• Finland has an embassy in Washington, D.C. and consulates-general in Los Angeles and New York City.
• the United States has an embassy inHelsinki.
• Both countries are members of theArctic Council,OECD,OSCE,NATO and theUnited Nations.
• the United States fully supported Finland's application to join NATO, which resulted in membership on 4 April 2023.

France was the first foreign state to establish diplomatic relations with the United States.

In the political sphere, Germany stands at the center of European Union affairs and plays a key leadership role as a member of the G-7, G-20, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The United States recognizes that the security and prosperity of the United States and Germany significantly depend on each other.^[69]

• the Netherlands has an embassy in Washington, D.C. and consulates-general in Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, New York City and San Francisco.
• the United States has an embassy inThe Hague and consulates-general inAmsterdam andWillemstad,Curaçao.
• Both countries are members ofNATO,OECD,OSCE and theUnited Nations.

• Sweden has an embassy in Washington, D.C. and consulates-general in New York City and San Francisco.
• the United States has an embassy inStockholm.
• Both countries are members of theArctic Council,OECD,OSCE,NATO and theUnited Nations.
• the United States fully supported Sweden's application to join NATO, which resulted in membership on 7 March 2024.

• United States has an embassy inAnkara, a Consulate General inIstanbul and a Consulate inAdana.
• Turkey has an embassy inWashington, D.C., and Consulate Generals inBoston,Chicago,Houston,Los Angeles,Miami andNew York City.
• Both countries are members of OECD,G20,NATO andWTO.
• There are direct flights fromIstanbul toAtlanta,Boston,Chicago,Houston,Los Angeles,Miami,Newark,San Francisco andWashington, D.C.
• Yunus Emre Institute has a local headquarters inWashington, D.C.
• Following itsNATO membership in 1952 and subsequent hosting of theUnited States Air Force inIncirlik Air Base, Turkey became the bulwark ofNATO's southeastern flank, the directly borderingWarsaw Pact countries. Turkey participated with the United States during theKorean War of the early 1950s and theGulf War of 1990.

The USA establisheddiplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 1 June 1785.^[105] UK–US diplomatic relations is commonly described as the "Special Relationship".

• The United States maintains anembassy inLondon.
• The United Kingdom is accredited to the United States through itsembassy in Washington, D.C.^[106]

The UK governed theUnited States from 1585 to 1783, when the United States achieved full independence.

Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic Co-operation Pact,^[107]AUKUS,Five Eyes, theG7, theG20,NATO, theOECD, theOSCE, theUKUSA Agreement, theUNSCP5, theUnited Nations, and theWorld Trade Organization. Bilateral the two countries have a Double Taxation Convention,^[108] an Economic Prosperity Deal,^[109] and aMutual Defence Agreement.

SinceWorld War II, the two countries have shared aSpecial Relationship as part of theAnglosphere. While both the United States and the United Kingdom maintain close relationships with many other nations around the world, the level of cooperation in military planning, execution of military operations, nuclear weapons technology, and intelligence sharing with each other has been described as "unparalleled" among major powers throughout the 20th and early 21st century.^[110] The United States and Britain share the world's largest foreign direct investment partnership. American investment in the United Kingdom reached $255.4 billion in 2002, while British direct investment in the United States totaled $283.3 billion.^[111]

The European Union and the United States have the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship and enjoy the most integrated economic relationship in the world. Although overtaken by China in 2021 as the largest EU import source for goods, the US remains the EU's largest trade and investment partner, even without theTransatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.^[112]

The official US presence in Algeria is expanding following over a decade of limited staffing, reflecting the general improvement in the security environment. During the past three years, the US embassy has moved toward more normal operations and now provides most embassy services to the American and Algerian communities.

After the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, Egyptian foreign policy began to shift as a result of the change in Egypt's leadership from President Gamal Abdel-Nasser to Anwar Sadat and the emerging peace process between Egypt and Israel. Sadat realized that reaching a settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict is a precondition for Egyptian development. To achieve this goal, Sadat ventured to enhance Egypt–United States relations to foster a peace process with Israel.

