Foreign relations of Ecuador

This article describes the diplomatic affairs, foreign policy and international relations of Ecuador

Ecuador is a founding member of the UN and a member of many of its specialized agencies; it is also a member of the Organization of American States (OAS), as well as many regional groups, including the Rio Group, the Latin American Economic System, the Latin American Energy Organization, the Latin American Integration Association, and the Andean Pact.

Ecuador's principal foreign-policy objectives have traditionally included defense of its territory from both external aggression and internal subversion as well as support for the objectives of the UN and the OAS. Although Ecuador's foreign relations were traditionally centered on the United States, Ecuador's membership in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in the 1970s and 1980s allowed Ecuadorian leaders to exercise somewhat greater foreign policy autonomy. Ecuador's foreign policy goals under the Borja government in the late 1980s were more diversified than those of the Febres Cordero administration, which closely identified with the United States. For example, Ecuador was more active in its relations with the Third World, multilateral organizations, Western Europe, and socialist countries.

Ecuador has offered humanitarianian aid to many countries, is a supporter of the United Nations, and currently contributes troops to the UN mission in Haiti. Ecuador has also been an elective member of the UN Security Council.

In Antarctica, Ecuador has maintained a peaceful research station for scientific study in the British-claimed territory and is a member nation of the Antarctica Treaty.

Domestic politics

The presidency of Rafael Correa in the early 21st century saw a radical change in the country's foreign policy. Traditional ties with the United States grew more acrimonious and there were increased ties with the governments of Russia and Iran. The relations with the United States, however, improved significantly during the presidency of his successor Lenin Moreno since 2017.

List

List of countries which Ecuador maintains diplomatic relations with:

# Country Date
1  Peru 26 September 1831
2  Colombia 10 February 1832
3  Venezuela 18 August 1835
4  Nicaragua 1836
5  Mexico 1837
6  Spain 16 February 1840
7  Denmark June 1841
8  Bolivia 8 May 1842
9  Brazil November 1844
10  France 6 June 1848
11  United States 12 August 1848
12  United Kingdom 29 January 1853
13  Chile 1877
 Holy See 1877
14  Paraguay 15 December 1880
15  Costa Rica 26 October 1885
16  Dominican Republic 1888
17   Switzerland 1888
18  El Salvador 29 March 1890
19  Guatemala 6 May 1890
20  Honduras 1896
21  Italy 31 May 1900
22  Argentina 27 March 1903
23  Panama 1 September 1908
24  Uruguay 1 June 1914
25  Japan 26 August 1918
26  Sweden 21 September 1931
27  Poland 5 August 1935
28  Norway 22 October 1936
29  Russia 16 June 1945
30  Austria 27 June 1947
31  Portugal 28 August 1948
32  Lebanon 15 September 1948
33  Haiti 14 November 1949
34  Turkey 1950
35  Germany 4 July 1952
36  Serbia 10 January 1956
37  Luxembourg 24 April 1956
38  Israel 18 June 1957
39  Egypt 8 November 1960
40  Canada March 1961
41  South Korea 5 October 1962
42  Finland 5 February 1965
43  Morocco 22 April 1966
44  Greece 5 July 1966
45  Trinidad and Tobago 9 November 1967
46  Romania 12 November 1968
47  India 1969
48  Hungary 23 January 1970
49  Bulgaria 28 April 1971
50  Iran 19 July 1973
51  Jamaica 10 September 1973
52  Iraq 10 February 1974
53  Guyana 2 July 1974
54  Australia 3 February 1975
55  United Arab Emirates 9 June 1975
56  Kuwait 30 July 1975
57  Qatar 1975
58  Philippines 5 July 1976
59  Bahamas 27 April 1978
60  Suriname 22 June 1978
61  Barbados 23 June 1978
62  Libya 1 September 1978
63  New Zealand 25 September 1978
64  Grenada June 1979
65  Pakistan 23 July 1979
66  Cuba 23 August 1979
67  Nigeria 10 December 1979
68  Cyprus 14 December 1979
69  Jordan 1 January 1980
70  Malta 1 January 1980
71  Saint Lucia 1 January 1980
72  Vietnam 1 January 1980
73  China 2 January 1980
74  Thailand 15 January 1980
75  Tunisia 29 January 1980
76  Albania 31 January 1980
77  Togo 11 February 1980
78  Republic of the Congo 12 February 1980
79  Democratic Republic of the Congo 29 February 1980
80  Liberia 31 March 1980
81  Indonesia 29 April 1980
82  Senegal 25 August 1980
83  Equatorial Guinea 8 September 1980
84  Gabon 11 November 1980
85  Mongolia 30 October 1982
86  Oman 1982
87  Algeria 1988
88  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 August 1989
89  Malaysia 1989
90  Namibia 12 July 1990
91  Afghanistan 23 August 1990
92  Seychelles 6 December 1991
93  Lithuania 20 October 1992
94  Latvia 21 October 1992
95  Estonia 22 October 1992
96  Slovakia 1 January 1993
97  Ukraine 27 April 1993
98  Belarus 5 May 1993
99  Cambodia 29 June 1994
100  South Africa 22 September 1994
101  Singapore 23 September 1994
102  Croatia 22 February 1996
103  Andorra 7 May 1996
104  Mozambique 3 December 1996
105  Guinea-Bissau 10 December 1996
106  Slovenia 18 April 1997
107  Armenia 20 May 1997
108  Turkmenistan 11 June 1997
109  Angola 17 June 1997
110  Bosnia and Herzegovina 26 January 1998
111  Georgia 28 January 1998
112  Belize 14 October 1999
113  Ireland 20 October 1999
114  North Macedonia 22 June 2000
115  Bahrain 26 June 2000
116  Brunei 19 March 2001
117  Monaco 5 April 2001
118  Mauritius 13 May 2003
119  Liechtenstein 3 October 2003
120  Iceland 11 December 2003
121  Azerbaijan 22 March 2004
122    Nepal 21 June 2006
123  Botswana 4 June 2007
124  San Marino 27 June 2008
 State of Palestine 24 November 2008
125  Saudi Arabia 23 January 2009
126  Antigua and Barbuda 10 August 2009
127  Dominica 24 June 2009
128  Montenegro 24 September 2009
129  Cape Verde 10 August 2010
130  Maldives 14 March 2011
131  Sri Lanka 9 May 2011
132  Uzbekistan 19 July 2011
133  East Timor 8 September 2011
134  Laos 12 September 2011
135  Tuvalu 19 September 2011
136  Moldova 8 November 2011
137  Gambia 1 December 2011
138  Samoa 20 December 2011
139  Solomon Islands 20 December 2011
140  Kazakhstan 23 January 2012
141  Ethiopia 23 January 2012
142  Burkina Faso 8 February 2012
143  Fiji 12 February 2013
144  Eritrea 13 March 2013
145  Zambia 16 July 2013
146  Mauritania 28 September 2014
147  Zimbabwe 10 February 2015
148  Sierra Leone 12 February 2015
149  Central African Republic 20 February 2015
150  Burundi 27 February 2015
151  Sudan 13 March 2015
152  Mali 17 April 2015
153  South Sudan 8 May 2015
154  Ivory Coast 3 June 2015
155  Tanzania 16 June 2015
156  Comoros 15 October 2015
157  Djibouti 20 November 2015
158  Bangladesh 13 April 2016
159  Tajikistan 12 July 2016
160  Kyrgyzstan 13 December 2016
161  Myanmar 6 April 2017
162  Vanuatu 26 September 2018
163  Marshall Islands 24 September 2019
164  Benin 7 October 2019
165  Rwanda 17 October 2019
166  Palau 24 October 2022
167  Cameroon Unknown
168  Chad Unknown
169  Guinea Unknown
170  Kenya Unknown
171  Lesotho Unknown
172  Madagascar Unknown
173  Malawi Unknown
174  Niger Unknown
175  Saint Kitts and Nevis Unknown
176  Syria Unknown
177  Uganda Unknown

Bilateral relations

Country Formal Relations B Notes
Belgium Belgium
 Belize October 14, 1999
 Chile See Chile–Ecuador relations.
  • Chile has an embassy in Quito.
  • Ecuador has an embassy in Santiago.
Czech Republic Czech Republic
 China February 1, 1980 See China–Ecuador relations

Formal relations started on 1980-01-02 and seven months later China set up its embassy in Ecuador. In July 1981, Ecuador set up its embassy in China. Sino-Ecuadorian relations have been advancing smoothly. The two sides maintain high-level political contacts and exchanges in trade, economic progress, science, technology, culture and education. In international affairs, the two countries understand and support each other.

In September 2012, the two nations signed a Commercial and Security Agreement to allow Ecuador to sell easily seafood, cocoa and bananas in China, with the Chinese agreeing to ease tariffs on further food items. In the same period China established an $80 million line of credit for Ecuador with the EximBank to help Ecuador build a road to the re-sited Quito airport.

 Colombia See Colombia–Ecuador relations

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa withdrew his government's ambassador in Bogotá, Colombia, and ordered troops to the country's border following a Colombian raid against leftist rebels inside Ecuador March 2, 2008. The Colombian director of national police claimed three captured computers from the deceased FARC rebel leader Raúl Reyes document "tremendously revealing" and "very grave" links between Ecuador and Colombian rebels.March 2, 2008. However, Colombia's actions were condemned across the board by all South American nations, with only the US supporting Colombia. For example, Brazil's foreign minister, Celso Amorim, condemned the Colombian incursion into Ecuador. Furthermore, he suggested that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez recently gave the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia $300 million. Ecuador's president Rafael Correa said March 3, 2008, that a deal to release political prisoners—including former Colombian Sen. Ingrid Betancourt—was nearly complete before the March 1, 2008, Colombian raid into his country. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez on March 5, 2008, called the announced movement of Colombian forces in Ecuador a "war crime," and joined Ecuador's president Rafael Correa in demanding international condemnation of the cross-border attack.[1] The presidents of Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador March 7, 2008, signed a declaration to end a crisis sparked when Colombian troops killed a rebel leader and 21 others inside Ecuadoran territory (2008 Andean diplomatic crisis). In January 2021, Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno and Colombian President Ivan Duque made a joint statement on the good relations of the two countries.

Finland Finland
 Germany See Ecuador–Germany relations
  • Ecuador has an embassy in Germany.
  • Germany has an embassy in Quito.
Greece Greece
  • Greece is accredited to Ecuador from its embassy in Lima, Peru.
  • Ecuador holds a consulate in Athens.
 Guyana July 2, 1974
 India See Ecuador–India relations

On November 16, 2008, the Foreign Minister of Ecuador Maria Isabel Salvador met her counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee, with a close relationship in oil and defence between these geographically distant countries high on the agenda. On the oil front, the new government in Ecuador has reversed the earlier revenue-sharing arrangements with western oil companies and is now keen on striking new partnerships with state-owned ONGC Videsh of India. In the defence sector, Ecuador became the first country to sign a contract for purchasing the Indian-made Dhruv helicopters, of which one will be for use by its president. The embassy has expanded its setup with the appointment of a Military Attache and prospects appear bright for more defence exports as Ecuador has agreed to be the servicing hub in South America for Indian defence equipment.

 Iran See Ecuador–Iran relations

Ecuador has maintained trade relations with Iran. In December 2008, Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili visited Ecuador. Alongside president Rafael Correa he called for greater "South–South" co-operation, a term denoting greater exchange of resources, technology, and knowledge between the global South. Iranian president Ahmadinejad also attended the inauguration of President Correa in January 2007.

 Japan August 26, 1918 See Ecuador–Japan relations
  • Ecuador has an embassy in Tokyo.
  • Japan has an embassy in Quito.
 Malaysia See Ecuador–Malaysia relations

Relations with Malaysia covers on political, commercial, cultural and social activities. Both countries are the members of Non-Aligned Movement. Ecuador trade value with Malaysia are worth about US$15 million.

 Mexico June 1830 See Ecuador–Mexico relations
Netherlands Netherlands
 Palestine 2010

Ecuador recognized the State of Palestine in 2010.

 Paraguay
  • Ecuador has an embassy in Asuncion.
  • Paraguay has an embassy in Quito.
 Peru See Ecuador–Peru relations

The Paquisha War was a brief military clash that took place between January and February 1981 between Ecuador and Peru over the control of three watchposts. Since the 1990s, Ecuadoran foreign policy has been focused on the country's border dispute with Peru, an issue that has festered since independence. The boundary dispute led to the Cenepa War between Ecuador and Peru in early 1995; after a peace agreement brokered by the four Guarantors of the Rio Protocol (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and the United States), the Military Observers Mission to Ecuador-Peru (MOMEP) was set up to monitor the zone. In 1998, Presidents Jamil Mahuad of Ecuador and Alberto Fujimori of Peru signed a comprehensive settlement over control of the disputed zone.

