 nbsp Australia March 1936 114 nbsp New Zealand March 1939 114 nbsp Iceland 8 May 1940 115 nbsp Lebanon 9 February 1942 116 nbsp Syria 9 February 1942 116 nbsp Jordan 17 June 1946 117 nbsp Philippines 4 July 1946 118 nbsp Sri Lanka 22 October 1946 119 nbsp Myanmar 7 July 1947 120 nbsp India 14 August 1947 117 nbsp Pakistan 14 August 1947 117 nbsp South Korea 18 January 1949 121 nbsp Israel 14 May 1949 117 nbsp Indonesia 27 December 1949 122 nbsp Germany 20 June 1951 123 nbsp Yemen 9 December 1951 117 nbsp Libya 24 December 1951 117 nbsp Cambodia 15 May 1952 124 nbsp China 17 June 1954 125 nbsp Laos 5 September 1955 126 nbsp Sudan 3 March 1956 127 nbsp Tunisia 19 June 1956 117 nbsp Morocco 28 June 1956 117 nbsp Ghana 6 March 1957 117 nbsp Malaysia 31 August 1957 128 nbsp Guinea 28 May 1959 129 nbsp Cameroon 1 February 1960 117 nbsp Togo 27 April 1960 117 nbsp Madagascar 27 June 1960 130 nbsp Democratic Republic of the Congo 7 July 1960 131 nbsp Somalia 7 July 1960 132 nbsp Cyprus 16 August 1960 117 nbsp Senegal 20 August 1960 117 nbsp Nigeria 1 October 1960 133 nbsp Benin 6 October 1960 117 nbsp Burkina Faso 6 October 1960 134 nbsp Niger 6 October 1960 134 nbsp Ivory Coast 12 October 1960 135 nbsp Mauritania 28 November 1960 136 nbsp Chad 9 December 1960 134 nbsp Central African Republic 9 December 1960 134 nbsp Republic of the Congo 9 December 1960 134 nbsp Gabon 9 December 1960 134 nbsp Mali 22 March 1961 117 nbsp Sierra Leone April 1961 117 nbsp Kuwait 8 November 1961 117 nbsp Tanzania 9 December 1961 137 nbsp Burundi 1 July 1962 138 nbsp Rwanda 1 July 1962 117 nbsp Jamaica 6 August 1962 117 nbsp Trinidad and Tobago 31 August 1962 117 nbsp Uganda 9 October 1962 139 nbsp Algeria 16 November 1962 140 nbsp Mongolia 23 January 1963 141 nbsp Kenya 12 December 1963 142 nbsp Malawi July 1964 117 nbsp Malta 21 September 1964 117 nbsp Zambia 17 October 1964 117 nbsp Gambia 1 January 1965 117 nbsp Maldives 26 July 1965 143 nbsp Singapore 12 November 1965 144 nbsp Guyana 26 May 1966 117 nbsp Botswana 30 September 1966 117 nbsp Barbados 30 November 1966 145 nbsp Lesotho 4 October 1966 117 nbsp Mauritius 12 March 1968 117 nbsp Eswatini September 1968 117 nbsp Equatorial Guinea 20 June 1969 146 nbsp Tonga 4 June 1970 147 nbsp Samoa September 1970 148 nbsp Fiji 10 October 1970 149 nbsp Oman 21 May 1971 147 nbsp Bahrain 21 August 1971 150 nbsp Qatar 6 September 1971 151 nbsp United Arab Emirates 2 December 1971 152 nbsp Bangladesh 18 April 1972 147 nbsp Bahamas 7 July 1973 147 nbsp Vietnam 11 September 1973 153 nbsp Grenada 7 February 1974 147 nbsp Guinea Bissau 12 March 1975 147 nbsp Mozambique 1 September 1975 154 nbsp Papua New Guinea 16 September 1975 155 nbsp Suriname 31 March 1976 156 nbsp Seychelles June 1976 157 nbsp Cape Verde 17 May 1977 158 nbsp Comoros 3 October 1977 159 nbsp Angola 14 October 1977 160 nbsp Nauru 1 December 1977 147 nbsp Djibouti 25 January 1978 161 nbsp Solomon Islands 7 July 1978 147 nbsp Tuvalu 1 October 1978 147 nbsp Dominica 13 December 1978 162 nbsp Saint Lucia 22 February 1979 147 nbsp Sao Tome and Principe 3 December 1979 147 nbsp Kiribati 12 July 1979 147 nbsp Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 27 October 1979 147 nbsp Zimbabwe 18 April 1980 147 nbsp Vanuatu 30 July 1980 147 nbsp Belize 21 September 1981 163 nbsp Antigua and Barbuda 1 November 1981 147 nbsp Holy See 16 January 1982 164 nbsp Saint Kitts and Nevis 19 September 1983 165 nbsp Brunei 14 March 1984 166 nbsp Namibia March 1990 167 nbsp Lithuania 4 September 1991 168 nbsp Estonia 5 September 1991 169 nbsp Latvia 5 September 1991 170 nbsp Ukraine 10 January 1992 171 nbsp Tajikistan 15 January 1992 172 nbsp Moldova 17 January 1992 173 nbsp Slovenia 17 January 1992 174 nbsp Kazakhstan 19 January 1992 175 nbsp Armenia 20 January 1992 176 nbsp Turkmenistan 23 January 1992 177 nbsp Belarus 27 January 1992 178 nbsp Marshall Islands 2 February 1992 179 nbsp Uzbekistan 18 February 1992 180 nbsp Azerbaijan 11 March 1992 181 nbsp Bosnia and Herzegovina 13 April 1992 182 nbsp Georgia 27 April 1992 183 nbsp Liechtenstein May 1992 184 nbsp Croatia 24 June 1992 185 nbsp Kyrgyzstan 12 June 1992 186 nbsp Federated States of Micronesia 31 August 1992 187 nbsp Slovakia 1 January 1993 188 nbsp Eritrea 16 November 1993 189 nbsp North Macedonia 16 December 1993 190 nbsp Andorra 9 March 1994 191 nbsp Palau 16 August 1996 192 nbsp Cook Islands 4 December 1997 193 nbsp San Marino 18 November 1998 194 nbsp North Korea 12 December 2000 195 nbsp East Timor 20 May 2002 196 nbsp Montenegro 13 June 2006 197 nbsp Monaco 21 September 2007 198 nbsp Kosovo 18 February 2008 199 nbsp South Sudan 9 July 2011 200 Bilateral relations editAfrica edit Country Formal relations began Notes nbsp Algeria 1962 See Foreign relations of Algeria nbsp Angola 1977 See Foreign relations of Angola The UK established diplomatic relations with Angola on 14 October 1977 160 Angola maintains an embassy in London The United Kingdom is accredited to Angola through its embassy in Luanda 201 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 and the World Trade Organization nbsp Benin 1960 See Foreign relations of Benin Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 203 nbsp Botswana 1966 See Botswana United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Botswana on 30 September 1966 117 Botswana maintains a high commission in London 204 The United Kingdom is accredited to Botswana from its high commission in Gaborone 205 The UK governed Botswana from 1885 to 1966 when Botswana achieved independence Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth of Nations and the World Trade Organization as well as the SACUM UK Economic Partnership Agreement 206 nbsp Burkina Faso 1960 See Foreign relations of Burkina Faso The UK established diplomatic relations with Burkina Faso on 6 October 1960 then known as Upper Volta 134 Burkina Faso does not maintain an embassy in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom is not accredited to Burkina Faso through an embassy 207 Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp Burundi 1962 See Foreign relations of Burundi The UK established diplomatic relations with Burundi on 1 July 1962 138 Burundi maintains an embassy in London 208 The United Kingdom is accredited to Burundi from its embassy office in Bujumbura 209 Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp Central African Republic 1960 See Foreign relations of the Central African Republic The UK established diplomatic relations with the Central African