The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) is a sovereign entity maintaining diplomatic relations with 113 sovereign states (including the Holy See).[1] Additionally, it has observer status or representation at multiple intergovernmental organisations.[2] The Order has non-diplomatic official relations with five more states: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Canada.[1][3] The Order exchanges ambassadors with the European Union and the State of Palestine.[1][2]

Embassy of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Some states recognize SMOM as a sovereign state, rather than a sovereign subject of international law. For example, the Republic of San Marino in 1935 recognized SMOM as a sovereign state in its own right.[4][5][6] As Italy recognizes, in addition to extraterritoriality, the exercise by SMOM of all the prerogatives of sovereignty in its headquarters, Italian sovereignty and SMOM sovereignty uniquely coexist without overlapping.[7]

As of June 2010, nine Schengen states did not recognize the diplomatic passports of the Order: Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Greece, France, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and Switzerland.[8]

Bilateral relations

Diplomatic relations

# Country Date
—  Holy See February 1930[9]
1  Romania December 1932[10]
2  Spain 19 November 1938[11]
3  Haiti 1947[12]
4  Panama 2 August 1948[13]
5  Argentina 7 June 1951[14]
6  El Salvador 1951[12]
7  Brazil 17 January 1952[15]
8  Colombia 28 January 1953[16]
9  Peru 15 April 1953[17]
10  Ecuador 29 July 1953[18]
11  Chile 24 February 1956[19]
12  Italy 12 June 1956[20]
13  Lebanon 1956[12]
14  Costa Rica 8 August 1957[21]
15  Nicaragua 12 September 1957[22]
16  Guatemala 11 December 1957[23]
17  Austria 1957[24]
18  Dominican Republic 1957[24]
19  Paraguay 10 January 1958[25]
20  Cuba 29 July 1959[26]
21  Honduras 1959[24]
22  Liberia 1959[24]
23  Cameroon 4 July 1961[24]
24  Somalia 28 November 1961[24]
25  Portugal 19 December 1962[27]
26  Gabon 1963[24]
27  Bolivia 15 October 1964[28]
28  Philippines 24 April 1965[29]
29  Senegal 1965[24]
30  Uruguay 1965[24]
31  Malta 27 June 1966[30]
32  Venezuela 1970[24]
33  Niger 9 January 1971[31]
34  Ethiopia February 1971[32]
35  Benin 1972[24]
36  Ivory Coast 1972[24]
37  Togo 5 September 1973[33]
38  Burkina Faso 1973[24]
39  Mauritania 3 March 1977[34]
40  Mauritius 18 July 1978[35]
41  Egypt 1980[24]
42  Central African Republic 1981[24]
43  Comoros 1981[24]
44  Thailand 4 September 1984[36]
45  Democratic Republic of the Congo 1984[24]
46  San Marino 4 March 1986[37]
47  Guinea 24 June 1986[38]
48  Mali 1986[24]
49  Morocco 1986[24]
50  Chad 1989[24]
51  Czech Republic 8 June 1990[39]
52  Hungary 15 June 1990[40]
53  Poland 9 July 1990[41]
54  Madagascar 1990[24]
55  Lithuania 9 July 1992[42]
56  Slovenia 15 July 1992[43]
57  Russia 7 August 1992[44]
58  Croatia 22 December 1992[45]
59  Republic of the Congo 1992[24]
60  Cambodia 1992[24]
61  Sudan 1992[24]
62  Slovakia 1 January 1993[46]
63  Kazakhstan 4 February 1993[47]
64  Seychelles June 1994[48]
65  Albania 14 July 1994[49]
66  Bulgaria 11 November 1994[50]
67  Liechtenstein 1994[24]
68  Latvia 15 August 1995[51]
69  Belarus 30 April 1996[52]
70  North Macedonia 12 July 1996[52]
71  Equatorial Guinea 16 July 1996[52]
72  Cape Verde 1996[24]
73  Bosnia and Herzegovina 31 January 1997[53]
74  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines February 1997[54]
75  Federated States of Micronesia 12 November 1997[55]
76  Guinea-Bissau 1997[24]
77  Mozambique 1997[24]
78  São Tomé and Príncipe 1997[24]
79  Armenia 29 May 1998[56]
80  Georgia 24 July 1998[57]
81  Suriname 30 April 1999[58]
82  Guyana 19 May 1999[59]
83  Eritrea 1999[24]
84  Saint Lucia 1999[24]
85  Belize 1999[24]
86  Afghanistan 1999[24]
87  Moldova 5 May 2001[60]
88  Serbia 11 May 2001[61]
89  Tajikistan 1 June 2001[62]
90  Marshall Islands 3 May 2002[63]
91  Kiribati 2002[24]
92  Jordan 29 June 2003[64]
93  Angola 13 December 2005[65]
94  Montenegro 5 September 2006[66]
95  East Timor 18 September 2006[67]
96  Kenya 14 September 2007[68]
97  Monaco 18 October 2007[69]
98  Turkmenistan 30 October 2007[68]
99  Ukraine 9 February 2008[68]
100  Bahamas 11 November 2008[68]
101  Sierra Leone 28 November 2008[68]
102  Namibia 31 March 2009[68]
103  Antigua and Barbuda 20 October 2009[68]
104  Cyprus 6 June 2012[70]
105  South Sudan 14 November 2014[71]
106  Grenada 6 November 2015[72]
107  Germany 15 November 2017[73]
108  Nauru 5 October 2018[74]
109  Estonia 11 March 2020[75]
110  Greece 2 December 2021[76]
111  Lesotho 7 December 2021[77]
112  Gambia 20 September 2023[78]

