Eritrea and Russia relations are diplomatic relations between the State of Eritrea and the Russian Federation. Russia has an embassy in Asmara and Eritrea has its own in Moscow.[1] Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki has been a supporter of the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2022.[2]
 | |
 Eritrea |
 Russia |
|---|---|
History
editDiplomatic relations between the two countries were established on May 24, 1993. In July 2000 and February 2003, humanitarian aid was delivered to Eritrea by aircraft of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.[citation needed]
The Russian Embassy in Asmara has been operating since June 1994, the Eritrean Embassy in Moscow opened two years later in June 1996.[citation needed]
In 2010, President Isaias received Russian special envoy Mikhail Margelov for a meeting, where he criticized U.S. policies in the region and the "uni-polar balance of force".[3] In 2018, Russia and Eritrea announced their intentions to build a logistics center in an unnamed Eritrean port city.[4]
Russian invasion of Ukraine and intensification of relations
editAlong with Belarus, Syria, and North Korea, Eritrea was one of only four countries not including Russia to vote against a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.[5] However, Eritrea abstained from voting on the UN resolution pertaining to the territorial integrity of Ukraine, which was held in response to the 2022 annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine.[6] In 2023, Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki voiced support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[7]
In January 2023, the Russia foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and senior advisors traveled to Eritrea meeting with President Afwerki, the Eritrean foreign minister and other senior officials. Afwerki visited Russia on an official state visit in spring of 2023, the first in the history of Russia-Eritrea relations. Both Eritrean and Russian leaders held talks.[8][9] Afwerki returned to Russia later that summer, attending the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg.[10]
In March 2024, the Russian Navy sent the Pacific Fleet vessels Varyag and Marshal Shaposhnikov to the Red Sea.[11] On 29 March, the Eritrean Ministry of Information released photos of the Marshal Shaposhnikov at the port of Massawa and revealed that the vessels were sent to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries and will leave on 5 April. The decision to send the vessels to the Red Sea sparked speculation from Western media since it occurred during the Red Sea crisis.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Russian Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea". embassypages.com. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ "Why is Eritrea backing Russian aggression in Ukraine?". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
- ^ "President Isaias holds talks with the special envoy from the President of the Russian Federation". Eritrea Ministry Of Information. 2011-12-18. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
- ^ "Russia-Eritrea Relations Grow with Planned Logistics Center". Voice of America. 2018-09-02. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
- ^ Granitz, Peter (2 March 2022). "The U.N. approves a resolution demanding that Russia end the invasion of Ukraine". NPR. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Territorial integrity of Ukraine : defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations (Voting Data)". digitallibrary.un.org. 12 October 2022.
- ^ Vines, Alex; Amare, Tighisti (2 August 2023). "Russia-Africa summit fails to deliver concrete results". chathamhouse.org. Chatham House. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Russia In Talks With Eritrea To Set Up 'Logistics Center' On Red Sea Coast". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Russia-Eritrea Relations Grow with Planned Logistics Center". VOA. 2 September 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "President of Eritrea arrives in St. Petersburg for participation in Russia-Africa Summit". TASS. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Russian Navy Enters Warship-Crowded Red Sea Amid Houthi Attacks". Bloomberg. 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ "Russian Warships Transit Red Sea to Eritrea as Houthis Resume Launches". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
 | This article about bilateral relations is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |