Tonga and Serbia have formally established diplomatic relations, opening a new channel for bilateral cooperation and engagement at the United Nations.
The two countries signed a Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations last week, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The agreement was signed on behalf of Tonga by its Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Viliami Vaʻinga Tōnē, and on behalf of Serbia by Ambassador Radomir Ilić, Chargé d’Affaires of Serbia’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
Tonga’s Minister for Infrastructure, Tevita Fatafehi Puloka, and Serbia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Đurić, attended the signing ceremony.
The establishment of diplomatic relations provides a formal basis for the two countries to develop bilateral dialogue, explore areas of mutual cooperation and engage on shared interests in international forums, including the United Nations.
Building ties beyond the Pacific
The agreement follows Serbia’s participation in the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, where Đurić represented Serbia as a special guest and envoy of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the visit to Tonga helped create opportunities for closer engagement with Pacific countries and strengthen Serbia’s presence in the region.
For Tonga, the agreement adds Serbia to its network of formal diplomatic relationships and creates an opportunity to explore cooperation with a European country outside its traditional Pacific and development partnerships.
About Serbia
Serbia is a landlocked country in southeastern Europe, in the Balkan Peninsula, with its capital in Belgrade. It has a population of about 6.6 million people and borders eight countries, including Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Montenegro.
Serbia is a parliamentary republic, with a president as head of state and a prime minister leading the government. It was part of Yugoslavia before becoming an independent country in 2006, following the dissolution of its state union with Montenegro.
Its formal diplomatic ties with Tonga establish an official channel for engagement between the two countries, although specific areas of cooperation have yet to be announced.
