Treaty of friendship

A treaty of friendship, also known as a friendship treaty, is a common generic name for any treaty establishing close ties between countries. Friendship treaties have been used for agreements about use and development of resources, territorial integrity, access to harbours, trading lanes and fisheries, and promises of cooperation. Whilst not common, there are some treaties agreeing to some forms of military alliance which have use friendship terminology in their titles,^[1] as well as some non-aggression pacts. Additionally, friendship treaties have also signalled an independent relationship with emerging states.^[2]

Ancient Greeks distinguished between three different types of friendships between two polities: Philiai, symmachia, and epimachia. Both symmachia and epimachia were types of alliances, with the former committing States to support each other in battle and the latter requiring parties to assist each other if one suffered an invasion. Philiai, then, made the important distinction of denoting friendship between polities but did not give the treaty partners the status of allies. Romans had a similar word amicitia, which was a state of diplomatic relations which could coexist with an alliance, or exist without it. The Romans employed a practice of establishing peace and friendship with polities on its peripheries, though in practice these relationships were usually built on unequal treaties, requiring the neighbour to support Rome militarily, though not necessarily the reverse.^[1]

In most cases, the friendship treaties are not based on equal partnership. This is particularly the case in treaties between aboriginal nations and the colonizers, both in America and in the Pacific, throughout the Colonial era. These treaties, often written primarily in the language of the coloniser, manipulated the terminology of friendship by the larger powers in order to create an environment of trust, primarily for the benefit of themselves. While promising protection in return for these benefits, the treaties are more subtle ways of accessing resources for commercial exploitation of smaller nations.^[1]

Since the early 2000s, friendship in international relations has been under closer analysis. Whilst friendship terminology had always been used in discourse and diplomacy, the analysis of friendship in international relations had been dismissed as merely being synonymous with good relations. In 2007, Felix Berenskoetter called for the inclusion of friendship analysis into international relations and since then a modest body of literature around the concept has been formed.^[3][4]

In the Soviet Union, Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance or Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance (Russian: Договор о дружбе, сотрудничестве и взаимопомощи) was a standard Russian language reference to various treaties both internally, between the Soviet Republics, and externally, with countries considered friendly. This terminology is still in use for some post-Soviet states. The terminology was used in many so-called "friendship treaties" the Soviet Union made, but also was used in the Warsaw Pact.^[5]

In the United States, these types of treaties are commonly a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation. More than a hundred "Treaties of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation" have been signed since independence. Since 1946, these treaties have dealt with commercial matters concerned with the protection of persons, natural and juridical, and of the property and interests of such persons. They define the treatment each country owes the nationals of the other; their rights to engage in business and other activities within the boundaries of the former; and the respect due them, their property and their enterprises.^[5]

