Relationship dossier
Kiribati
United Kingdom
Relationship assessment
A bilateral relationship grounded in the 1979 Treaty of Friendship
Kiribati toward United Kingdom
+15At independence in 1979, Kiribati concluded a Treaty of Friendship with the United Kingdom, establishing a bilateral framework for relations.
United Kingdom toward Kiribati
+15The United Kingdom concluded a Treaty of Friendship with Kiribati in 1979 as Kiribati became independent, establishing a bilateral framework for relations.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship is shaped by the transition to Kiribati’s independence and the 1979 Treaty of Friendship. Commonwealth ties provide an additional shared framework, but the extent of later direct cooperation is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Kiribati and the United Kingdom have a bilateral relationship rooted in Kiribati’s independence in 1979 and a Treaty of Friendship concluded that year. The countries also share Commonwealth ties. The treaty is a concrete basis for cooperation, though the scope of subsequent direct government collaboration is unclear.
Key developments
Kiribati became independent and concluded a Treaty of Friendship with the United Kingdom.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the Treaty of Friendship are unclear.
- Details of recent direct government cooperation between Kiribati and the United Kingdom are limited.