Australia and El Salvador established diplomatic relations on 5 December 1983.[2] At the time of establishing diplomatic relations, El Salvador was in the midst of a civil war. Taking a humanitarian approach, Australia received its first group of 75 Salvadoran refugees in 1983. As the civil war progressed in El Salvador, between 1983 and 1986 Australia accepted 10,000 Salvadorans under the Special Humanitarian Program.[1][3]
In 2005, El Salvador opened a consulate-general in Melbourne and in September 2012, El Salvador opened its first resident embassy in Canberra.[2][4] In December 2011, Australian Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, paid a visit to El Salvador to assess the damages caused by Tropical Storm Arlene.[4] As a result, Australia donated US$400,000 to assist those affected by the Tropical Storm.[4]
Annually, the Australian Government provides financial support to a range of projects in El Salvador. Since 2016, the Australian Aid has supported projects to empower women with disabilities, train youth to promote a culture of peace, provide access to clean water and help communities adapt to climate change.[1]
Resident diplomatic missions
Australia is accredited to El Salvador from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico and maintains an honorary consulate in San Salvador.[7]