(The initial text is corrected in third paragraph to show '23rd country', not '21st country' as initially reported)

Georgia established diplomatic relations with Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa's third largest country, on January 14, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Georgia’s UN ambassador, Alexander Lomaia, signed joint communiqué with his counterpart from DR Congo based on the principle of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Foreign Ministry said.

DR Congo became the 23rd country with which Georgia established diplomatic relations over the past year.

Last year Georgia signed similar communiqués with Brunei; the Republic of Maldives; Marshall Islands; Fiji; Samoa; Dominican Republic; Commonwealth of Dominica; Guatemala, Paraguay; Peru; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Botswana; Central African Republic, Gambia; Cape Verde; Comoros; Equatorial Guinea; Kenya; Liberia; Senegal and Uganda.