Other countries

# Name Diplomatic relations established Notes
1  Ecuador 29 July 1953[18] On 10 February 2012, President Rafael Correa issued a decree to withdraw recognition and initiate the process of canceling relations,[79] starting from May.[1] Later on, the relations were restored by President Lenín Moreno on 24 September 2019.[80]
–  European Union 1987 Ambassador level relations.[2]
2  Italy 12 June 1956[20] The Supreme Court of Cassation decreed on 6 June 1974 that, "the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta constitutes a sovereign international subject, in all terms equal, even if without territory, to a foreign state with which Italy has normal diplomatic relations, so there is no doubt, as already this Supreme Court has warned, that it has the legal treatment of foreign states".[81] As Italy recognizes, in addition to extraterritoriality, the exercise by SMOM of all the prerogatives of sovereignty in its headquarters, Italian sovereignty and SMOM sovereignty uniquely coexist without overlapping.[7]
–  Palestinian Authority Ambassador level relations.[1]

Official relations

Name Official relations established Region Notes
 France 1982 Europe France does not recognise the SMOM as a subject of international law.[82]

Unofficial relations

The Order of Malta has unofficial relations with Taiwan through the Embassy of the Republic of China to the Holy See in Rome (Italy).[83]

Countries without established relations

Countries with which the Order currently has no established relations:

Intergovernmental organizations

The Order of Malta has observer status at the following organizations:[2]

Organization observer since Notes
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
International Atomic Energy Agency
United Nations General Assembly
International Fund for Agricultural Development
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
United Nations Environment Programme
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
World Food Programme
World Health Organization

The Order of Malta has delegations or representations to the following organizations:[2]

Organization participates since Notes
Council of Europe
International Institute for the Unification of Private Law
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Preparatory Commission
Inter-American Development Bank
International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
International Committee of Military Medicine
International Committee of the Red Cross
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
International Institute of Humanitarian Law
International Organization for Migration
Latin Union

