Relationship dossier
United States
Vanuatu
Relationship assessment
Development cooperation and renewed U.S. diplomatic engagement underpin U.S.–Vanuatu relations.
United States toward Vanuatu
+35The United States has supported Vanuatu's development through a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact and other assistance. It reopened its embassy in Port Vila in 2024, renewing direct diplomatic engagement.
Vanuatu toward United States
+30Vanuatu participated in a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact with the United States and has cooperated with U.S. development assistance. The extent of its broader government cooperation with Washington is unclear.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship has a practical cooperative foundation in development assistance and the Millennium Challenge Corporation compact. The 2024 reopening of the U.S. embassy in Port Vila renewed U.S. diplomatic engagement, but the scope of wider strategic 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
The United States and Vanuatu have cooperated on development, including through a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact and U.S. assistance. The reopening of the U.S. embassy in Port Vila in 2024 reflects renewed U.S. engagement. The relationship includes practical cooperation, though its breadth and durability are less clear than in a close strategic partnership.
Key developments
Vanuatu and the United States entered a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact focused on development.
The United States reopened its embassy in Port Vila.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of current bilateral development and security cooperation are unclear.
- Details of Vanuatu's government engagement with the United States beyond development cooperation are limited.