Nauru became a sovereign, independent republic on 31 January 1968, following the passage of the Nauru Independence Act 1967 by the Parliament of Australia and the end of its status as a United Nations Trust Territory. Nauru has established diplomatic relations with a number of nations, including most of its Pacific neighbors with which it maintains economic, cultural and administrative ties.
Nauru became a full member of the Commonwealth of Nations in May 1999. Since independence, Nauru had been a special member of the Commonwealth prior to 1999, but having fallen behind in payments, reverted to Special Member status on 1 July 2005, with no authoritative power. It then returned to be a full member again in June 2011.[1]
In 2001 Nauru became host to approximately 867 refugees, mostly Afghan, who were intercepted while attempting to enter Australia illegally. This exchange was one of many which were collectively known as Australia's Pacific Solution. In February 2008, the last of the refugees were resettled in Australia.[3][4]
Diplomatic relations
List of countries which Nauru maintains diplomatic relations with:
Australia administered Nauru as a dependent territory from 1914 to 1968, and has remained one of Nauru's foremost economic and aid partners thereafter. Relations between the two countries are, at present, cordial, with Australia having committed itself to assisting Nauru's economic development.
In the late 2000s, Nauru began to strengthen its relations with Cuba. Cuba provides medical aid to Nauru; an unspecified number of Cuban doctors are serving in Nauru.[61]
In June 2007, Nauru adopted the "Cuban literacy method", reportedly used also in several other countries.[62] In October 2007, Nauruan Foreign Minister and Trade Minister David Adeang travelled to Cuba to strengthen relations between the two island nations.[61] This led to the creation of a Cuba-Nauru Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation.[63] At approximately this time, Nauru-US relations underwent tensions for reasons which were not completely clear (See also: Foreign relations of Nauru#Ties with the United States of America, above).
India established relations with the country since its independence in 1968 and have had numerous visits by presidents of Nauru to the Republic since then. India is one of the largest donors to the island by helping the education ministry and revamping the island's parliament facilities to its MP's and its Speaker. India has also reserved 5 slots for Naruran citizens for training courses under the Indian Technical & Economical Cooperation (ITEC) programme in the year 2010–11.[3] One scholarship slot is also offered under General Cultural Scholarship of ICCR (Commonwealth Scheme).[66]
Russia is accredited to Nauru from its embassy in Canberra, Australia.
Nauru's banks are said to have provided services to the mafia in Russia during the 1990s; over the course of the 1990s, approximately 70 billion U.S. dollars owned by Russian mafia were held in Nauru banks.[67]
On 15 January 2024, Nauru severed diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) again, restored diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and recognized "the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate government of China" and "Taiwan as part of the People's Republic of China."[68]
On 21 July 2002, Nauru broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In 2003, Nauru closed its embassy in Beijing.[69] In April 2005, during a state visit to the Marshall Islands, ROC President Chen Shui-bian met and spoke with the Nauruan President Ludwig Scotty. On 14 May 2005, the two countries signed the necessary documents to restore formal ties and reopen embassies.[70] On 15 January 2024, Nauru cut ties with the ROC.[71]
The Nauruan government has a very complex relationship with the United States; the government of Bernard Dowiyogo agreed to stop passport sales and offshore banking in return for an extensive aid package.[73] However, according to Nauru, that aid has not been delivered and Nauru is now looking to Japan and China for assistance [citation needed]. According to the U.S. Department of State, Nauru has cordial relations with the United States[74]
The U.S. has no consular or diplomatic offices in Nauru. Officers of the American Embassy in Suva, Fiji, are concurrently accredited to Nauru and make periodic visits.
In September 2007, David Adeang, Nauru's Foreign Minister, made a number of public statements in relation to the United States. He extolled Cuba and criticized US foreign policy, during a visit to the Caribbean island.[75] Subsequently, the US Department of State, referring to events investigated in 2007, reported criticism of Adeang in its Human Rights Report, issued for 2008.[76] This criticism was included in the State Department's report, despite the fact that police, having undertaken an investigation of allegations of wrongdoing, made no attempt to prosecute Adeang. Shortly after Adeang's public pronouncements, a crisis, with himself at the centre, led to the collapse of President of NauruLudwig Scotty's government.
Trade between the United States and Nauru is limited by the latter's small size and economic problems. The value of two-way trade in 2005 was US$1.6 million.
In October 2008 the new U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, also accredited to Nauru, pledged efforts to assist Nauru's economic development.[77]
Other countries
Nauru has diplomatic relations with most states in Oceania.[80] It also has ties with most major industrial countries, including Japan,[81] the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, France, the UK, Germany, Spain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States of America and South Africa.[79] Nauru has diplomatic relations with the European Union,[82] most of its member states[92] and a few other states in Europe,[93] including the Holy See (Vatican City).[94]
In 1995, Nauru broke off relations diplomatic relations with France to protest French nuclear testing in the Pacific. Relations were resumed in 1997.[95]
Nauru established diplomatic relations with Kosovo on 23 April 2008,[96] which ended 13 November 2019 as Nauru withdrew its recognition.[97]
Nauru has used its position as a member of the United Nations to gain financial support from both the Republic of China (ROC) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) by changing its position on the political status of Taiwan. During 2002, Nauru signed an agreement to establish diplomatic relations with the PRC on 21 July. Nauru accepted $130m from the PRC for this diplomatic move.[99] In response, the ROC severed diplomatic relations with Nauru two days later. Nauru later re-established links with the ROC on 14 May 2005,[100] and diplomatic ties with the PRC were officially severed on 31 May 2005. Similarly, Nauru recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic on 12 August 1981. Then, on 15 September 2000, Nauru withdrew recognition of the SADR, and signed accords with Morocco on the phosphates area, which are running out in the island.[101][102] In 2008, Nauru recognized Kosovo as an independent country, but withdrew its recognition in 2019.[97] Additionally, in 2009, Nauru became only the fourth country to recognize the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are both claimed by Georgia. Russia was reported to be giving Nauru $50m in humanitarian aid in return.[99]
^"Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Current Notes on International Affairs. 39 (8). Department of External Affairs: 358. August 1968. Retrieved 24 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
^The Europa year book : a world survey. 1979. Vol. 2. Europa Publications Limited. 1979. p. 1770.
^Chinese Society of International Law - Chinese (Taiwan) Branch of the International Law Association. Vol. 20. Chinese (Taiwan) Yearbook of International Law and Affairs. 2002. p. 148.
^Daily Report: Western Europe: Index, Volumes 6–7. United States. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. NewsBank., 1983. p. 200.
^Revista peruana de derecho internacional: órgano de la Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Internacional (in Spanish). Vol. 40. Impr. Torres Aguirre. 1988. p. 343.
^Breakthrough: Israel in a Changing World. Associated University Presses, 1996. p. 216.
^Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (2015). "Foreign Affairs". Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
^on 28 October 2008 UTC (28 October 2008). "29 October 2008". Rnzi.com. Retrieved 22 June 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)