Iran Restores Diplomatic Relations With Djibouti, Maldives
Iran announced the resumption of diplomatic ties with Djibouti and the Maldives, marking a significant step toward reestablishing its global connections. The Iranian Foreign Ministry disclosed the decisions on Friday; the agreements were made during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with his Djiboutian counterpart Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and Maldivian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel. Both meetings were characterized as amicable and focused on mutual respect, sovereignty, and peaceful coexistence.
The Djibouti-Iran agreement aims to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, science, and technological innovation. Djibouti had severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 over attacks on Saudi Arabian missions in Iran.
Amir-Abdollahian expressed Iran’s eagerness to collaborate with Muslim states, inviting Djibouti’s foreign minister for a future visit to Iran.
The resumption of ties with the Maldives after a seven-year break comes in the wake of a Beijing-brokered agreement in March between Iran and Saudi Arabia, signaling a broader wave of normalization in Iran’s international relations. It is “in line with the two nations’ interests and aspirations,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