In 2011, the United States cut diplomatic relations with theGaddafi regime. The United States recognized theNational Transitional Council as the legitimate government of Libya on July 15, 2011.^[116]

Morocco was the first sovereign nation to recognize the United States in 1777. American-Moroccan relations were formalized in a1786 treaty, which is still in force and is the oldest unbroken bilateral treaty in American history.

The Arab League has a representation headquarter, and several offices in the U.S.

Relations were tense during theAngolan Civil War when the US government backedUNITA rebels, but have warmed since the Angolan government renouncedMarxism in 1992.

The two nations have had an excellent history of relations in the years since Benin embraceddemocracy. The US government continues to assist Benin with the improvement of living standards that are key to the ultimate success of Benin's experiment with democratic government and economic liberalization, and are consistent with US values and national interest in reducingpoverty and promoting growth. The bulk of the US effort in support of consolidating democracy in Benin is focused on long-term human resource development through USAID programs.^[122]

Bilateral relations between the United States and Uganda have been good sinceYoweri Museveni assumed power, and the United States has welcomed his efforts to end human rights abuses and to pursue economic reform. Uganda is a strong supporter of the GlobalWar on Terror. The United States is helping Uganda achieve export-led economic growth through theAfrican Growth and Opportunity Act and provides a significant amount of development assistance. At the same time, the United States is concerned about continuing human rights problems and the pace of progress toward the establishment of genuine political pluralism.

The diplomatic relationship between the United States andZambia can be characterized as warm and cooperative. The United States works closely with theZambian Government to defeat theHIV/AIDSpandemic that is ravaging Zambia, to promoteeconomic growth anddevelopment, and to effect political reform needed to promote responsive and responsible government. The United States is also supporting the government's efforts to root out corruption. Zambia is a beneficiary of theAfrican Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The US government provides a variety of technical assistance and other support that is managed by theDepartment of State, USAID,Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Threshold Program,Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,Department of the Treasury,Department of Defense, and thePeace Corps. The majority of US assistance is provided through thePresident's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), in support of the fight against HIV/AIDS.

AfterMorgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe's rival and leader of theMovement for Democratic Change, becamePrime Minister of Zimbabwe under a power-sharing agreement, theBarack Obamaadministration extended its congratulations to Tsvangirai, but said that the US would wait for evidence of Mugabe's cooperation with the MDC before it would consider lifting its sanctions.^[169] In early March 2009, Obama proclaimed that US sanctions would be protracted provisionally for another year, because Zimbabwe's political crisis is as yet unresolved.^[170]

• Armenia has anembassy in Washington, D.C.
• United States has anembassy in Yerevan.
• United States hasrecognized theArmenian genocide in 2019 and 2021.
• TheArmenia–United States Strategic Partnership Charter was signed on 14 January 2025.

The United States and theSublime State of Iran recognized each other in 1850. Diplomatic relations were established in 1883 and severed in 1980.

• United States has an embassy inAnkara, a Consulate General inIstanbul and a Consulate inAdana.
• Turkey has an embassy inWashington, D.C. and Consulate Generals inBoston,Chicago,Houston,Los Angeles,Miami andNew York City.
• Both countries are members of OECD,G20,NATO andWTO.
• There are direct flights fromIstanbul toAtlanta,Boston,Chicago,Houston,Los Angeles,Miami,Newark,San Francisco andWashington, D.C.
• Yunus Emre Institute has a local headquarters inWashington, D.C.
• Following itsNATO membership in 1952 and subsequent hosting of theUnited States Air Force inIncirlik Air Base, Turkey became the bulwark ofNATO's southeastern flank, the directly borderingWarsaw Pact countries. Turkey participated with the United States during theKorean War of the early 1950s and theGulf War of 1990.

