File Photo: President Pranab Mukherjee
President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday greeted the government and people of Kiribati on the eve of the country's Independence Day.
In his message to Kiribat President Anote Tong, President Mukherjee said: "It gives me great pleasure to extend warm greetings and felicitations on the occasion of Kiribati Independence Day."
"India and the Kiribati enjoy close bonds of friendship and co-operation. We both share a desire to deepen our engagement in order to meet our common challenges."
He added, he is confident that relationship between the two countries will continue to strengthen in the years to come and mutually benefit people of both the countries.
Kiribati gained independnece from Britain in 1979. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank and became a full member of the United Nations in 1999.