Fiji establishes diplomatic ties with Kazakhstan

    Fiji on Thursday formally established diplomatic relations with Kazakhstan, according to a media release Thursday.
    The Ministry of Information made the announcement in a media release here Thursday, saying Fiji and Kazakhstan formalized diplomatic relations at a ceremony at the Kazakhstan mission to the United Nations in New York earlier in the day.
    Fiji's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Peter Thomson and his Kazakhstani counterpart Ambassador Byrganym Aitimova signed a joint communiqué over the establishment of the ties, says the media release.
    According to the communiqué, the two countries have had desires to promote mutual understanding and to strengthen friendship and cooperation among the two peoples.
    Both sides hope the relationship will be guided by the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and other standards of international law, particularly those pertaining to the promotion of international peace and security, equality among states, territorial integrity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, Xinhua said.