Republic on 9 December 1960 134 The Central African Republic does not maintain an embassy in the UK The United Kingdom is not accredited to the Central African Republic through an embassy Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp Chad 1960 See Foreign relations of Chad The UK established diplomatic relations with Chad on 9 December 1960 134 Chad does not maintain embassy in the UK The United Kingdom is accredited to Chad through its embassy in N Djamena 210 Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp Democratic Republic of the Congo 1960 See Democratic Republic of the Congo United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 7 July 1960 131 The Democratic Republic of the Congo maintains an embassy in London The United Kingdom is accredited to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from its embassy in Kinshasa 211 Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp Egypt 1922 See Egypt United Kingdom relations nbsp Equatorial Guinea 1969 See Foreign relations of Equatorial Guinea The UK established diplomatic relations with Equatorial Guinea on 20 June 1969 146 Equatorial Guinea closed its embassy in London 212 The United Kingdom is not accredited to Equatorial Guinea through an embassy Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 nbsp Ethiopia 1841 See Ethiopia United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Ethiopia in 1841 81 Ethiopia maintains an embassy in London 213 The United Kingdom is accredited to Ethiopia from its embassy in Addis Ababa 214 The UK administered Ethiopia from 1941 1942 The UK continued to administered the regions of Ogaden and Haud from 1941 until both territories were relinquished to Ethiopia in 1948 and 1955 respectively z nbsp Gabon 1960 See Foreign relations of Gabon The UK established diplomatic relations with Botswana on 9 December 1960 134 Gabon maintains a high commission in London The United Kingdom is accredited to Gabon through an honoury consul in Libreville 215 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 Commonwealth and the World Trade Organization nbsp Ghana 1957 See Ghana United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Ghana on 6 March 1957 117 Ghana maintains a high commission in London 216 The United Kingdom is accredited to Ghana through its high commission in Accra 217 The UK governed Ghana from 1821 to 1957 when it achieved full independence Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 Commonwealth and the World Trade Organization Both countries are parties of the Ghana UK Economic Partnership Agreement 218 nbsp Guinea 1959 See Foreign relations of Guinea The UK established diplomatic relations with Guinea on 28 May 1959 129 Guinea maintains an embassy in London The United Kingdom is accredited to Guinea through its embassy in Conakry 219 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 and the World Trade Organization nbsp Guinea Bissau 1975 See Foreign relations of Guinea Bissau The UK established diplomatic relations with Guinea on 12 March 1975 147 Guinea Bissau does not maintain an embassy in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom is not accredited to Guinea Bissau through an embassy 220 Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp Ivory Coast 1960 See Foreign relations of Ivory Coast The UK established diplomatic relations with Ivory Coast on 12 October 1960 135 Ivory Coast maintains an embassy in London 221 The United Kingdom is accredited to Ivory Coast through its embassy in Abidjan 222 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 and the World Trade Organization as well as the Ivory Coast UK Economic Partnership Agreement 223 nbsp Kenya 1963 See Kenya United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Kenya on 12 December 1963 142 Kenya maintains a high commission in London 224 The United Kingdom is accredited to Kenya through its high commission in Nairobi 225 The UK governed Kenya from 1895 to 1963 when it achieved full independence Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth and the World Trade Organization as well as the Kenya UK Economic Partnership Agreement 226 nbsp Liberia 1847 See Liberia United Kingdom relations Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 and the World Trade Organization nbsp Libya See Libya United Kingdom relations nbsp Malawi 1964 See Malawi United Kingdom relations nbsp Mali 1961 See Foreign relations of Mali The UK established diplomatic relations with Mali on 22 March 1961 117 Mali does not maintain an embassy in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom is accredited to Mali through its embassy in Bamako 227 Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp Mauritania 1960 See Foreign relations of Mauritania The UK established diplomatic relations with Mauritania on 28 November 1960 136 Mauritania maintains an embassy in London 228 The United Kingdom is accredited to Mauritania through its embassy in Nouakchott 229 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 and the World Trade Organization nbsp Morocco 1956 See Morocco United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Morocco on 28 June 1956 117 Morocco maintains an embassy in London The United Kingdom is accredited to Morocco through its embassy in Rabat 230 Bilateral relations between Morocco and the UK date back to the early 1200s 231 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 and the World Trade Organization Both countries signed an Association Agreement on 26 October 2019 232 nbsp Mozambique 1975 See Foreign relations of Mozambique nbsp Namibia 1990 See Namibia United Kingdom relations nbsp Republic of the Congo 1960 See Foreign relations of the Republic of the Congo The UK established diplomatic relations with the Republic of the Congo on 9 December 1960 134 The Republic of the Congo maintains an embassy in London 233 The United Kingdom is not accredited to the Republic of the Congo through an embassy 234 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 and the World Trade Organization nbsp Rwanda 1962 See Rwanda United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Rwanda on 1 July 1962 117 Rwanda maintains a high commission in London 235 The United Kingdom is accredited to Rwanda from its high commission in Kigali 236 Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth and the World Trade Organization nbsp Sao Tome and Principe 1979 See Foreign relations of Sao Tome and Principe Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 237 nbsp Senegal 1960 See