The United States was the third country to establish formal diplomatic relations with the UAE and has had anambassador resident in the UAE since 1974. The two countries have enjoyed friendlyrelations with each other and have developed into friendly government-to-government ties which includesecurity assistance. UAE and US had enjoyed private commercial ties, especially inpetroleum. The quality of UAE–US relations increased dramatically as a result of the US-led coalition's campaign to end the Iraqi occupation ofKuwait. UAE ports host moreUS Navy ships than any port outside the US.

Traditionally, United States – Yemen relations have been tepid, as the lack of strong military-to-military ties, commercial relations, and support of Yemeni PresidentAli Abdullah Saleh has hindered the development of strong bilateral ties. During the early years of theGeorge W. Bush administration, relations improved under the rubric of thewar on terror, thoughYemen's lack of policies toward wanted terrorists has stalled additional US support.^[191]

The US embassy, USAID, and thePeace Corps are located inAshgabat, Turkmenistan. The United States and Turkmenistan continue to disagree about the country's path towarddemocratic and economic reform. The United States has publicly advocated industrialprivatization, market liberalization, and fiscal reform, as well as legal and regulatory reforms to open up the economy to foreign trade and investment, as the best way to achieve prosperity and true independence and sovereignty.

Relations improved slightly in the latter half of 2007, but the U.S.A. continues to call for Uzbekistan to meet all of its commitments under the March 2002 Declaration of Strategic Partnership between the two countries. The declaration covers not only security and economic relations but political reform, economic reform, and human rights. Uzbekistan hasCentral Asia's largest population and is vital to US, regional, and international efforts to promote stability and security.

In 2021, theTaliban overthrew the U.S.-backedIslamic Republic of Afghanistan concurrent with thewithdrawal of U.S. troops, leading to the relocation of theU.S. Embassy in Kabul toDoha,Qatar.^[197] On November 12, 2021, the U.S. announced that an interests section would open at the Embassy of Qatar in Kabul on December 31, to serve as theprotecting power for the U.S. in Afghanistan.^[198] TheIslamic Republic's diplomatic missions to the U.S. operated independently for several months before shutting down operations and transferring custody of the properties to the U.S. State Department on March 16, 2022. Afghanistan has no protecting power in the U.S.^{[199][200][201]}

Today the relationship between the two countries is based on what is described by American diplomats as the "three Ds", meaning Democracy, Development and Denial of space for terrorism. The United States is closely working with Bangladesh in combatingIslamic extremism and terrorism and is providing hundreds of millions of dollars every year in economic assistance.

While the United States has no formal diplomatic relations with Bhutan, it maintains informal contact through its embassy in New Delhi, India. The US has offered to resettle 60,000 of the 107,000Bhutanese refugees of Nepalese origin now living in seven UN refugee camps in southeastern Nepal.

The relationships between India in the days of theBritish Raj and the US were thin.^[205]Swami Vivekananda promotedYoga andVedanta in America at theWorld's Parliament of Religions in Chicago, during theWorld's Fair in 1893.Mark Twain visited India in 1896^[206] and described it in his travelogueFollowing the Equator with both revulsion and attraction before concluding that India was the only foreign land he dreamed about or longed to see again.^[207] Regarding India, Americans learned more from English writerRudyard Kipling.^[208]Mahatma Gandhi had an important influence on the philosophy of non-violence promoted byMartin Luther King Jr. in the 1950s.

At present, India and the US share an extensive and expanding cultural, strategic, military, and economic relationship^{[209][210][211][212][213]} which is in the phase of implementingconfidence building measures (CBM) to overcome the legacy oftrust deficit – brought about by adversarial US foreign policies^{[214][215][216][217]} and multiple instances of technology denial^{[218][219][220][221][222]} – which have plagued the relationship over several decades.^[223][224] Unrealistic expectations after the conclusion of the 2008India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement (which underestimated negative public opinion regarding the long-term viability of nuclear power generation and civil-society endorsement for contractual guarantees on safeguards and liability) has given way to pragmatic realism and refocus on areas of cooperation which enjoy favourable political and electoral consensus.

