India and Eritrea Strengthen Ties Through Third Round of Foreign Office Consultations
Strengthening Bilateral Relations
Asmara, Dec 6: India and Eritrea convened their third round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, where both nations discussed various regional matters of shared interest, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday.
The Indian delegation was headed by M. Suresh Kumar, Joint Secretary (WANA) from the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Eritrean side was led by Ambassador Estifanos Habtemariam Ghereyus, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As per the MEA, the discussions held on Friday encompassed a wide range of bilateral relations, covering political, economic, capacity building, health, education, renewable energy, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people connections.
Both parties highlighted the significance of human resource development through initiatives like Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation and ICCR scholarships, reaffirming their dedication to enhancing this partnership. They expressed eagerness to continue these exchanges and maintain regular meetings of institutional frameworks.
During his visit, Suresh Kumar also met with Eritrea's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Osman Saleh Mohammad, and Minister of Information, Yemane Gebremeskel.
The two sides agreed to schedule the next round of Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi at a mutually convenient time.
India officially recognized Eritrea shortly after its de jure independence from Ethiopia on May 24, 1993. Over the years, India has extended capacity-building support to Eritrea in various sectors, including legislative drafting, technical scholarships, agriculture, education, health, handicrafts, and food assistance.
Earlier in June, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during his visit to India for medical treatment, where Jaishankar emphasized the need to deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly in health, education, capacity building, and trade.