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Sovereign Military Order of Malta. "Bilateral relations". orderofmalta.int. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e Sovereign Military Order of Malta. "Multilateral relations". orderofmalta.int. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  3. ^ Canada, Global Affairs (2015-10-19). "Canada and the Order of Malta". GAC. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  4. ^ Cansacchi, Giorgio (1940). Il diritto di legazione attivo e passivo dell'Ordine de Malta. p. 65.
  5. ^ Astraudo, A. (1935). "Saint-marin et l'Ordre de Malte". La Revue Diplomatique. 7.
  6. ^ Cox, Noel S.B., The Continuing Question of Sovereignty and the Sovereign Military Order of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta (June 2008). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1140462 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1140462
  7. ^ a b Arocha, Magaly (May 1999). "La Orden de Malta y su Naturaleza Jurídica (The Order of Malta and Its Legal Nature)". Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela: Analítica.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  8. ^ "Council of the European Union - Schengen Visa Working Party - Table of travel documents". p. 31. Archived from the original on 2012-01-14. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  9. ^ "Diplomatic relations of the Holy See". Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Diplomatic Relations of Romania". Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  11. ^ de Béthencourt, Marcos Fernández (2019). La orden de Malta: Estatuto Jurídico internacional (in Spanish). Editorial Sanz Y Torres. p. 296.
  12. ^ a b c de Béthencourt, Marcos Fernández (2019). La orden de Malta: Estatuto Jurídico internacional (in Spanish). Editorial Sanz Y Torres. p. 296.
  13. ^ "RELACIONES DIPLOMÁTICAS DE LA REPÚBLICA DE PANAMÁ" (PDF). p. 195. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Biblioteca Digital de Tratados" (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Decreto nº 30403 de 17/01/1952 / PE - Poder Executivo Federal" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Soberana Orden Militar y Hospitalaria de San Juan de Jerusalén, de Rodas y de Malta" (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  17. ^ "Jefe del Estado recibe cartas credenciales de embajador de la orden de Malta" (in Spanish). 26 June 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  18. ^ a b "Dictamen N. 017-13-DTI-CC" (PDF) (in Spanish). 3 July 2013. p. 2. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  19. ^ Memoria (in Spanish). Chile. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. 1956. p. 432.
  20. ^ a b "Giovedì - 12 Iuglio 1956: Il Presidente della Repubblica riceve in udienza" (in Italian). Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  21. ^ Francisco, Jorge; Carbonell, Sáenz (2013). Historia diplomática de Costa Rica (1948-1970) (in Spanish). UNA. p. 119.
  22. ^ Memoria (in Spanish). 1957. p. 51.
  23. ^ "Relaciones Diplomáticas de Guatemala" (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah de Béthencourt, Marcos Fernández (2019). La orden de Malta: Estatuto Jurídico internacional (in Spanish). Editorial Sanz Y Torres. pp. 302–309.
  25. ^ Yegros, Ricardo Scavone (2011). Representantes Diplomáticos Paraguayos : nómina de los jefes de Misiones Diplomáticas de la República del Paraguay (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  26. ^ "Memoria anual 2015" (PDF) (in Spanish). 2015. p. 19-25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 May 2019.
  27. ^ "Ordem de Malta" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  28. ^ Bolivia, 4-5 (in Spanish). 1964.
  29. ^ "The Republic of the Philippines and the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta celebrate 55 years of formal diplomatic relations today, April 24!". 24 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  30. ^ The Malta Year Book. St. Michael's College Publications. 1984. p. 105.
  31. ^ Bulletin de l'Afrique noire, 627–651 (in French). 1971. Prochaine ouverture de relations diplomatiques, au niveau des ambassades, entre le Niger et l'Ordre de Malte...
  32. ^ Marchés tropicaux et méditerranéens, 27 (in French). 1971. p. 766.
  33. ^ Bulletin de l'Afrique noire, 743–762 (in French). Ediafric. 1973. Ouverture de relations diplomatiques, au niveau des ambassades, entre le Togo et l'Ordre souverain de Malte.
  34. ^ Revue française d'études politiques africaines, 33–137. Société africaine d'édition. 1977. p. 14.
  35. ^ Mauritius Directory of the Diplomatic Corps; High Commissions, Embassies, Consulates, International Organization[s]. 1988. p. 124.
  36. ^ "รัฐอธิปไตยทหาร ออร์เดอร์ ออฟ มอลตา" (in Thai). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  37. ^ "Rapporti bilaterali della Repubblica di San Marino" (in Italian). Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  38. ^ Sub-Saharan Africa Report Issues 75-81. United States. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. 1986. p. 9. ... The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guinea has the pleasure of informing the nation and the world that the Republic of Guinea and the Sovereign Order of Malta ... have decided to establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level as of 24 June 1986.
  39. ^ Petruf, Pavol. Československá zahraničná politika 1945 – 1992 (in Slovak). pp. 99–119.
  40. ^ Daily Report: East Europe. Vol. 12. 1992. p. 397.
  41. ^ "Odpowiedź na zapytanie w sprawie stanu stosunków dyplomatycznych utrzymywanych przez Rzeczpospolitą Polską z Suwerennym Zakonem Rycerskim Szpitalników im. Jana Jerozolimskiego, zwanym Zakonem Maltańskim". Orka2.sejm.gov.pl. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  42. ^ "List of countries with which Lithuania has established diplomatic relations". Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  43. ^ Đogić, Mojca Pristavec (September 2016). "Priznanja samostojne Slovenije" (PDF) (in Slovenian). Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  44. ^ "Мальтийские Игры". Hist.ru. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  45. ^ "MVPEI". Archived from the original on 2010-08-13. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
