Egypt and Eritrea stressed that the security and management of the Red Sea remain the exclusive responsibility of its littoral states, completely rejecting any attempts by non-littoral parties to impose security arrangements or roles in this context, or to impose their maritime access in violation of the provisions of international law, as Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty received his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh in Cairo on Wednesday, 10 June.
Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates, also expressed support for Eritrea’s vision on the management of the Red Sea, particularly the emphasis on the unity and sovereignty of the states bordering it, according to Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting addressed ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries and to coordinate positions on issues of mutual concern.
Khallaf said Abdelatty praised the outcomes of the successful bilateral visit of President Isaias Afwerki to Egypt as part of advancing and strengthening relations between the two countries in various fields, affirming the solidity of the historical ties binding the two brotherly nations. The minister expressed his appreciation for the existing coordination and the unity of visions and shared interests between the two countries, stressing Egypt’s full support for Eritrea in preserving its sovereignty and the unity and integrity of its territory, and the keenness to continue building on the momentum in bilateral relations and to enhance cooperation across various fields in a manner that serves the interests of the two brotherly peoples.
Abdelatty also affirmed the keenness to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with Eritrea in various fields, building on the outcomes of the visit by the Eritrean president’s economic adviser to Egypt last April, as well as the joint visit by the foreign minister and the transport minister to Asmara last May with a delegation of Egyptian businesspeople, including the activation of the maritime transport cooperation agreement signed in Asmara.
He expressed his aspiration to continue joint work to increase the volume of trade exchange, encourage joint investments, and support the participation of the Egyptian private sector in the Eritrean market, particularly in priority sectors, foremost among them mining, infrastructure, maritime transport, port connectivity and the development and efficiency upgrading of Eritrean ports, pharmaceutical industries, fisheries, and housing, in addition to enhancing technical cooperation in capacity building through the technical courses organised by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, in a manner responsive to the needs and priorities of the Eritrean side.
The spokesperson added that the two ministers exchanged views on developments in the Horn of Africa region, with Abdelatty reviewing the Egyptian vision regarding developments in Sudan and Somalia. He affirmed Egypt’s firm position on preserving the security and stability of the Horn of Africa as a direct extension of Egyptian national security, and the importance of supporting national state institutions, preserving the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the region’s states, and rejecting any unilateral measures that could undermine the sovereignty of states or the foundations of stability in the region.