Foreign relations of Senegal The UK established diplomatic relations with Senegal on 20 June 1960 117 Senegal maintains an embassy in London 238 The United Kingdom is accredited to Senegal from its embassy in Dakar 239 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 and the World Trade Organization nbsp Sierra Leone 1961 See Foreign relations of Sierra Leone Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 240 nbsp Somalia 1960 See Somalia United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Somalia on 7 July 1960 132 Somalia does not maintain an embassy in London The United Kingdom is accredited to Somalia through its embassy in Mogadishu 241 The UK governed Somaliland from 1884 1940 and 1941 1960 Somaliland achieved full independence on 26 June 1960 The UK also administered the remaining territory of modern Somalia from 1941 1950 until it became an Italian Trust Territory Both of these territories unified on the 1 July 1960 to become Somalia nbsp Somaliland N A See Somaliland United Kingdom relations The UK has not established diplomatic relations with Somaliland the UK does not recognise Somaliland to be a sovereign nation Somaliland maintains a diplomatic mission in London The United Kingdom does not have a diplomatic mission in Somaliland On 4 July 2023 Gavin Williamson proposed a bill to the UK Parliament that would invoke the UK to recognise the Republic of Somaliland 242 The UK governed Somaliland from 1884 1940 and 1941 1960 Somaliland achieved full independence on 26 June 1960 The Republic of Somaliland declared independence from Somalia on 18 May 1991 nbsp South Africa 1927 See South Africa United Kingdom relations nbsp Sudan 1956 See Sudan United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Sudan on 3 March 1956 127 Sudan maintains an embassy in London 243 The United Kingdom is accredited to Sudan through its embassy in Khartoum 244 Due to the Battle of Khartoum the embassy has been temporarily relocated to Addis Ababa Ethiopia 245 The UK governed Sudan from 1899 to 1956 when Sudan achieved full independence 246 nbsp Tanzania 1964 See Tanzania United Kingdom relations nbsp Uganda 1962 See Uganda United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Uganda on 9 October 1962 139 Uganda maintains an high commission in London 247 The United Kingdom is accredited to Uganda through its high commission in Kampala 248 The UK governed Uganda from 1894 to 1962 when Uganda achieved full independence Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth of Nations and the World Trade Organization nbsp Zambia 1960 See United Kingdom Zambia relations nbsp Zimbabwe 1980 See United Kingdom Zimbabwe relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980 147 The United Kingdom is accredited to Zimbabwe through its embassy in Harare 249 Zimbabwe maintains an embassy in London Zimbabwe was a possession of the British South Africa Company from 1888 to 1923 until BSAC transferred its administration rights to the British Government The UK governed Zimbabwe from 1923 to 1980 when Zimbabwe achieved full independence under the Lancaster House Agreement Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization and the Eastern and Southern Africa UK Economic Partnership Agreement a free trade agreement 250 Asia edit Country Formal relations began Notes nbsp Afghanistan 1921 See Afghanistan United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Afghanistan on 22 November 1921 108 The UK currently recognises the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan government over the de facto Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan government as the legal administrator of the country Afghanistan maintains an embassy in London The United Kingdom was accredited to Afghanistan through its embassy in Kabul Following the fall of Kabul to Taliban forces in August 2021 the embassy has been operating from Doha Qatar 251 The UK governed Afghanistan from 1879 1919 until Afghanistan achieved full independence Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp Armenia 1992 See Armenia United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Armenia on 20 January 1992 176 Armenia maintains an embassy in London 252 The United Kingdom is accredited to Armenia through its embassy in Yerevan 253 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Azerbaijan 1992 See Azerbaijan United Kingdom relations Azerbaijan has an embassy in London 254 The United Kingdom has an embassy in Baku 255 Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co operation in Europe OSCE nbsp Bahrain 1971 See Bahrain United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Bahrain on 21 August 1971 150 Bahrain maintains an embassy in London 256 The United Kingdom is accredited to Bahrain through its embassy in Manama 257 The UK governed Bahrain from 1861 to 1971 when it achieved full independence Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization The UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council of which Bahrain is a member are negotiating a free trade agreement nbsp Bhutan N A See Foreign relations of Bhutan The UK has not established diplomatic relations with Bhutan the UK does recognise Bhutan to be a sovereign nation The UK is accredited to Bhutan through its deputy high commission in Kolkata India 258 Relations between Bhutan and the UK date back to the 18th Century 259 nbsp Brunei 1984 See Brunei United Kingdom relations In 1888 Brunei became a British protectorate gaining its independence from British rule less than 100 years later in 1984 The UK and Brunei have a long standing and strong bilateral relationship particularly on defence co operation trade and education The UK continues to play a strong role in developing Brunei s oil and gas sector and the Brunei Investment Agency is a significant investor in the UK with their largest overseas operations in the City of London The UK remains the destination of choice for Bruneian students with about 1 220 of them enrolled in higher education in the UK in 2006 07 The United Kingdom has a high commission in Bandar Seri Begawan and Brunei has a high commission in London Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations nbsp Cambodia 1952 See Cambodia United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Cambodia on 5 May 1952 124 Cambodia maintains an embassy in London 260 The United Kingdom is accredited to Cambodia through its embassy in Phnom Penh 261 The UK broke off diplomatic relations with Cambodia in 1975 following the Fall