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Foreign Relations of
Nauru

Introduction

Nauru, which became a sovereign, independent republic on 31 January 1968, maintains economic, cultural and administrative ties with its regional neighbors through "joint airline services, fishing operations, and through the Pacific Islands Commission." The government of Nauru maintains particularly close relations with the governments of Kiribati, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands.

Nauru became a full member of the British Commonwealth 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.

In May 1999, Nauru applied for United Nations membership.

Memberships

Nauru was admitted to the United Nations on 14 September 1999. Nauru's application to the United Nations was questioned by the People’s Republic of China due to Nauru's close diplomatic and trade links to Taiwan. Nevertheless, Nauru did ascend to full membership.

It is also a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, the South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme, the South Pacific Commission, and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission.

Hosting Refugees

In 2001 Nauru became host to approximately 867 refugees, mostly Afghan, who were intercepted while attempting to enter Australia illegally. A total of 549 of them remain on the island; 318 of these have agreed to return to Afghanistan after receiving a cash package from Australia. Nauru reportedly received about $10 million in assistance from Australia in exchange for agreeing to house the refugees while their asylum applications are adjudicated.

Ties with China

On July 21, 2002, Prime Minister Rene Harris of Nauru signed a joint communiqué in Hong Kong to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In the document, the Government of the Republic of Nauru recognised that, "...that there is but one China in the world, that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory." The declaration also contained an undertaking by Nauru to close its embassy in Taipei within one month, which was curious because Nauru had never had a diplomatic mission in Taiwan. This move followed the PRC's promise to provide more than $130 million USD in aid.

That same day, the Republic of China government issued an ultimatum, demanding that the communiqué be withdrawn within 24 hours or it would take the initiative and sever ties. There was much dissension within the Nauruan government over the move by Harris, which the prime minister was alleged to have made on his own initiative. In the confusion, the Nauru government did not respond to the ultimatum, which was extended an additional 24 hours, and the ROC followed through with its threat, breaking ties that had existed since 1980 on July 23, 2002. In 2003 Nauru closed its embassy in Beijing, prompting speculation of an imminent resumption of ties with the ROC.

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 May 14, 2005, the two countries signed the necessary documents to restore formal ties and reopen embassies. The People's Republic of China consequently severed ties two weeks later on May 31.

Ties with the United States of America

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. However, that aid has not been delivered and Nauru's formal and traditional leaders are now looking to Japan and China for assistance.

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 . Subsequently, the US Department of State, referring to events investigated in 2007, reported criticism of Adeang in its Human Rights Report, issued for 2008 . 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 Nauru Ludwig Scotty's government.

Ties with the UK

The Nauruan government maintains an Hon. Consul, Martin W I Weston, who has served in this role for a number of years. The British Government had ceased to exercise any direct role in the governance of Nauru by 1968.

Ties with Cuba

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.

In June 2007, Nauru adopted the "Cuban literacy method", reportedly used also in several other countries. In October 2007, Nauruan Foreign Minister and Trade Minister David Adeang travelled to Cuba to strengthen relations between the two island nations.. This led to the creation of a Cuba-Nauru Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation. 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).

In September 2008, Nauru's foreign minister attended the first Cuba-Pacific Islands ministerial meeting in Havana, aimed at "strengtening cooperation" between Nauru and Cuba, notably on coping with the impact of climate change.

Ties with the Rest of the World

Nauru has diplomatic relations with most states in Oceania. It also has ties with most major industrial countries, including Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, France, the UK, Germany, Spain, Canada, the United States of America, South Africa and India.

Nauru established diplomatic relations with Brazil in November 2005.

Nauru established diplomatic relations with Vietnam on June 23, 2006.

Nauru established diplomatic relations with Kosovo on April 23, 2008.

In October 2008 the new US Ambassador to Fiji, also accredited to Nauru, pledged efforts to assist Nauru's economic development .

In 1995, Nauru broke off relations diplomatic relations with France to protest French nuclear testing in the Pacific. Relations were resumed in 1997.

See also

• Nauruan diplomatic missions

Missions in Nauru

• Australia (Consulate General)
• Republic of China (Embassy)

External links

• Permanent Mission of the Republic of Nauru to the United Nations
• Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade pages on Nauru
• The U.S. Department of State's page on Nauru

References

3. ^ Cuba, Nauru to Strengthen Links - Prensa Latina
4. Cuban Literacy Method to Pacific Isle - Prensa Latina
5. Economy
6. "Kiribati's Tong Meets Castro, Heads To UN", Pacific Magazine, September 18, 2008
7. "1st Cuba-Pacific Islands Ministerial Meeting opens in Havana", Xinhua, September 16, 2008
8. 29 October, 2008
9. AFP news agency December 12, 1997 Micronesian state of Nauru re-establishes diplomatic relations with France

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