NEW YORK: Nepal and the Republic of Madagascar have established diplomatic relations today. With this, the countries with which Nepal has established relations have reached 162.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Madagascar Eloi Alphonse Maxime Dovo signed a Joint Communiqué to this effect at a ceremony in New York.

Present on the occasion were Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shanker Das Bairagi, Spokesperson and Joint Secretary Bharat Raj Poudel, and other senior officials of the Government of Nepal.

Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa. Its population is estimated to be over 24 million until 2016.