of Phnom Penh diplomatic relations were restored in 1991 262 Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp China 1954 See China United Kingdom relations Although on opposing sides of the Cold War both countries were allies during World War II and are members of the UN and permanent members of the Security Council But because of the Cold War First and Second Opium War and the status of Hong Kong and other issues China UK relations at some points in history have been complicated but better at other times In July 2019 the UN ambassadors from 22 nations including United Kingdom signed a joint letter to the UNHRC condemning China s mistreatment of the Uyghurs as well as its mistreatment of other minority groups urging the Chinese government to close the Xinjiang re education camps 263 nbsp Cyprus 1960 See Cyprus United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Cyprus on 16 August 1960 117 Cyprus has a High Commission in London and honorary consulates in Birmingham Bristol Dunblane Glasgow Northern Ireland and West Yorkshire 264 The United Kingdom is accredited to Cyprus through its High Commission in Nicosia 265 Cyprus was ruled by the United Kingdom from 1878 until it achieved independence on 16 August 1960 The UK is a signatory to the Treaty of Guarantee which maintains that Britain is a guarantor power of Cyprus s independence the UK maintains the two sovereign base areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on the island of Cyprus 266 Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth of Nations the Council of Europe the OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Georgia 1992 See Georgia United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Georgia on 27 April 1992 183 Georgia maintains an embassy in London 267 The United Kingdom is accredited to Georgia through its embassy in Tbilisi 268 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe OSCE and the World Trade Organization The two countries also have a free trade agreement 269 nbsp Hong Kong N A See Hong Kong United Kingdom relations The UK established modern diplomatic relations with Hong Kong on 1 July 1997 Hong Kong is represented through the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London The United Kingdom is accredited to Hong Kong from its Consulate General on Hong Kong Island 270 Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 1997 apart from a period of Japanese occupation from 1941 1945 Hong Kong s sovereignty was transferred to the People s Republic of China in 1997 Both territories share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp India 1947 See India United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with India on 14 August 1947 117 India maintains a high commission in London 271 The United Kingdom is accredited to India through its high commission in New Delhi as well as Deputy High Commissions in Ahmedabad Bangalore Chandigarh Chennai Hyderabad Kolkata Mumbai and a Nationals Assistance Office in Goa 272 The UK governed the India from 1858 to 1947 when it achieved full independence Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth G20 and the World Trade Organization The two countries are currently negotiating a free trade agreement nbsp Indonesia 1949 See Indonesia United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Indonesia on 27 December 1949 122 Indonesia maintains an embassy in London 273 The United Kingdom is accredited to Indonesia through its embassy in Jakarta 274 Both countries share common membership of the G20 and the World Trade Organization nbsp Iran 1801 See Iran United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Iran on 4 January 1801 67 Iran maintains an embassy in London The United Kingdom is accredited to Iran through its embassy in Tehran 275 nbsp Iraq 1932 See Iraq United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Iraq on 4 October 1932 113 Iraq maintains an embassy in London The United Kingdom is accredited to Iraq through its embassy in Baghdad 276 The UK governed Iraq from 1921 until 1932 when it achieved full independence nbsp Israel 1948 See Israel United Kingdom relations The United Kingdom has an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consul in Eilat 277 Israel has an embassy and a consulate in London The UK s closest partner in the Middle East is Israel and Israel s closest partner in Europe is the UK 278 279 nbsp Japan 1854 See Japan United Kingdom relations Contact began in 1600 with the arrival of William Adams Adams the Pilot Miura Anjin on the shores of Kyushu at Usuki in Ōita Prefecture During the Sakoku period 1641 1853 there were no relations but with the impact of Industrial Revolution British thread company launched its business in 1907 and thrived The treaty of 1854 saw the resumption of ties which despite the hiatus of the Second World War remain very strong in the present day nbsp Kazakhstan 1992 See Kazakhstan United Kingdom relations The United Kingdom opened an embassy in Kazakhstan in October 1992 and Kazakhstan opened an embassy in Britain in February 1996 280 Kazakhstan s relations with the West have greatly improved in the last few years as the Government has closely cooperated in the United States led War on Terror See also Counter terrorism in KazakhstanBritain is the third largest foreign investor in Kazakhstan with British companies making up 14 per cent of foreign direct investment Over 100 British companies do business in Kazakhstan 281 nbsp Kyrgyzstan 1992 See Kyrgyzstan United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Kyrgyzstan on 12 June 1992 186 Kyrgyzstan maintains an embassy in London The UK is accredited to Kyrgyzstan through its embassy in Bishkek 282 Both countries share common membership of the OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Macao N A See Foreign relations of Macao There is no British Embassy in Macao The Consulate General in Hong Kong develops and maintains relations between the UK and Macao 283 nbsp Malaysia 1957 See Malaysia United Kingdom relations nbsp The Yang di Pertuan Agong in a carriage with Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on the state visit to London 1974The UK established diplomatic relations with Malaysia on 31 August 1957 128 The Malaysia maintains a high commission in London 284 The United Kingdom is accredited to the Malaysia through its high commission in Kuala Lumpur 285 The UK governed the Malaysia from 1826 to 1942 and 1945 to 1957 when it achieved full