Nepal and Tonga on Friday established diplomatic relations, taking the number of countries with which Nepal has bilateral ties to 182.

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations Lok Bahadur Thapa and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Tonga to the United Nations Viliami Va’inga Tone signed a joint communique in a brief ceremony held at the Permanent Mission of Nepal in New York.

The two ambassadors also signed a joint letter informing the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres about the establishment of diplomatic relations, Nepal’s permanent mission to the UN said in a statement.

On the occasion, the two ambassadors exchanged views on various matters of common interest to strengthen bilateral cooperation in national and international forums, including at the UN, for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

Tonga, a Polynesian country and an archipelago of 176 islands, lies to the south of Samoa, southeast of Fiji, northeast of New Zealand and east of Australia.

Tonga gained independence from Britain on 4 June 1970 and celebrates its National Day on November 4 to commemorate the adoption of its constitution back in 1875. Tonga joined the United Nations on September 14, 1999. Both Nepal and Tonga are members of the Group of 77 and China.