Lavrov shores up Eritrean assist for Russia over Ukraine battle

NAIROBI: Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov met Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki on Thursday on a tour of Africa to shore up assist for Russia, specializing in the “dynamics of the struggle in Ukraine”, Eritrea’s data minister mentioned.

Lavrov has been on a week-long appeal offensive on the continent, beginning in South Africa, which is planning joint navy drills with Russia and China, and ending off with a shock journey to the reclusive Horn of Africa nation of Eritrea.

South Africa is certainly one of Russia’s most necessary allies on a continent divided over the invasion and Western makes an attempt to isolate Moscow due to its navy actions.

Eritrea is among the few African international locations that voted towards a U.N. decision condemning Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine though many abstained.

“We’re grateful to Eritrean mates for his or her constant assist of Russian initiatives within the UN,” Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian state information company TASS.

He mentioned Asmara had taken a “principled and balanced place on points relating to the occasions in Ukraine and round it”, TASS reported, including that he additionally invited his Eritrean counterpart, Osman Saleh, to go to Moscow quickly.

Russia’s Lavrov visits ally South Africa amid Western rivalry

The talks in Eritrea additionally explored methods of enhancing ties in vitality, mining, data know-how, training and well being, Data Minister Yemane Meskel mentioned on Twitter late on Thursday.

Either side will conduct a joint examine to determine the logistical and transit alternatives offered by the Purple Sea port of Massawa and its airport, TASS mentioned.

“I wish to point out the potential for utilizing the logistical potential of the Massawa port and the town’s airport. The airport of Massawa seems fascinating from the perspective of its transit prospects,” Lavrov mentioned.

Lavrov’s go to to Africa coincides with others by senior U.S. officers, who’re crisscrossing the continent to shore up ties with U.S. allies there.

Talking when he met Lavrov’s delegation on Thursday, International Minister Osman blamed the disaster in Ukraine on what he described as the US’ “reckless coverage of hegemony and containment” over plenty of many years.

“The unhappy reality is that Ukraine is each a pretext and sufferer of this coverage,” Osman mentioned through the speech delivered in Massawa.

There was no point out of the battle in Ethiopia’s Tigray area, the place Eritrean troops fought alongside their Ethiopian federal counterparts towards rebellious Tigrayan forces.

A deal to finish the preventing was signed final November however Eritrea was not celebration to the truce. Eritrean troops have began to depart some elements of Tigray, witnesses mentioned.