Maldives has appointed the first-ever Honorary Consul of Maldives in Burundi.

Sylvére Bankimbaga was appointed as the first-ever Honorary Consul of Maldives in Burundi on Wednesday, where he was handed his letter of appointment by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel.

Taking to Twitter following the appointment, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid expressed his keenness to observe closer bilateral and economic ties between the two countries, especially on enhanced people-to-people links in trade, investment and tourism.

Maldives recently formally established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Burundi.

The Joint Communiqué formalizing diplomatic relations between the two countries was signed by Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations Thilmeeza Hussain on behalf of the Maldivian government, whereas Permanent Representative of the Republic of Burundi to the United Nations, Zéphyrin Maniratanga signed on behalf of the government of Burundi.

The signing ceremony was held at the Permanent Mission of Maldives to the United Nations in New York, United States, on January 20.

One of the key priorities of the foreign policy of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih remains to cultivate meaningful partnerships with friendly countries, based on mutual respect.

The establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries paves the way for the two countries to cooperate further to achieve common goals in areas of shared interest, as relatively small nations in the international arena.

Maldives currently maintains diplomatic relations with 179 countries, with the establishment of diplomatic ties with Burundi.

Situated in Africa, Burundi is a non-coastal country with a population of approximately 11.89 million.