List of Friendship Treaties

Signatories	Treaty	Date signed
Electorate of Hanover Russian Empire	Treaty of Friendship of Hanover	3 July 1710
Mosquito Nation Great Britain	Treaty of Friendship and Alliance	16 March 1740
France United States	Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–France)	6 February 1778
Prussia United States	Treaty of Amity and Commerce (Prussia–United States)[6]	10 September 1795
Morocco United States	Moroccan–American Treaty of Friendship	28 June 1786
Ottoman Empire United States	Treaty of Tripoli (Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary)	4 November 1796
Johor United Kingdom	Singapore Treaty of Friendship and Alliance[7]	6 February 1819
Johor United Kingdom	Crawfurd Treaty (Treaty of Friendship and Alliance between the Honourable East India Company, and the Sultan and the Temenggong of Johore)[8][9]	2 August 1824
Argentina United Kingdom	Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Between Argentina and the United Kingdom	1825
Hawaii United States	Hawaii-United States Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation	1849
Brunei United States	Brunei–United States Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Commerce and Navigation	23 June 1850
Japan United Kingdom	Anglo-Japanese Friendship Treaty	14 October 1854
Argentina Prussia (Zollverein)	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the German Zollverein and the Argentine Confederation[10]	19 September 1857
Japan Prussia	Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Prussia and Japan[11][12]	24 January 1861
China Prussia	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty between Prussia and China	2 September 1861
Prussia (Zollverein) Siam	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the German Zollverein and Thailand[13][14]	7 February 1862
Liberia North Germany (Zollverein)	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the North German Confederation and the Republic of Liberia	31 October 1867
Japan North Germany (Zollverein)	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the German Zollverein and Japan	20 February 1869
Mexico North Germany (Zollverein)	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the North German Confederation and the United States of Mexico	28 August 1869
Serbia United Kingdom	Anglo–Serbian Treaty of Friendship and Commerce[15]	7 February 1870
North Germany (Zollverein) El Salvador	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the German Zollverein and El Salvador	13 June 1870
German Empire Persia	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the German Empire and Persia	11 June 1873
Costa Rica German Empire	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the German Empire and Costa Rica	18 May 1875
German Empire Tonga	Treaty of Friendship between the German Empire and Tonga	1 November 1876
German Empire Samoa	Treaty of Friendship Between the German Empire and Samoa	24 January 1879
German Empire Hawaiian Kingdom	Friendship, Commerce, Navigation Consular Treaty Between the German Empire and the Hawaiian Kingdom	10 February 1880
Korea United States	United States–Korea Treaty of 1882	22 May 1882
German Empire Mexico	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the German Empire and the United States of Mexico	5 December 1882
German Empire Joseon	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the German Empire and the Kingdom of Korea	26 November 1883
German Empire Zanzibar	Friendship, Commerce, Navigation and Consular Treaty Between the German Empire and the Sultanate of Zanzibar	20 December 1885
German Empire South African Republic	Friendship and Commerce Treaty Between the German Empire and the South African Republic	22 January 1886
Ecuador German Empire	Treaty of Friendship Between the German Empire and Ecuador	28 March 1887
German Empire Guatemala	Friendship, Commerce, Navigation and Consular Treaty Between the German Empire and Guatemala	20 September 1887
German Empire Honduras	Friendship, Commerce, Navigation and Consular Treaty Between the German Empire and Honduras	12 December 1887
German Empire Ottoman Empire	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire	26 August 1890
Colombia German Empire	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the German Empire and Colombia	23 July 1892
Brazil Japan	Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Brazil and Japan[16]	1895
German Empire Nicaragua	Friendship, Commerce Navigation, and Consular Treaty Between the German Empire and Nicaragua	4 February 1896
German Empire Orange Free State	Friendship and Commerce Treaty Between the German Empire and the Orange Free State	28 April 1897
Tonga United Kingdom	Treaty of Friendship between Tonga and the United Kingdom.	18 May 1900
Bolivia Chile	Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1904)	20 October 1904
Ethiopian Empire German Empire	German-Ethiopian Friendship and Commerce Treaty	7 March 1905
German Empire Venezuela	Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty Between the German Empire and Venezuela	26 January 1909
Mongolia Tibet	Treaty of friendship and alliance between the Government of Mongolia and Tibet	11 January 1913
Persia Russian SFSR	Russo-Persian Treaty of Friendship	26 February 1921
Turkey Russian SFSR	Treaty of Moscow (1921)[note 1]	16 March 1921
Mongolia Russian SFSR	Agreement between the Government of the RSFSR and the People's Government of Mongolia on the Establishment of Friendly Relations between Russia and Mongolia[17]	5 November 1921
Germany United States	Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Consular Relations between Germany and the United States of America	8 December 1923
Russian SFSR Tannu-Tuva	Treaty between the RSFSR and the Tannu-Tuvan People's Republic on the Establishment of Friendly Relations[18][19]	22 June 1925
