Maldives and Eswatini have formally established diplomatic relations.

The Joint Communiqué formalising diplomatic relations between the two countries was signed on Tuesday, in a ceremony held at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations in New York.

The country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Thilmeeza Hussain signed the joint communique on behalf of the Maldivian government while her Eswatini counterpart, Melusi Martin Masuku signed on behalf of the African nation.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries “paves the way for the two countries to cooperate further in the international arena in areas of mutual interest”.

Eswatini is a landlocked country situated in Southern Africa, bordering Mozambique and South Africa, with a population of approximately 1.1 million.

Following the establishment of diplomatic relations with Eswatini, Maldives currently maintains diplomatic relations with 175 countries.

The Eswatini government and people are currently in mourning, following the death of their prime minister earlier this week. 52-year-old Ambrose Dlamini died four weeks after contracting Covid-19, however, the exact cause of his death has not been disclosed.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih sent a message of condolence to the Eswatini King, following his death, stressing that Dlamini’s “contributions to the progress and prosperity of Eswatini will always be remembered”.