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strong>US: Indonesia has agreed to establish diplomatic ties with Tuvalu to boost cooperation with the tiny South Pacific nation.

“This is part of our plan to open diplomatic ties with 21 sovereign states. The opening of diplomatic relations with Tuvalu is important to boost our presence in the Pacific for national, economic and trade interests. It is also for the stability in eastern Indonesia,” Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said in New York on Monday.

Marty brushed aside criticism that the move was done to stymie support for Papuan independence. “Despite its size and population, Tuvalu is a sovereign state. We can share experiences,” he said.

Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is an archipelago comprising four reef islands and five atolls. Its land area totals 26 square kilometers, as opposed to the 740 square kilometers of Jakarta.

The major trading partners of Tuvalu, which joined the UN in 2000, are Fiji, Australia and New Zealand. Tuvalu’s 10,544 inhabitants use the Australian dollar as their currency, according to UN data.

It is the third-least populous sovereign state in the world and the fourth smallest country in the world.

Last year, the House of Representatives supported the government’s plan to open new embassies in 21 UN member countries.