President Isaias Afwerki holds talks with President Vladimir Putin

Asmara, 31 October 2026- President Isaias Afwerki and President Vladimir Putin held, at the Kremlin in the late evening hours yesterday, extensive talks on enhancement of bilateral ties and other matters of mutual interest.

President Putin thanked President Isaias Afwerki for his participation at the 3rd Russia-Africa Summit and expressed Russia’s readiness to further strengthen ties of broad mutual cooperation between the two countries; especially in the energy, technology, mining, agriculture and food security sectors.

President Putin further underlined the alignment of positions of both countries on several critical issues and expressed his gratitude for Eritrea’s support to Russia at several UN platforms.

President Isaias Afwerki, for his part, paid tribute to the convention and the proceedings of the 3rd Russia-Africa Summit as well as the opportunity that it accorded his delegation for a second meeting with his Russian counterpart.

President Isaias further underlined the pivotal role that Russia can play in the crystallization of its cooperation with Africa in view of its vast technological and industrial capabilities. The two Heads of State then proceeded to hold a closed meeting.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Petros Tsegay, Eritrea’s Ambassador to Russian Federation.

Earlier in the afternoon, President Isaias Afwerki and his delegation met with the Minister of Transport, Mr. Dmitry Yardov, and discussed broad cooperation in the sector; especially infrastructural projects in land, sea and air transport.

The Minister of Transport, for his part, expressed Russia’s readiness to bolster its cooperation with Eritrea in the sector and for the prospects of investment by relevant Russian companies in the endeavour.