Vietnam establishes diplomatic relations with the 193rd country

With the establishment of diplomatic relations with Tonga, Vietnam has diplomatic relations with a total of 193 countries in the world.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son met with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu and witnessed the signing ceremony of the Joint Communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Tonga. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Within the framework of the high-level general discussion of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the US, on the afternoon of September 21 (local time), Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son met with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu and witnessed the signing ceremony of the Joint Communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Tonga between the two Ambassadors, Heads of the Delegations of the two countries to the United Nations. The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that with the establishment of diplomatic relations with Tonga, Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with a total of 193 countries in the world.

With the establishment of diplomatic relations with Tonga, Vietnam has diplomatic relations with a total of 193 countries in the world. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister Bui Thanh Son emphasized that the event on September 21 was a historic milestone in the Vietnam - Tonga relationship, laying an important foundation for the development of bilateral relations in the coming time, meeting the practical interests of the people of the two countries, for peace, cooperation and friendship in the region and the world. On that basis, to promote the potential for cooperation between the two countries, Minister Bui Thanh Son suggested that the two sides promote the exchange of delegations at all levels, and at the same time consider establishing a number of regular bilateral exchange mechanisms between the two countries to create a framework for long-term cooperation, especially in the areas of great potential in economics, trade and tourism. Minister Bui Thanh Son respectfully invited Ms. Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu to pay an official visit to Vietnam. Minister Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu expressed his special delight at the official establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Tonga, saying that the two sides have a lot of potential and room for cooperation.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son met with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ms. Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu agreed with the proposals of Minister Bui Thanh Son and expressed her wish that the two countries would promote cooperation in issues of mutual concern such as tourism, climate change response, and fisheries. On this occasion, the two sides agreed to strengthen coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, and develop relations between ASEAN and Pacific island countries. The Kingdom of Tonga (the word "Tonga" in the local language means "south") is a Pacific island nation, geographically located more than 5,200 km from the west coast of Australia. The Kingdom of Tonga consists of 169 small islands, with a total area of ​​748 km2, and a population of over 106,000 people (in 2022). Tonga is a constitutional monarchy. Before Tonga - the 193rd country with which Vietnam established diplomatic relations - on February 1, 2023, representatives of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago signed a joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. At that time, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that with the establishment of diplomatic relations with Trinidad & Tobago , Vietnam had established official diplomatic relations with all 35 countries in the Americas and 192 countries in the world (including 190/193 member countries of the United Nations), thereby continuing to demonstrate the foreign policy of diversifying and multilateralizing international relations, attaching importance to developing relations with the Latin American and Caribbean regions.

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