The United States and thePeople's Republic of China have extensive yet complex economic relationships and partnerships. A great amount of trade between the two countries necessitates positive economic relations, although occasional disagreements over tariffs, currency exchange rates, intellectual property theft, and thepolitical status of Taiwan occurs. The United States has criticized China on such human rights issues as the1989 Tiananmen Square protests, thepersecution of Falun Gong, and more recently themass detaining ofUyghurs,Kazakhs, and other ethnic and religious minorities inXinjiang, as well the forcedsinicization ofMongols andTibetans. China has criticized the United States on human rights issues in response and accused the latter of "interfering in China's internal affairs". The United Statesacknowledges the PRC'sOne-China policy.

The relations deteriorated sharply underChinese Communist Party general secretaryXi Jinping, with issues such as China'smilitarization of the South China Sea andChinese espionage in the United States arising. U.S. presidentDonald Trump launched atrade war against China, banned U.S. companies from selling equipment toHuawei, increased visa restrictions on Chinese students and scholars, and designated China as a "currency manipulator".^{[232][233][234][235][236]} The more confrontational policy has endured during theBiden administration, which focuses on China'streatment of Hong Kong, thethreats against Taiwan, thepersecution of Uyghurs in China, andChinese cyberwarfare. In response, China has adopted "wolf warrior diplomacy" to counter allegations they see as incorrect and damaging to the American-Chinese dialogue.

2018 (Taiwan Travel Act) - high-level working partnership

The United States recognized theNationalist Government as the legitimate government of all of China throughout theChinese Civil War. The U.S. continued to recognize the Republic of China until 1979, when it shifted its recognition to thePeople's Republic of China in accordance with theOne China policy, where the U.S. 'acknowledge', or take note of, the Chinese position on Taiwan but not 'recognizing' or accepting it, which allows the U.S. flexibility to pursue unofficial but robust relations with Taipei. The U.S. continued to provide Taiwan with military aid after 1979, and continued informal relations through theAmerican Institute in Taiwan, and Taiwan is considered to be a strong Asian ally and supporter of the United States.^[237] The U.S. Congress passed the Taiwan Travel Act on February 28, 2018, and the bill was subsequently signed into federal law by President Donald Trump, formalizing high-level communications between Washington and Taipei as well as permitting intergovernmental contact at the highest level.^[238]

U.S. foreign policy toward Hong Kong, grounded in a determination to promote Hong Kong's prosperity,autonomy, and way of life, is stated in theU.S.–Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992. It rules that the U.S. would continue to treat Hong Kong apart from thePeople's Republic of China even after the1997 transfer of sovereignty marking the end ofBritish rule. The United States maintains substantial economic and political interests in Hong Kong. The United States supports Hong Kong's autonomy by concluding and implementing bilateral agreements; promoting trade and investment; arranging high-level visits; broadeninglaw enforcement cooperation; bolstering educational, academic, and cultural links; and supporting the large community of U.S. citizens and visitors.

In recognition of Macau's high degree of autonomy, the United States continues to treat Macau as a "special area" distinct from thePeople's Republic of China. Macau's clothes and textiles continued to enter the United States underquotas separated from those of China. Under the terms of a September 2000 bilateralmemorandum of understanding, Macau and the U.S. government cooperate in enforcing textile quotas and preventing illegal trans-shipment. The United States continued periodic visits byU.S. Customs Textile Production Verification Teams to ensure compliance with Macau bilateral textile commitments.