independence Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth CPTPP the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the World Trade Organization nbsp Maldives 1965 See Foreign relations of the Maldives The UK established diplomatic relations with the Maldives on 26 July 1965 143 The Maldives maintains a high commission in London 286 The United Kingdom is accredited to the Maldives through its high commission in Male 287 The UK governed the Maldives from 1796 to 1965 when it achieved full independence Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth and the World Trade Organization The two countries are currently negotiating a free trade agreement 288 nbsp Myanmar 1947 See Myanmar United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Myanmar on 7 July 1947 120 Myanmar maintains an embassy in London The United Kingdom is accredited to Myanmar through its embassy in Yangon 289 The UK governed Myanmar from 1824 1948 aside from a period of Japanese occupation from 1942 1945 it achieved full independence 290 Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp Nepal 1816 See Nepal United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Nepal on 4 March 1816 with the Treaty of Sugauli 69 Relations between the UK and Nepal have historically been friendly and there have been close links between the Royal Families The UK is highly regarded in Nepal as a result of historical ties development assistance and long term support in the struggle for democratic peace in Nepal nbsp North Korea 2000 See North Korea United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with North Korea on 12 December 2000 195 North Korea maintains an embassy in London 291 The United Kingdom is accredited to North Korea through its embassy in Pyongyang 292 nbsp Oman 1971 See Oman United Kingdom relations The relations between the United Kingdom and Oman are strong and strategic 293 In April 2010 the government of Oman stated that it wanted to buy Eurofighter Typhoons from the UK 293 The United Kingdom has an embassy in Mina al Fahal 294 and Oman has an embassy in London 295 nbsp Pakistan 1947 See Pakistan United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Pakistan on 14 August 1947 117 Pakistan maintains an high commission in London as well as consulates in Birmingham Bradford Glasgow and Manchester 296 The United Kingdom is accredited to Pakistan through its high commission in Islamabad as well as a deputy high commission in Karachi 297 The UK governed Pakistan from 1824 to 1947 as part of the British Raj which also included modern day India and Bangladesh until it achieved full independence Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth and the World Trade Organization nbsp Palestine N A See Palestine United Kingdom relations The United Kingdom maintains a consulate in Jerusalem which handles British relations with the Palestinian Authority 298 The Foreign and Commonwealth Office states the Consular district covers Jerusalem West and East the West Bank and Gaza As well as work on the Middle East Peace Process and other political issues the consulate also promotes trade between the UK and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and manages an extensive programme of aid and development work The latter is undertaken primarily by the DFID office in Jerusalem 298 The Palestinian Authority is represented in London by Manuel Hassassian the Palestinian General Delegate to the United Kingdom 298 nbsp Philippines 1946 See Philippines United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with the Philippines on 4 July 1946 118 The Philippines maintains an embassy in London 118 The United Kingdom is accredited to the Philippines through its embassy in Manila 299 Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp Qatar 1971 See Qatar United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Qatar on 6 September 1971 151 Qatar maintains an embassy in London 300 The United Kingdom is accredited to Qatar through its embassy in Doha 301 The UK governed Qatar from 1916 to 1971 when it achieved full independence Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization The UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council of which Qatar is a member are negotiating a free trade agreement nbsp Saudi Arabia 1927 See Saudi Arabia United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia on 20 May 1927 111 Saudi Arabia maintains an embassy in London 302 The United Kingdom is accredited to Saudi Arabia through its embassy in Riyadh as well as a consulate general in Jeddah 303 Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization The UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council of which Saudi Arabia is a member are negotiating a free trade agreement nbsp Singapore 1965 See Singapore United Kingdom relations Singapore and the United Kingdom share a friendly relationship since Singapore became independent from the United Kingdom in 1959 Singapore retained the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as the final court of appeal up till 1989 fully abolished in 1994 due to political reasons nbsp South Korea 1883 304 See South Korea United Kingdom relations Formal relations between South Korea and the United Kingdom commenced on the 18 January 1949 304 although diplomatic ties go back to 1883 305 British military participation in the Korean War during the 1950s was significant but relations between the two countries at the time were described as tenuous with relatively little known about each other Commercial and trade relationships grew rapidly during the 1970s During the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s the Queen made a state visit to South Korea which was well received at a time of crisis in the country Today there are strong economic and diplomatic links between the two countries 305 The United Kingdom has a visa scheme through which young South Koreans can live and work in the UK for two years 306 There is a British embassy in Seoul and a South Korean embassy in London 307 308 nbsp Sri Lanka 1948 See Sri Lanka United Kingdom relations President Maithripala Sirisena made an official visit to the United Kingdom in 2015 and met Prime Minister David Cameron and the queen Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe made an official visit in 2018 to meet Prime Minister Theresa May nbsp Syria 1942 See Syria United Kingdom relations In 2001 positive relations were developed between Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Syrian government as part of the War on