India, Eritrea agree to deepen cooperation for mutual benefit during EAMs' meet

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Thursday met his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh Mohammed wherein the two leaders agreed to strengthen sectoral engagement through an action-oriented agenda to deepen cooperation for mutual benefit.

The Foreign Minister of Eritrea, along with Presidential Adviser Yemane Gebreab, is on a visit to India from April 7 to 12 at the invitation of EAM Jaishankar, informed the Ministry of External Affairs (EAM) in a statement.

Earlier in the day, the two foreign ministers had a productive meeting. The Eritrean Foreign Minister apprised Jaishankar of the development priorities of his government and sought India's active collaboration, especially in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, education, health care, mining, manufacturing, renewable energy, and infrastructure development, the MEA release said.

Saleh Mohammed also met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval for discussions on regional developments and security cooperation.

Saleh Mohammed will visit the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and will hold interactions with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) and representatives of Indian ICT, telecommunications, mining and energy compes during his visit.

Eritrea is a part of the Horn of Africa, the northeastern region of Africa. The Horn comprises Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia.

The Horn of Africa has been at the center of global attention for several decades because of protracted armed conflict, severe food crises, and large-scale displacement.

Africa is critical to India's security, especially the Horn of Africa region, because of its proximity with India. The Indian Ocean region and Africa are central to the foreign policy of India.

India has traditionally engaged with African nations through its soft power initiatives.

( With inputs from ANI )