Diplomatic relations between the Gabonese Republic and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta were established in 1963.
On 18th February 1972, the Order of Malta Legation in Gabon was upgraded to the rank of Embassy. In the same year, from 3rd to 8th March, the then Grand Master of the Order of Malta Fra’ Angelo de Mojana di Cologna went to Gabon for an official visit.

In November of the following year, the President of the Gabonese Republic Albert Bernard Bongo was received by the Grand Master Fra’ Angelo de Mojana at the Magistral Palace. On 7th November 1981, President Omar Bongo was received in Rome for a second official visit.

A bilateral postal agreement between Gabon and the Order of Malta was signed in 1987.

On 9th December 2009 there was a meeting between the then Grand Chancellor Jean-Pierre Mazery and the President of Gabon Ali Ben Bongo Odimba at the Hassler Hotel in Rome. During the meeting, President Ondimba expressed his appreciation for the Order’s humanitarian work.

On 24th November 2016, in the Magistral Palace in Rome, the then Grand Chancellor Albrecht Boeselager received the Minister Delegate of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Gabon, Calixte Nsie Edang. During the meeting a framework cooperation agreement was signed. A previous more technical agreement was signed in 1962 for the fight against leprosy (validity: 15 years).