Maldives on Friday formalized diplomatic relations with West African nation Côte d'Ivoire.
Permanent Representatives from their respective countries to the United Nations signed the Joint Communique in New York on Friday, Maldives foreign ministry said.
For more than three decades after its independence from France, Ivory Coast was known for its religious and ethnic harmony, as well as its well-developed economy.
Ivory Coast was hailed as a model of stability. But an armed rebellion in 2002 split the nation in two. Since then, peace deals have alternated with renewed violence as the country has slowly edged its way towards a political resolution of the conflict.
Despite the instability, Ivory Coast is the world's largest exporter of cocoa beans and its citizens enjoy a relatively high level of income, compared to other countries in the region.
The Western African nation became the 167th country, Maldives has established diplomatic relations after the archipelago - a fortnight ago formalized diplomatic ties with Zambia.
