Ambassador Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations, and Ambassador Lewis G. Brown, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations signed aJoint Communiqué to this effect in New York this afternoon.

On the occasion, the two Ambassadors expressed their confidence that the diplomatic ties will prove instrumental in bringing the two countries and peoples closer still both at the bilateral and multilateral forums. They also discussed measures to further deepen and expand the scope of mutual cooperation in the future.

The two Ambassadors also jointly informed António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, about the establishment of Nepal-Liberia diplomatic relations today.

Declared independent in 1847, Liberia is the first and oldest modern republic in Africa. It is also one of the 51 original members of the United Nations. Located in West African coast facing the Atlantic Ocean on its south, Liberia shares its land border with Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire on the west, north, and east respectively.  Iron, diamond, rubber and timber exports constitute the main source of income of the country today.

Both Nepal and Liberia are least developed countries and members of the Group of 77 as well as the Non-Aligned Movement.   

The number of countries with which Nepal has established diplomatic relations has now reached 150, including all original members of the United Nations.