Terror Since the 2011 civil war relations have deteriorated and the UK was one of the first countries to recognise the opposition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people nbsp Taiwan N A See Taiwan United Kingdom relations Due to the One China policy the United Kingdom doesn t recognise the Government of the Republic of China and all diplomatic relations between the two countries take place on an unofficial basis Taiwan maintains the Taipei Representative Office in the U K in London with a branch office in Edinburgh The United Kingdom maintains the British Office Taipei in Taipei nbsp Tajikistan 1992 See Foreign relations of Tajikistan The UK established diplomatic relations with Tajikistan on 15 January 1992 172 Tajikistan maintains an embassy in London 309 The UK is accredited to Tajikistan embassy in Dushanbe 310 Both countries share common membership of the OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Thailand 1855 See Thailand United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Thailand on 18 April 1855 90 Thailand maintains an embassy in London 311 The UK is accredited to Thailand through its embassy in Bangkok 312 Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization nbsp Turkey 1793 See Turkey United Kingdom relations Turkey has an embassy and a consulate general in London 313 314 The United Kingdom has an embassy in Ankara a consulate general in Istanbul a vice consulate in Antalya and a consulate in Izmir The United Kingdom has honorary consulates in Adana Bodrum Fethiye and Marmaris 315 316 The United Kingdom is the second biggest importer of goods from Turkey after Germany Turkey exports around 8 per cent of its total goods to the United Kingdom 317 Around 1 000 000 Britons take holidays in Turkey every year while 100 000 Turks travel to the UK for business or pleasure 318 The United Kingdom does not recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus TRNC The TRNC is only recognised by Turkey The UK is also a signatory to a treaty with Greece and Turkey concerning the independence of Cyprus the Treaty of Guarantee which maintains that Britain is a guarantor power of the island s independence 266 Both countries are members of NATO nbsp Turkmenistan 1992 See Foreign relations of Turkmenistan The UK established diplomatic relations with Turkmenistan on 23 January 1992 177 Turkmenistan maintains an embassy in London 319 The UK is accredited to Turkmenistan through its embassy in Ashgabat 320 Both countries share common membership of the OSCE nbsp United Arab Emirates 1971 See United Arab Emirates United Kingdom relations The UAE has an embassy in London The UK maintains an embassy in Abu Dhabi and is unique in having another Embassy in Dubai The UAE UK relations have been described as a special relationship Queen Elizabeth II has visited the UAE 2 times 100 000 British citizens live in the UAE nbsp Uzbekistan 1992 See United Kingdom Uzbekistan relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Uzbekistan on 18 February 1992 180 Turkmenistan maintains an embassy in London 321 The UK is accredited to Uzbekistan through its embassy in Tashkent 322 Both countries share common membership of the OSCE nbsp Vietnam 1973 See United Kingdom Vietnam relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Vietnam on 11 September 1973 153 The UK is accredited to Vietnam through its embassy in Hanoi 323 Vietnam maintains an embassy in London 324 The UK occupied Southern Vietnam and Saigon from 1945 1946 Both countries share common membership of CPTPP and the World Trade Organization The UK and Vietnam entered into a strategic partnership agreement in 2010 325 The UK and Vietnam have a United Kingdom Vietnam Free Trade Agreement 326 Europe edit See also European Union United Kingdom relations The UK maintained good relations with Western Europe since 1945 and Eastern Europe since end of the Cold War in 1989 After years of dispute with France it joined the European Economic Community in 1973 which eventually evolved into the European Union through the Maastricht Treaty twenty years later 327 Unlike the majority of European countries the UK does not use the euro as its currency and is not a member of the Eurozone 328 During the years of its membership of the European Union the United Kingdom had often been referred to as a peculiar member due to its occasional dispute in policies with the organisation The United Kingdom regularly opted out of EU legislation and policies Through differences in geography culture and history national opinion polls have found that of the 28 nationalities in the European Union British people have historically felt the least European 329 330 On 23 June 2016 the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union and formally left on 31 January 2020 Country Formal relations began Notes nbsp Albania 1921 See Albania United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Albania on 9 November 1921 107 Albania maintains an embassy in London 331 The United Kingdom is accredited to Albania through its embassy in Tirana 332 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OSCE and the World Trade Organization The two countries also have a free trade agreement 333 nbsp Andorra 1994 334 See Foreign relations of Andorra The United Kingdom s consulate general in Barcelona handles the United Kingdom s consular activities in Andorra 335 nbsp Austria 1799 See Austria United Kingdom relations Austria has an embassy in London and 4 honorary consulates in Manchester Edinburgh Grand Cayman and Hamilton 336 The United Kingdom has an embassy in Vienna and 4 honorary consulates in Bergenz Graz Innsbruck and Salzburg 337 338 nbsp Belarus 1992 See Belarus United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Belarus on 27 January 1992 178 Belarus maintains an embassy in London 339 The United Kingdom is accredited to Belarus through its embassy in Minsk 340 Both countries share common membership of the OSCE nbsp Belgium 1830 See Belgium United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Belgium on 1 December 1830 75 Belgium maintains an embassy in London in addition to honorary consulates in Belfast Birmingham Edinburgh Gibraltar Kingston upon Hull Manchester Newcastle upon Tyne Saint Helier and Southampton 341 The United Kingdom is accredited to Belgium through its embassy in Brussels 342 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 343 Council of Europe NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992 See Bosnia and Herzegovina