Diplomatic relations have been established between the Republic of Maldives and the Republic of South Sudan.

The Maldives and South Sudan formally established diplomatic relations on Thursday.

Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations Thilmeeza Hussain signed the Joint Communiqué formalizing diplomatic relations between the two countries on behalf of the Maldivian government, with Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Sudan to the United Nations Akuei Bona Malwal signing it on behalf of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan.

Following the signing of the Joint Communiqué formalizing diplomatic relations between the two countries, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid took to Twitter, revealing that this is an important step towards increasing the engagement of Maldives with African neighbors, as several common interests and concerns are shared with many African nations.

One of the key priorities of the foreign policy of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih remains to cultivate meaningful partnerships with countries that respect and value friendship.

Maldives and South Sudan share common interests and concerns being comparatively small nations in the international arena.

With the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, a path has been paved for increasing both bilateral and multilateral cooperation to achieve common goals in areas of mutual interest.

A landlocked country in East Africa with a population of approximately 11 million, South Sudan is the 185th country to establish diplomatic relations with the Maldives.