The relationship began in the 1850s, as the United States was a major factor in forcing Japan to resume contacts with the outer world beyond a very restricted role. In the late 19th century, the Japanese sent many delegations to Europe, and some to the U.S., to discover and copy the latest technology and thereby modernize Japan very rapidly and allow it to build its own empire. There was some friction over control of Hawaii and the Philippines, but Japan stood aside as the U.S. annexed those lands in 1898. Likewise, the U.S. did not object when Japan took control of Korea. The two nations cooperated with the European powers in suppressing theBoxer Rebellion in China in 1900, but the U.S. was increasingly troubled about Japan's denial of theOpen Door Policy that would ensure that all nations could do business with China on an equal basis.^[242]

President Theodore Roosevelt admired Japan's strength as it defeated a major European power, Russia. He brokered an end to the war between Russia and Japan in 1905–6. Anti-Japanese sentiment (especially on the West Coast) soured relations in the 1907–24 era. In the 1930s, the U.S. protested vehemently against Japan's seizure of Manchuria (1931), its war against China (1937–45), and its seizure of Indochina (Vietnam) 1940–41. American sympathies were with China and Japan rejected increasingly angry American demands that Japan pull out of China. The two nations fought an all-out war 1941–45; the U.S. won a total victory, with heavy bombing (including two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki) that devastated Japan's 50 largest industrial cities. The U.S. Army underDouglas MacArthur occupied and ruled Japan, 1945–51, with the successful goal of sponsoring a peaceful, prosperous and democratic nation.^[243]

In 1951, the United States and Japan signedTreaty of San Francisco andSecurity Treaty Between the United States and Japan, subsequently revised asTreaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan in 1960, relations since then have been excellent. The United States considers Japan to be one of its closest allies, and it is both a major non-NATO ally and NATO contact country. The United States has several military bases in Japan includingYokosuka, which harbors theUS 7th Fleet. TheJSDF, or Japanese Self Defense Force, cross-train with the U.S. military, often providing auxiliary security and conducting war games.

South Korea–United States relations have been most extensive since 1945, when the United States helped establish capitalism in South Korea and led the UN-sponsoredKorean War against North Korea and China (1950–53).^[249] South Korea's rapid economic growth, democratization and modernization greatly reduced its U.S. dependency. Large numbers of U.S. forces remain in South Korea. On September 24, 2018, U.S. president Donald Trump signed arenegotiated trade agreement with South Korean PresidentMoon Jae-in.^[250]

The United States welcomed Brunei Darussalam's full independence from the United Kingdom on January 1, 1984, and opened an embassy inBandar Seri Begawan on that date. Brunei opened its embassy inWashington, D.C. in March 1984.Brunei's armed forces engage in joint exercises, training programs, and other military cooperation with the US. A memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation was signed on November 29, 1994. TheSultan of Brunei visited Washington in December 2002.

As the largest ASEAN member,Indonesia has played an active and prominent role in developing the organization.^[255] For United States, Indonesia is important for dealing with certain issues; such as terrorism,^[256] democracy, and how United States project its relations with Islamic world, since Indonesia has the world's largest Islamic population, and one that honors and respects religious diversity.^[257] The United States views Indonesia as a potential strategic ally in Southeast Asia.^[258] During his stately visit to Indonesia, US presidentBarack Obama has held up Indonesia as an example of how a developing nation can embrace democracy and diversity.^[259][260]

Despite increasingly strained relations under theMahathir Mohamad government, ties have been thawed underNajib Razak's administration. Economic ties are particularly robust, with the United States being Malaysia's largest trading partner and Malaysia is the tenth-largest trading partner of the US. Annual bilateral trade amounts to $50 billion. The United States and Malaysia launched negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in June 2006.

The United States and Malaysia enjoy strong security cooperation. Malaysia hosts the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Counterterrorism (SEARCCT), where over 2000 officials from various countries have received training. The United States is among the foreign countries that has collaborated with the center in conducting capacity building programmes. The United States and Malaysia share a strong military-to-military relationship with numerous exchanges, training, joint exercises, and visits.

US and European government sanctions against the military government, alongside boycotts and other types direct pressure on corporations by western supporters of the Burmese democracy movement, have resulted in the withdrawal from Burma of most United States and many European companies. However, several Western companies remain due to loopholes in the sanctions.^[264] Asian corporations have generally remained willing to continue investing in Myanmar and to initiate new investments, particularly innatural resource extraction.

