President Isaias Afwerki Meets and Holds Talks with Egyptian Delegation President Isaias Afwerki received, at Denden Guest House in the late morning hours today, a senior Egyptian delegation comprising Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty; Minister of Transport Lt. General Engineer Kamel Alwazir; and CEOs of several companies involved in the transport, energy, and mining sectors. The extensive discussions centered on further enhancing all-round bilateral ties of cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of mutual importance. President Isaias underlined the significance of consolidating the all-round ties between Eritrea and Egypt to advance the mutual interests of the Eritrean and Egyptian peoples. In this respect, President Isaias expressed Eritrea’s readiness to implement common projects in collaboration with Egyptian economic and trade companies. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, for his part, stated that the current visit was a manifestation and expression of the brotherly ties of friendship and cooperation that exist between the peoples of Eritrea and Egypt. The principal purpose of the visit, Dr. Badr noted, was to further consolidate economic and trade ties between the two countries in accordance with the guidelines charted out by President Isaias Afwerki and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. On the occasion, the two countries signed an Agreement on Marine Transport “for developing cooperation in the sector with a view to contributing to the development of international shipping on the basis of the principles of freedom of navigation.” The agreement was signed by Eritrea’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr. Berhane Tesfaselassie, and Egypt’s Minister of Transport, Lt. General Kamel Alwazir. Foreign Minister Osman Saleh also met with his Egyptian counterpart, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, and discussed modalities for the implementation of the overall bilateral cooperation agreements reached between the two sides. Foreign Minister Osman underlined the significance of the visit by the senior Egyptian delegation and the importance of strengthening bilateral ties of cooperation at this crucial time of fluid developments in the Horn of Africa region. Dr. Badr, for his part, referred to the alignment of views and positions of the two sides on vital regional and international issues and stressed the importance of expediting the implementation of mutually agreed development programs. Upon arrival at Asmara International Airport, the senior Egyptian delegation was welcomed by Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs. #Eritrea