State seal of New Cambria
The foreign relations of New Cambria are substantially influenced by its neighbors Canada and the United States, and the countries from which the majority of its current population are descended, namely the United Kingdom and France. It is one of the smallest of the world's wealthier countries, and has traditionally followed a non-aligned foreign policy.
New Cambria tends toward independence in foreign policy, thus it is not a member of NATO or the Global Treaty Organization, and owing to its lack of armed forces, has a longstanding policy of military neutrality.
History[]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was one of the first governmental ministries established when New Cambria declared its independence in 1956. Although diplomats could not present credentials at foreign governments until the United Kingdom formally recognized New Cambria's independence in 1961, a number of unofficial representatives worked on the provisional government's behalf internationally.
The initial purpose of the newly formed foreign ministry was both to represent New Cambria's interests though diplomatic channels, and to provide consular services for New Cambrian shipping and commerce overseas. In 1962, the Parliament decided to establish nine embassies in Europe, and one each in Canada and the United States. 20 consular offices were also opened.
In 1970, the ministry was consolidated and reorganized to ensure fuller cooperation between the diplomatic and consular branches. The reorganization included the formation of a designated career path for diplomats that included completion of a university entrance examination and professional experience from international trade. New Cambria joined the United Nations on 18 September 1973.
New Cambria tends toward independence in foreign policy, thus it is not a member of NATO and, owing to its absence of an army, has a longstanding policy of military neutrality. This policy has helped New Cambria's Coast Guard and Crisis Response Unit to be successful in their contributions to UN peace-keeping missions, first in Lebanon in 1978, and more recently in the former Yugoslavia, East Timor, Liberia.
New Cambria enjoys its closest political ties with Canada, the United States, Iceland and Denmark, the latter mostly via Greenland. New Cambria is also a member of the Organization of American States (OAS) since 1990, and of the International Criminal Court since 2002.
United States[]
Canada[]
Canada is New Cambria's nearest neighbour, and the two countries share a maritime border. Relations between the two countries are warm, with several bilateral agreements in place between them. Canada offers citizens of New Cambria membership in the Canadian Forces using the same eligibility requirements as Canadian citizens, owing to New Cambria's lack of a traditional military. New Cambria immigration law is considerably more lax for Canadian citizens wishing to move to New Cambria than for citizens of other countries.
Despite their close relations, the two countries have been in a territorial dispute over Queen Charlotte Island since 1962. The island lies on New Cambria's side of the maritime boundary, but is administered as part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Most of the island's approximately 300 inhabitants are Canadian citizens, with only 27 of them claiming New Cambrian nationality. New Cambria favours jointly administrating Queen Charlotte Island with Canada, a proposal that the Canadian government has flatly refused on multiple occasions.
United Kingdom[]
France[]
Rest of Europe[]
Bosnia and Herzegovina[]
Between 1994 and 1997, New Cambria received approximately 6,500 refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina, mostly from the area around Mostar in the country's south. Since the end of the war, some 5,000 refugees have remained in New Cambria, with most of them settling in the Arvant suburbs.