 Poland
  • Ecuador is accredited to Poland from its embassy in Vienna, Austria.
  • Poland is accredited to Ecuador from its embassy in Lima, Peru.
Romania Romania
  • Romania is accredited to Ecuador from Lima, Peru, and has consulates in Quito and Guayaquil.
 Russia See Ecuador–Russia relations
  • Ecuador has an embassy in Moscow.
  • Russia has an embassy in Quito.
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic 1983
  • Ecuador has an non-resident embassy in New York.
  • The SADR has an embassy in Quito.
South Africa South Africa
  • Ecuador has an embassy in Pretoria.
  • South Africa is accredited to Ecuador from its embassy in Lima, Peru.
 Spain 1840 See Ecuador–Spain relations
 Sweden
  • Ecuador has an embassy in Stockholm.
  • Sweden has a consulate in Quito.
Thailand Thailand
  • Thailand is accredited to Ecuador from its embassy in Lima, Peru, and holds a consulate general in Quito.
  • Ecuador has an consulate in Bangkok.
 Turkey 1950 See Ecuador–Turkey relations
  • Ecuador has an embassy in Ankara and a consulate in Istanbul.
  • Turkey has an embassy in Quito and a consulate in Guayaquil.
  • Trade volume between the two countries was US$117 million in 2019 (Ecuadorian exports/imports: 58/59 million USD.
United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates
 United Kingdom

Relations between the United Kingdom and Ecuador were traditionally regarded as "low-key but cordial", especially before the election of Rafael Correa; the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visited the country in 2009, as part of a tour celebrating the bicentenary of Charles Darwin. President Correa visited London in the same year, speaking mostly in English at the London School of Economics about the changes his government was making.

In 2012, relations became strained when Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks website, entered the Ecuadorian embassy in London and sought asylum. Assange had lost legal appeals against his extradition to Sweden where he was wanted for questioning about alleged sexual assault and rape, but while within the embassy he was on diplomatic territory and beyond the reach of the British police. The United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office delivered a note to the Ecuadorian government in Quito reminding them of the provisions of the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 which allow the British government to withdraw recognition of diplomatic protection from embassies; the move was interpreted as a hostile act by Ecuador, with Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño stating that this "explicit threat" would be met with "appropriate responses in accordance with international law". Assange was granted diplomatic asylum on August 16, 2012, with Foreign Minister Patiño stating that Assange's fears of political persecution were "legitimate". Finally, President Lenín Moreno revoked Assange's asylum in April 2019. In reaction, the British Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, thanked Moreno for his cooperation to "ensure Assange faces justice".

 United States See Ecuador–United States relations

The United States and Ecuador used to maintain close ties based on mutual interests in maintaining democratic institutions; combating cannabis and cocaine; building trade, investment, and financial ties; cooperating in fostering Ecuador's economic development; and participating in inter-American organizations. Ties were further strengthened by the presence of an estimated 150,000–200,000 Ecuadorians living in the United States and by 24,000 U.S. citizens visiting Ecuador annually, and by approximately 15,000 U.S. citizens residing in Ecuador. The United States assisted Ecuador's economic development directly through the Agency for International Development (USAID) program in Ecuador and through multilateral organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank. In addition, the U.S. Peace Corps operates a sizable program in Ecuador. More than 100 U.S. companies are doing business in Ecuador. The relations deteriorated greatly during the presidency of Rafael Correa since 2007 until 2017. The relations, however, improved significantly during the presidency of Lenin Moreno since 2017. In February 2020, his visit to Washington was the first meeting between an Ecuadorian and U.S. president in 17 years.

  • Ecuador has an embassy in Washington, D.C., and several consulates throughout the country.
  • United States has an embassy in Quito and a consulate in Guayaquil.
 Uruguay See Ecuador–Uruguay relations
  • Ecuador has an embassy in Montevideo.
  • Uruguay has an embassy in Quito.
 Venezuela See Ecuador–Venezuela relations

Diplomatic ties trace back to the Spanish colonization of the Americas. With the independence both countries united under the Gran Colombia along with New Granada (then Colombia and Panama).

After the dissolution of the Gran Colombia, Ecuador named Don Pedro Gual as plenipotentiary minister with the main task of resolving the debt acquired while part of the Gran Colombia union as well as to establish diplomatic relations with the New Granada and Venezuela. On August 4, 1852, Venezuela sent a diplomatic delegation in Quito and named José Julián Ponce as finance administrator.

The relations remained cordial and entered into a second period between 1910 and 1963 with two diplomatic incidents occurring in 1928 and 1955. Ecuador and Venezuela strengthened ties in politics, diplomacy and military.

During the presidency of Lenin Moreno since 2017, Ecuador broke diplomatic relations with Venezuela. Ecuador did not any more recognize the regime of Nicholas Maduro. Instead, Ecuador recognized and supported opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Interim President of Venezuela.

  • Ecuador has an embassy in Caracas.
  • Venezuela has an embassy in Quito.

See also


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