Vietnam, Liberia establish diplomatic ties

At the event held in in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vu Hong Nam and Liberian Ambassador to China D McKinley Thomas signed a joint communiqué announcing the decision.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister Nam said with this declaration, Vietnam has now set up diplomatic ties with 53 African countries and 187 other nations around the globe.

Liberia is bordered by Sierra Leone to its west, Guinea to its north and the Ivory Coast to its east. Its territory spans 111,369 square kilometres and it has a population of 4,503,000 as of 2015.

English is the official language but more than 20 indigenous languages are spoken, representing the numerous tribes who make up more than 95% of the population.