Vatican City - The Holy See and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Thursday established diplomatic relations, the Vatican said, praising the level of religious freedom in the predominantly Muslim country.
The UAE and the Vatican are "desirous of promoting bonds of mutual friendship and of strengthening international cooperation," the Vatican said in a statement.
Although the state religion of UAE is Islam, non-Muslims are guaranteed religious freedom under the Arabian peninsular country's constitution and Christians are free to worship, it said.
The Vatican already has diplomatic relations with other countries with Muslim majorities such as Algeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq.
Pope Benedict XVI provoked anger among Muslims in September when he appeared to link Islam with violence. He has since moved to smooth tensions, notably making an historic visit to Istanbul's Blue Mosque in December.