Bilateral relations
Equatorial Guinea ? United States relations
are
bilateral relations
between
Equatorial Guinea
and the
United States
.
History
[
edit
]
The Equatoguinean Government views the
U.S. Government
and American companies favorably. The United States is the largest single foreign investor in Equatorial Guinea. U.S. companies have the largest and most visible foreign presence in the country. In an effort to attract increased U.S. investment. With the increased U.S. investment presence, relations between the U.S. and the Government of Equatorial Guinea have been characterized by a positive, constructive relationship.
Equatorial Guinea maintains an embassy in
Washington, D.C.
, and has received approval for a consulate in
Houston, Texas
. President
Obiang
has worked to cultivate the Equatorial Guinea-U.S. relationship with regular visits to the U.S. for meetings with senior government and business leaders.
The United States established diplomatic relations with
Equatorial Guinea
following the country's independence from
Spain
on October 12, 1968.
[1]
Lyndon B. Johnson
, appointed
Albert W. Sherer
, then Ambassador to
Togo
, as the first Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea on October 28, 1968.
[2]
Diplomatic relations were formally initiated on November 21, 1968, when Ambassador Sherer presented his credentials to the Equatorial Guinean government and the American Embassy in Santa Isabel (current day Malabo) was officially established on August 1, 1969, with Albert N. Williams serving as Charge d’Affaires ad interim.
[2]
Diplomatic relations were suspended on March 14, 1976, when U.S. Ambassador
Herbert Spiro
and a U.S. Consul were declared personae non gratae after Equatoguinean Deputy Protocol Director
Santiago Nchama
presented them with a letter accusing the U.S. government of engaging in subversive activities in the country and complaining about U.S. foreign and domestic policy, including the
Vietnam War
and
U.S. nuclear weapons
. A few days later,
Equatorial Guinea's foreign ministry
sent a telegram to the State Department announcing that the two U.S. diplomats were barred from returning to the country.
[3]
[2]
Relations were normalized again on December 19, 1979, upon the credential presentation of
Mabel Murphy Smythe-Haith
as American Ambassador.
[2]
The U.S. Embassy in Malabo was once again established on June 11, 1981, with Joanne Thompson as the Charge d’Affaires ad interim, only to be closed on October 31, 1995, with its functions temporarily moved to the U.S. Embassy in
Yaounde
,
Cameroon
.
[2]
In response to growing economic and political interests, particularly pertaining to energy access and security, the U.S. Government reopened the Embassy in Malabo in 2006. Donald J. Johnson became the first resident ambassador in over a decade when he presented his credentials on November 23, 2006.
[2]
The 2005
U.S. State Department
Human Rights
report on Equatorial Guinea cited shortcomings in basic human rights, political freedom, and
labor rights
. Equatorial Guinea attributes deficiencies to excessive zeal on the part of local authorities and promises better control and
sensitization
. U.S. Government policy involves
constructive engagement
with Equatorial Guinea to encourage an improvement in the human rights situation and positive use of petroleum funds directed toward the development of a working civil society. Equatoguineans visit the U.S. under programs sponsored by the U.S. Government, American oil companies, and educational institutions. The Ambassador's Self-Help Fund annually finances a number of small grassroots projects.
In view of growing ties between U.S. companies and Equatorial Guinea, the U.S. Government's overseas investment promotion agency, the
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
(OPIC), has concluded the largest agreement in
Sub-Saharan Africa
for a major U.S. project in Equatorial Guinea. The
U.S. Agency for International Development
has no Equatorial Guinea-related programs or initiatives nor is the
Peace Corps
present. American-based non-governmental organizations and other donor groups have very little involvement in the country.
Principal U.S. officials include:
The United States has reopened its full-time Embassy in
Malabo
(limited function), with the first resident Ambassador in 12 years.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
This article incorporates
public domain material
from
U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets
.
United States Department of State
.
External links
[
edit
]
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