Kingdom of Bulgaria Turkey	Treaty of Angora (Treaty of Friendship between Bulgaria and Turkey)[20]	18 October 1925
Germany Soviet Union	Treaty of Berlin (1926)[note 2]	24 February 1926
Mongolia Tannu-Tuva	Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Recognition[21][22]	16 August 1926
Kingdom of Italy Ethiopian Empire	Italo-Ethiopian Treaty of 1928 (Italo–Ethiopian Treaty of Friendship and Arbitration)	2 August 1928
Portugal Spain	Portuguese–Spanish Treaty of Friendship and Non-Aggression	17 March 1939
Nazi Germany Soviet Union	German–Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Demarcation	23 August 1939
Nazi Germany Turkey	German–Turkish Treaty of Friendship	18 June 1941
Ecuador Peru	Rio Protocol aka Protocol of Friendship and Peace	29 January 1942
China Soviet Union	Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance	14 August 1945
China United States	Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between the United States of America and the Republic of China	4 November 1946
Finland Soviet Union	Finno-Soviet Treaty of 1948	8 April 1948
India Bhutan	1949 Indo-Bhutan Treaty of Peace and Friendship	9 August 1949
India   Nepal	1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship	31 July 1950
Greece Turkey Yugoslavia	Balkan Pact (1953)	28 February 1953
Albania  Bulgaria  Czechoslovakia  East Germany  Hungary  Poland  Romania	Warsaw Pact (Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance)	14 May 1955
Iran United States	Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights[note 3]	15 August 1955
China  East Germany	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and the People's Republic of China[23]	25 December 1955
Netherlands United States	DAFT (Dutch-American Friendship Treaty)	27 March 1956
East Germany  Mongolia	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and the Mongolian People's Republic[23]	22 August 1957
Indonesia Malaya	Treaty of Friendship between the Federation of Malaya and the Republic of Indonesia[24]	17 April 1959
North Korea Soviet Union	The DPRK-Soviet Union Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance[25]	6 July 1961
China North Korea	Sino-North Korean Mutual Aid and Cooperation Friendship Treaty	11 July 1961
New Zealand Samoa	Treaty of Friendship	1 August 1962
France West Germany	Élysée Treaty aka Treaty of Friendship	22 January 1963
India Soviet Union	Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation	August 1971
Bangladesh India	Indo-Bangla Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace	19 March 1972
Australia Japan	Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation	16 June 1976
Portugal Spain	Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Spain and Portugal	2 November 1977
East Germany Vietnam	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam[23]	4 December 1977
China Japan	Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China	12 August 1978
Afghanistan Soviet Union	Soviet-Afghan Treaty of Friendship[26]	12 December 1978
Angola East Germany	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and the People's Republic of Angola[23]	24 February 1979
East Germany  Mozambique	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and the People's Republic of Mozambique[23]	24 February 1979
Cambodia Vietnam	Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation[27]	1979
Kiribati United States	Treaty of Tarawa aka Treaty of Friendship Between the United States of America and the Republic of Kiribati	20 September 1979
Ethiopia East Germany	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and Socialist Ethiopia[23]	15 November 1979
East Germany South Yemen	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen[23]	15 November 1979
Cambodia East Germany	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and the People's Republic of Kampuchea[23]	18 March 1980
Cuba East Germany	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and the Republic of Cuba[23]	18 March 1980
Equatorial Guinea Spain	Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Spain and Equatorial Guinea of 1980	23 October 1980
Afghanistan East Germany	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan[23]	21 May 1982
East Germany Laos	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and the Lao People's Democratic Republic[23]	22 September 1982
East Germany North Korea	Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation Between the GDR and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea[23]	1 June 1984
Argentina Chile	Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984 between Chile and Argentina	29 November 1984
Russia Germany	Treaty of Neighbourhood, Partnership and Cooperation	5 July 1991
Finland Russia	Neighborhood agreement (Naapuruussopimus) on Friendship, Basics of relationships, Territorial integrity and Cooperation[28]	20 January 1992
Kazakhstan Russia	Kazakh-Russian Agreement on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance[29]	25 May 1992
Tajikistan Russia	Russia-Tajikistan Agreement on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance[30]	25 May 1993
Russia Ukraine	Russian–Ukrainian Friendship Treaty	31 May 1997
North Korea Russia	North Korea-Russia Treaty of 2000	9 February 2000
China Russia	2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship	16 July 2001
Italy Libya	2008 Treaty of Benghazi[31]	30 August 2008
Bulgaria North Macedonia	Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighbourliness and Cooperation	1 August, 2017
Germany United Kingdom	Kensington Treaty (Treaty between the United Kingdom […] and […] Germany on Friendship and Bilateral Cooperation)	17 July 2025

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• Commercial treaty
• List of treaties