Foreign Minister Sameh Choukri will leave Thursday for Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to visit the Eritrean capital of Asmara on a bilateral visit aimed at boosting bilateral relations.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, said that during the visit, the Foreign Minister would convey a verbal message from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to his brother Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, aimed at giving new impetus to the distinguished and close relations between the two countries in all fields. A number of regional issues of common concern.

Abu Zeid said that the visit comes in the wake of the boom in relations between the two countries during the current year. Six new agreements have been signed to strengthen bilateral cooperation, as well as a number of development projects. As well as the noticeable increase in joint cooperation projects, such as those carried out by the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to supply medical and surgical equipment for general surgery, dentistry and ophthalmology during June 2018 and to send a number of doctors to work in Eritrea During the coming period.

He explained that cooperation between Egypt and Eritrea also includes many projects in the fields of fisheries through the provision of fishing vessels and agreement to establish a refrigeration and freezing plant, and another plant for fish feed, in addition to cooperation in the field of electricity generation; through the signing of protocols of cooperation; A solar power station with a maximum capacity of 3 megawatts and a second generation of 1,000 kilowatts for the combined farm and power plant in the Dougali region. It is also exploring opportunities for cooperation in the construction of residential units and mineral wealth.

The visit is expected to address a number of regional issues, particularly the recent positive developments in the Horn of Africa, Egypt's keenness to support stability, security and peace in the region, and discuss the issue of the security of the Red Sea and the main role of riparian countries in the region. This is in addition to discussing the situation in South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen as well as the developments of the Nahdha Dam negotiations and the priorities of Egypt's presidency of the AU next year.

Source: Agencies