KATHMANDU: Nepal has announced that it has formed diplomatic relations with the Republic of Kiribati taking the overall figure to 183. Kiribati is one of the small island nations in the ocean in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and gained independence on 12th July 1979 from Britain. It has an area of 811 sq km and a population of approximately 119,988. Kiribati became a member of the United Nations on September 14 1999 and the two countries are Partners in G77, China, and the Least Developed Countries Group.

Lok Bahadur Thapa, the then Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations, and Teburoro Tito, the then Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Kiribati exchanged a Joint Communiqué about the diplomatic relations between the two countries. It was hosted at Nepal’s Permanent Mission in New York accompanied by a joint letter informing the UN Secretary-General of the development.

During the meeting, the Ambassadors discussed a number of shared interests in order to deepen bilateral cooperation at the United Nations and other national and international institutions. This includes resolving difficulties that least developed nations experience, demonstrating a commitment to mutual benefit, and building partnerships between Nepal and Kiribati.