Ongoing reforms have improved relations between Burma and the United States. However the Rohingya Crisis has been deteriorating ties.^[265]

The Philippines and the United States have an extremely strong relationship with each other due to their long-standing alliance. The Philippine-USA links stretch back in time. The first Asians in the Americas were the Filipinos.^[267]

The first recorded advent of Filipinos in what is now the United States date to October 1587 aroundMorro Bay, California,^[268] with the first permanent settlement inLouisiana in 1763,^[269] they were named "Manilamen" and they served in theBattle of New Orleans during the closing stages of theWar of 1812, when the British Empire and American Republic once again went to war against each other as Filipinos in Saint Malo supported the American side against the British Empire. One American state, due to it being a former Spanish territory, Texas, was even once called "TheNew Philippines", so named since the Spanish wanted to replicate the prosperity they achieved in the Philippines, in that territory in the Americas.^[270]

The Spanish government ceded the Philippines to the United States in the1898 Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish–American War and led to thePhilippine–American War. The Philippines was a United States colony from 1898 to 1946. The United States finally recognized Philippine independence on July 4, 1946, in theTreaty of Manila.^[271] July 4 was observed in the Philippines as Independence Day until August 4, 1964, when, upon the advice of historians and the urging of nationalists, PresidentDiosdado Macapagal signed into law Republic Act No. 4166 designating June 12 as the country'sIndependence Day.^[272]

The United States and the Philippines have fought together in many conflicts such asWorld War I,World War II, theKorean War,Vietnam War,Islamic insurgency in the Philippines,Gulf War and thewar on terror.

The Philippines and the United States still maintain close, friendly, diplomatic, political and military relations with more than 100,000 US citizens and nationals living in the Philippines and more than 4 million Filipinos living in the United States. Both countries actively cooperate in the trade, investment and financial sectors. The US is also the largest investor in the Philippine economy with an estimated total worth of $63 billion.

The United States and the Philippines conduct joint military exercises called theBalikatan that take place once a year to boost relations between the two countries. The US military also conducts humanitarian and aid missions in the Philippines. The Philippines is one out of twomajor US allies in South East Asia.

Since 2003 the US has designated thePhilippines as amajor non-NATO ally. However, relations between the United States and the Philippines began to deteriorate in 2016 with Philippines presidentRodrigo Duterte wanting to form an alliance withChina andRussia and separating the country from all connections and ties with the United States, both economically and socially.

After a 20-year hiatus of severed ties,PresidentBill Clinton announced the formal normalization of diplomatic relations withVietnam on July 11, 1995. Subsequent to President Clinton's normalization announcement, in August 1995, both nations upgraded their Liaison Offices opened during January 1995 to embassy status. As diplomatic ties between the nations grew, the United States opened aconsulate general inHo Chi Minh City, and Vietnam opened aconsulate inSan Francisco. Today, the United States views Vietnam as a potential strategic ally in Southeast Asia.^[258]

Australia and the United States have long been close and strategic allies and have traditionally been aligned with theCommonwealth of Nations. The two countries have a shared history, both have previously been British Colonies and many Americans flocked to theAustralian goldfields in the 19th century. At the strategic level, the relationship really came to prominence in theSecond World War, when the two nations worked extremely closely in thePacific War against Japan, with GeneralDouglas MacArthur undertaking his role as Supreme Allied Commander based in Australia, effectively having Australian troops and resources under his command. During this period, the cultural interaction between Australia and the United States were elevated to a higher level as over 1 million US military personnel moved through Australia during the course of the war. The relationship continued to evolve throughout the second half of the 20th century, and today now involves strong relationships at the executive and mid levels of government and the military, leadingAssistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs,Kurt M. Campbell to declare that "in the last ten years, [Australia] has ascended to one of the closest one or two allies [of the US] on the planet".^[278] It was also strengthened its relationship with the United States as Britain's influence in Asia declined. At the governmental level, United States-Australia relations are formalized by theANZUS treaty and theAustralia–United States Free Trade Agreement.^{[citation needed]}

