The Prime Minister, La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare for the establishment of Samoa's Embassy in Jerusalem.

La'auli was speaking as a special guest during the ICEJ Samoa- United for Israel prayer service on Tuesday.

This means Samoa would be the third Pacific Island country to have an embassy in Israel, besides Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Fiji officially inaugurated its new embassy in Jerusalem on 18 September 2025, and Papua opened its embassy two years ago.

“I [have] instruct[ed] our foreign affairs to start preparation to open an office of Samoa in Jerusalem this year,” Prime Minister La’auli said in an address to the Christian leaders, with the flags of both countries in the background.

He noted that Samoa was following in the footsteps of neighbouring Fiji.

Significantly, Samoa will be the eighth country to open its embassy in Jerusalem, joining the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay.

There was no mention of funding for an embassy in Israel in the 2025/2026 Budget. 

An embassy in Jerusalem would be Samoa's 12th overseas diplomatic mission. These include Office of the High Commissioner in Wellington, New Zealand, Office of the Consulate General in Auckland, New Zealand, Embassy in Brussels, Brussels, Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Embassy in New York, USA, Office of the High Commissioner in Canberra, Australia, Office of the Consulate General in Sydney, Australia, Office of the High Commissioner in Suva, Fiji, Office of the Consulate General in American Samoa, Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, Embassy in Beijing, People’s Republic of China and Embassy in Geneva, Switzerland.