United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina on 13 April 1992 182 Bosnia and Herzegovina maintains an embassy in London 344 The United Kingdom is accredited to Bosnia and Herzegovina through its embassy in Sarajevo and an embassy office in Banja Luka 345 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe and the OSCE nbsp Bulgaria 1879 See Bulgaria United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Bulgaria on 23 June 1879 95 Bulgaria maintains an embassy in London 95 The United Kingdom is accredited to Croatia through its embassy in Sofia 346 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Croatia 1992 See Croatia United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Croatia on 24 June 1992 185 Croatia maintains an embassy in London and a consulate in Edinburgh 347 The United Kingdom is accredited to Croatia through its embassy in Zagreb and consulates in Dubrovnik and Split 348 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Czech Republic 1993 See Czech Republic United Kingdom relations The Czech Republic has an embassy in London and honorary consulates in Belfast and Edinburgh 349 350 The United Kingdom has an embassy in Prague 351 Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom paid a state visit to the Czech Republic in March 1996 352 Both countries are members of NATO nbsp Denmark 1490 See Denmark United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Denmark on 2 May 1490 62 Denmark maintains an embassy in London 353 The United Kingdom is accredited to Denmark through its an embassy in Copenhagen 354 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Estonia 1991 See Estonia United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Estonia on 5 September 1991 169 Estonia maintains an embassy in London 169 The United Kingdom is accredited to Estonia through its embassy in Tallinn 355 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Finland 1919 See Finland United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Finland on 28 March 1919 103 Finland maintains an embassy in London and honorary consulates in Aberdeen Belfast Birmingham Bristol Cardiff Dover Dundee Edinburgh Gibraltar Glasgow Hamilton Harwich Hull Immingham Leeds Lerwick Liverpool Manchester Middlesbrough Newcastle Upon Tyne Nottingham Plymouth Rochester Sheffield Southampton and St Helier 356 The United Kingdom has an embassy in Helsinki and honorary consulates in Aland Jyvaskyla Kotka Kuopio Oulu Rovaniemi Turku Tampere and Vaasa 357 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp France 1396 See France United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with France in 1396 61 France maintains an embassy in London and consulates general in London and Edinburgh 358 The United Kingdom is accredited to France through its embassy in Paris and consulates in Bordeaux and Marseille 359 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe G7 G20 NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Germany 1951 See Germany United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with the Federal Republic of Germany on 20 June 1951 123 Germany maintains an embassy in London 360 The United Kingdom is accredited to an embassy in Berlin and consulates generals in Dusseldorf and Munich 361 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe G7 G20 NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Greece 1833 See Greece United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Greece on 1 January 1833 76 Greece maintains an embassy in London and honorary consulates in Belfast Birmingham Edinburgh Gibraltar Glasgow and Leeds 362 The United Kingdom is accredited to Greece through its embassy in Athens and a Honorary Vice Consulate in Patras The United Kingdom also has honorary consulates in Crete Corfu Rhodes Thessaloniki and Zakynthos 363 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Holy See 1982 See Holy See United Kingdom relations With the English Reformation diplomatic links between London and the Holy See which had been established in 1479 were interrupted in 1536 and again after a brief restoration in 1553 in 1558 Formal diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Holy See were restored in 1914 and raised to ambassadorial level in 1982 364 365 nbsp Hungary 1921 See also Hungary United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Hungary on 22 May 1921 106 Hungary maintains an embassy in London and a general consulate in Manchester 366 The United Kingdom is accredited to Hungary through its embassy in Budapest 367 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Iceland 1944 See Iceland United Kingdom relations Iceland has an embassy in London and 17 honorary consulates in Aberdeen Birmingham Cardiff Dover Edinburgh Fleetwood Glasgow Grimsby Hull Jersey Lerwick Newcastle upon Tyne Northern Ireland and Ormskirk 368 The United Kingdom has an embassy in Reykjavik and a Honorary Vice Consulate in Akureyri 369 370 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 and NATO nbsp Ireland 1922 See Ireland United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Ireland on 6 December 1922 109 Ireland maintains an embassy in London 371 The United Kingdom is accredited to Ireland through its an embassy in Dublin 372 The UK governed parts of Ireland from the 12th century until 1800 when it was incorporated into the United Kingdom The Republic of Ireland achieved full independence on the 6 December 1922 109 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 Common Travel Area Council of Europe OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Italy 1859 See Italy United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Italy on 13 April 1859 93 Italy has an embassy in London a consulate general in Edinburgh and a consulate in Manchester 373 The United Kingdom has an embassy in Rome a consulate general in Milan and a consulate in Naples 374 375 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe G7 G20 NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Kosovo 2008 See Kosovo United Kingdom relations Kosovo has a Consular Mission in London 376 The United Kingdom has an embassy in Pristina 377 When Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008 the United Kingdom became one of the first countries to officially announce recognition of sovereign Kosovo on 18 February 2008 378 379 The United Kingdom has had an embassy in Pristina since 5 March 2008 380 Kosovo has an embassy in London since 1 October 2008 nbsp Latvia 1991 See Foreign