The Cook Islands are an Associated State of New Zealand and has consular relations with the United States, in addition as early as 1980, the two sides signed theCook Islands-United States Maritime Boundary Treaty. On September 25, 2023, the two sides established diplomatic relations.^[279]

Relations are currently steady since Fiji's elections in September 2014. The United States had opposed Fiji's unelected government, whichcame to power through a military coup in December 2006. The United States suspended $2.5 million in aid money pending a review of the situation, following the 2006 coup.^[281]

Relations between Kiribati and the United States are excellent. Kiribati signed a treaty of friendship with the United States after independence in 1979. The United States has no consular or diplomatic facilities in the country. Officers of the American Embassy inSuva,Fiji, are concurrently accredited to Kiribati and make periodic visits. The USPeace Corps maintained a program in Kiribati from 1974 to 2008.

The Marshall Islands is asovereign nation in "free association" with the United States. The Marshall Islands and the United States maintain excellent relations. After more than a decade of negotiation, the Marshall Islands and the United States signed the Compact of Free Association on June 25, 1983. The Compact gives the US full authority and responsibility over defense of the Marshall Islands. The Marshall Islands and the United States both lay claim toWake Island. The Compact that binds the Marshall Islands and the United States is the same one that binds the United States and theFederated States of Micronesia andPalau.

Reflecting a strong legacy ofTrusteeship cooperation, over 25 US federal agencies continue to maintain programs in the FSM. The United States and the FSM share very strong relations. Under the Amended Compact, the US has full authority and responsibility for the defense of the FSM. This security relationship can be changed or terminated by mutual agreement. The Compact that binds the US and the FSM is the same one that binds the United States to theMarshall Islands and toPalau.

Relations between Nauru and the United States are complicated. While the new US ambassador to Fiji has promised Nauru assistance in economic development, there have been disagreements about Cuba andForeign policy of the United States, and the United States does not have an embassy in Nauru; instead, the US embassy staff inSuva, Fiji make periodical visits.

United States-New Zealand relations are strong, but complex. The United States has historically assisted New Zealand in times of turmoil; for instance, duringWorld War II,US bombingHiroshima andNagasaki, and with the September2010 Canterbury earthquake and theFebruary 2011 Christchurch earthquake. New Zealand has reciprocated; for example, by participating in theKorean War and theVietnam War. However, the United Statessuspended its mutual defense obligations to New Zealand because of the state'snon-nuclear policies. In 1996, the United States under PresidentBill Clinton reinstated New Zealand's status from a 'friend' to an 'ally' by designating New Zealand as amajor non-NATO ally. Despite disagreements between the two countries, the bilateral trade, security, and cultural relationship continued to flourish. New Zealand continued to play a supportive role in international conflicts inSomalia,Bosnia, and thePersian Gulf. New Zealand and the United States are close collaborators in the international intelligence alliance,Five Eyes, which is one of the most comprehensive known espionage alliances in history. Following the9/11 attacks on the United States in 2001, New Zealand supported international counter-terrorism efforts and assisted the United States throughout the war inAfghanistan. Throughout the 2000s, the United States has remained New Zealand'sfourth-largest trading partner andthird-largest source of visitors.

On October 1, 1994, after five decades of US administration, the country of Palau became the last component of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands to gain its independence. In 1978, Palau decided not to join the Federated States of Micronesia, due to culture and language differences, and instead sought independence. In 1986, the Compact of Free Association agreement between Palau and the United States was approved, paving the way for Palau's independence.

Relations between the two countries are generally amicable, or neutral, but there have been notable disagreements regarding the issues of climate change and theKyoto Protocol.

The United States andVanuatu established diplomatic relations on September 30, 1986 - three months to the day after Vanuatu had established diplomatic relations with theSoviet Union.^[293] Relations were often tense in the 1980s, under the prime ministership of FatherWalter Lini in Vanuatu, but eased after that. At present, bilateral relations consist primarily in United States aid to Vanuatu.