  46. ^ "Štáty a teritóriá" (in Slovak). Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  47. ^ "Страны, установившие дипломатические отношения с Республикой Казахстан" (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  48. ^ "Order of Malta presents credentials". 4 June 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  49. ^ "Katalogu i Dokumentacionit i Vitit 1994" (PDF) (in Albanian). p. 42. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  50. ^ "Twenty Years of Diplomatic Relations: the Grand Master Receives the Vice President of Bulgaria". 11 November 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  51. ^ "Dates of establishment and renewal of diplomatic relations". mfa.gov.lv. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  52. ^ a b c de Béthencourt, Marcos Fernández (2019). La orden de Malta: Estatuto Jurídico internacional (in Spanish). Editorial Sanz Y Torres. p. 308.
  53. ^ "ODRŽAN XXIX. MEĐUNARODNI LJETNI KAMP ZA HENDIKEPIRANE MLADE OSOBE" (in Bosnian). 5 October 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  54. ^ "Diplomatic Relations Register (4)". 24 January 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  55. ^ "FSM Diplomatic Relations List". Fsmgov.org. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  56. ^ "Sovereign Military Order of Malta". Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  57. ^ "Bilateral relations". Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  58. ^ "Lijst van Diplomatieke Betrekkingen en Visum-afschaffingsovereenkomsten" (PDF). gov.sr (in Dutch). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  59. ^ "Diplomatic relations". Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  60. ^ Primul Ambasador al Republicii Moldova pe lângă Ordinul Suveran Militar de Malta – decorat cu o înaltă distincție (foto) (in Romanian).
  61. ^ "Bilateral cooperation". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  62. ^ "LIST OF STATES WITH WHICH THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN ESTABLISHED DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS" (PDF). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  63. ^ "LISTING OF ALL COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE ESTABLISHED DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS (As of 13 February 2019)". Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  64. ^ "Full diplomatic relations established between the Order of Malta and Jordan". 2 July 2003. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  65. ^ "Relations diplomatiques entre l'Ordre de Malte et l'Angola" (in French). 15 December 2005. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  66. ^ "Tabela priznanja i uspostavljanja diplomatskih odnosa". Montenegro Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  67. ^ "The Order of Malta establishes diplomatic relations with Timor-Leste". 21 September 2006. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  68. ^ a b c d e f g "Activity report 2010" (PDF). April 2010. p. 90. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  69. ^ "Rapport de Politique Extérieure 2007" (in French). p. 44. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  70. ^ Sovereign Military Order of Malta (6 June 2012). "Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the Sovereign Order of Malta formally established". orderofmalta.int. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  71. ^ Sovereign Military Order of Malta (17 November 2014). "The Order of Malta strengthens its action in South Sudan three years after the birth of the nation". orderofmalta.int. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  72. ^ Sovereign Military Order of Malta (12 November 2015). "Establishment of diplomatic relations with Grenada". orderofmalta.int. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  73. ^ Sovereign Military Order of Malta (15 November 2017). "Official Visit of the German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, for the opening of diplomatic relations between Germany and the Order of Malta". orderofmalta.int. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  74. ^ "Diplomatic relations between the Sovereign Order of Malta and the Republic of Nauru". orderofmalta.int. 11 October 2018.
  75. ^ Sovereign Military Order of Malta (11 March 2020). "Estonia and Sovereign Order of Malta establish diplomatic relations".
  76. ^ Sovereign Military Order of Malta (4 December 2021). "Sovereign Order of Malta announces opening of diplomatic relations with Hellenic Republic". orderofmalta.int. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  77. ^ "Order of Malta's mission to the UN in New York announces opening of diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Lesotho". 7 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  78. ^ "The Order of Malta announces the opening of diplomatic relations with the Republic of The Gambia". Sovereign Order of Malta. 21 September 2023.
  79. ^ "La Orden Soberana de Malta". Elcomercio.com. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  80. ^ Sovereign Military Order of Malta (24 September 2019). "A renewed friendship between Ecuador and the Order of Malta". orderofmalta.int.
  81. ^ "Corte Suprema di Cassazione; Sezioni unite civili; sentenza 6 giugno 1974, n. 1653" (PDF). Il Foro Italiano. 98 (6): 1471/1472–1475/1476. June 1975. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  82. ^ "The Sovereignty of the Order of Malta". Heraldica.org. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
  83. ^ "Donation to the Holy Family Hospital from the Republic of China (Taiwan)". orderofmalta.int. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  84. ^ The 10 October 2017 decree of the Chancellor of the Dutch Orders lists the SMOM as one of three "Recognised (knightly) orders" (Erkende (ridderlijke) orden) and authorises it members to wear their decorations in the Netherlands.
  85. ^ Sovereign Military Order of Malta. "Associate Countries". orderofmalta.int. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
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