The Kosovo Foreign Ministry announced Monday that the Republic of Kiribati, an island nation in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, has recognized Kosovo's independence, making it the 71st country to recognize Serbia's breakaway province.

"The Republic of Kiribati has recognized Kosovo’s independence. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kiribati informed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo in a verbal note of the decision to recognize the Republic of Kosovo’s independence on October 21, 2010," says the announcement.

The document also calls for better political and economic relations between Kiribati and Kosovo.