relations of Latvia Latvia has an embassy in London and honorary consulates in Edinburgh Northern Ireland Manchester and Wales 381 The United Kingdom has embassy in Riga 382 Both countries are members of NATO nbsp Lithuania 1991 See Lithuania United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Lithuania on 4 September 1991 168 Lithuania maintains an embassy in London 383 The United Kingdom is accredited to Lithuania through its embassy in Vilnius 384 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Luxembourg 1879 See Foreign relations of Luxembourg The UK established diplomatic relations with Luxembourg on 27 November 1879 96 Luxembourg maintains an embassy in London 385 The United Kingdom is accredited to Luxembourg through its embassy in Luxembourg City 386 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Malta 1964 See Malta United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Malta on 7 September 1964 117 Malta maintains a high commission in London The United Kingdom is accredited to Malta through its high commission in Valletta 387 The UK governed Malta from 1878 until 1964 when it achieved full independence Both countries share common membership of the Commonwealth the Council of Europe the OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Moldova 1992 See Moldova United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Moldova on 17 January 1992 173 Moldova maintains an embassy in London 388 The United Kingdom is accredited to Moldova through its embassy in Chisinău 389 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe OSCE and the World Trade Organization The UK and Moldova have a bilateral free trade agreement 390 nbsp Montenegro 2006 See Montenegro United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Montenegro on 13 June 2006 197 Montenegro maintains an embassy in London 197 The United Kingdom is accredited to Montenegro through its embassy in Podgorica 391 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Netherlands 1603 See Netherlands United Kingdom relations The Netherlands has an embassy in London and consulates in Aberdeen Belfast Birmingham Cardiff Edinburgh Guernsey Hamilton Harwich Hull Liverpool Manchester Plymouth and Southampton The Netherlands also has a vice consulate in Dover 392 393 The United Kingdom has an embassy in The Hague and consulates in Amsterdam and Willemstad 394 395 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 and NATO nbsp Norway 1905 See Norway United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Norway on 6 November 1905 100 Norway maintains an embassy in London and a consulate general in Edinburgh Norway also maintains consulates in Aberdeen Ardrossan Barrow on Furness Belfast Birmingham Bristol Cardiff Douglas Dundee Gibraltar Glasgow Grimsby Inverness Jersey Kirkwall Lerwick Liverpool London Manchester Newcastle Plymouth Southampton and Stornoway 396 The United Kingdom is accredited to Norway through its embassy in Oslo as well as consulates in Alesund Bergen Stavanger and Trondheim The United Kingdom also maintains honorary consulates in Bodo Kristiansand and Tromso 397 Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 Council of Europe NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Poland 1919 See Poland United Kingdom relations Poland has an embassy in London a consulate general in Edinburgh and Manchester Poland also has honorary consulates in Bristol Gibraltar Hull Kidderminster Newry and St Helier 398 399 400 401 The United Kingdom has an embassy in Warsaw 402 Both countries participate in shared defence and security cooperation Both countries are members of NATO nbsp Portugal 1386 See Portugal United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Portugal on 9 May 1386 60 Portugal maintains an embassy and a consulate general in London and consulates in Belfast Edinburgh Hamilton and St Helier 403 The United Kingdom is accredited to Portugal through its embassy in Lisbon and consulates in Lisbon and Portimao The United Kingdom also has honorary consulates in Funchal Ponta Delgada and Porto 404 The bilateral relation dates back to the Middle Ages in 1373 with the Anglo Portuguese Alliance Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic co operation pact 202 Council of Europe NATO OECD OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Romania 1880 See Romania United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Romania on 20 February 1880 97 Romania maintains an embassy London and consulate generals in Edinburgh and Manchester Romania also maintains honorary consulates in Hirwaun Leeds Morpeth Newcastle and Southampton 405 The United Kingdom is accredited to Romania through its embassy in Bucharest 406 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe NATO OSCE and the World Trade Organization nbsp Russia 1553 See Russia United Kingdom relations Russia has an embassy in London and a consulate in Edinburgh 407 408 The United Kingdom has an embassy in Moscow and consulate generals in Ekaterinburg and Saint Petersburg 409 410 Spanning nearly five centuries the relationship has often switched from a state of alliance to rivalry Both countries were allies during World War I and II During the Cold War both countries participated in intense espionage activity against each other In the early 21st century especially following the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 relations became strained again and since 2014 have grown more unfriendly due to the Russo Ukrainian War and to activities by Russia such as the suspected 2018 poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal seen as hostile by the UK and by many in the Western world In the wake of the poisoning 28 countries expelled suspected Russian spies acting as diplomats 411 nbsp San Marino 1899 See San Marino United Kingdom relations San Marino has a consulate general in London 412 The United Kingdom has a consulate general to San Marino in Rome 413 nbsp Serbia 1837 See Serbia United Kingdom relations The UK established diplomatic relations with Serbia on 20 February 1880 78 Serbia maintains an embassy in London 414 The United Kingdom is accredited to Serbia through its embassy in Belgrade 415 Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe and OSCE nbsp a, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article , read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games. © Copyright 2021, All Rights Reserved  |   www.wiki3.en-us.nina.az Rss Feed SiteMap Ping DMCA Contact Us HomePage Closed Call: