Djibouti(Mogadishu24)- The Republic of Djibouti and the Islamic Republic of Iran on Friday announced that they have restored diplomatic relations after seven years.

Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hussein Amir, shared the news of the diplomatic relations restoration on his official X account

“Today, Iran and Djibouti announced the restoration of their diplomatic relations,” he said.

This decision by the two governments came after negotiations between Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamud Ali Yusuf, and his Iranian counterpart in New York City, where they participated in the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran mentioned that both countries have agreed to develop friendly relations and strengthen cooperation in various fields for the benefit of their citizens.

Djibouti had severed diplomatic relations with Iran in the past due to a dispute between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

However, this recent agreement between Djibouti and Iran shows the broader trend of efforts to restore relations between Arab states and Iran, particularly with Saudi Arabia, following an agreement signed earlier this year.

Iran has considered the restoration of relations with Djibouti an important issue because of Djibouti’s strategic location in the African continent, which has attracted global attention.

Several countries like France, the US, Russia, Italy, and China have set up military bases in Djibouti and are planning to invest in Djibouti, each country competing for control and influence.