Mereja Forum

[Zmeselo]

More than a resort: why is Russia building friendly relations with Eritrea

https://dzen.ru/a/ZHi9pUy8QyVuPAMU

3-6-2023

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki arrived in Russia on an official visit. The head of the East African state has already held talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and a number of intergovernmental agreements are expected to be signed ahead. What does Afeworki's visit to Russia mean, and why its consequences are much broader than the strengthening of bilateral relations between Moscow and Asmara, was sorted out by the Slovo i Delo magazine.



Guest from the South

Eritrea is a rather small state on the Red Sea coast, comparable in size to Greece or Bulgaria. Nondescript economy, short history, population of six million. Not all Russian citizens will be able to find on the map a country whose president is now in Moscow.

Nevertheless, the appearance of Isaias Afeworki in the capital of Russia is an event that testifies to global changes in the world geopolitical arena. Political expert Vladimir Jaralla told about this in a commentary for Word and Deed.

Visits of top officials are always a guarantee of strengthening relations between countries. Moreover, the visit of the President of Eritrea, who has led the country since independence, reminds us that a fierce struggle is now unfolding for Africa and for creating the best opportunities for economic cooperation in this region,

he said.

The expert emphasized that African countries are taking advantage of the opportunity presented to them, first of all, in order to raise their status. For the first time in a very long time, they feel their importance in international politics, and see the possibility of maneuvering between various external forces in order to obtain some kind of preferences.


kremlin.ru | Administration of the President of Russia

The struggle for influence in Africa is no joke. The US and Europe are beginning to realize that the previous methods of working on the continent are gradually losing their effectiveness and are trying to find new approaches. On the other hand, Russia and China offer a fundamentally new model of the world order, which is more in line with the aspirations of Africans for fair international relations.

From this point of view, the visit of Afeworki is especially noteworthy. He has been in charge of Eritrea for 30 years, which does not meet the standards imposed by the West of an indispensable change of power every few years. But for Russia or China, this is not an obstacle.

What's in Eritrea

Eritrea has not always been an independent state. For a long time, this country was part of Ethiopia, and it had to defend its right to sovereignty by force. At some point, the state even fell under international sanctions, lifted only after the establishment of peace. Moreover, Russia then supported these sanctions, but Eritrea, in turn, opposed the anti-Russian resolution in the UN, demanding that Moscow immediately stop the special operation in Ukraine.


wikipedia.org | Patrick Gruban / CC BY-SA 2.0

During the talks at the highest level, Vladimir Putin said that Russia and Eritrea should first of all pay attention to the development of trade and economic ties. But there are other promising areas as well.

Some Russian media have suspected that this is a new tourist cluster on the Red Sea coast, which could become a pleasant alternative to Egyptian resorts. However, the potential of Russian-Eritrean relations is not exhausted by beach holidays. On the contrary, tourism can become a pleasant addition to the main opportunity of Eritrea - to open the gates for Russia to Ethiopia, and through it to other countries of East Africa.

Earlier, in January of this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Eritrea. The parties discussed the prospects for military-technical cooperation https://ria.ru/20230108/sotrudnichestvo ... .html?in=t, as well as the creation of interdepartmental https://ria.ru/20230127/rossiya-1847741975.html consultation mechanisms on trade and the economy. Lavrov also agreed https://www.rzd-partner.ru/logistics/ne ... a-massaua/ on a detailed study of the use of the logistics potential of the Eritrean seaport of Massawa and the airport located there. It was the last circumstance that Vladimir Jaralla separately noted.

At present, Russia has a number of serious interests in this region. The possibilities of expanding military-technical cooperation with Eritrea look very promising. In addition, establishing relations with Eritrea is also creating a connection with Ethiopia, which without it becomes almost impossible.

wikipedia.org | Sailko / CC BY 3.0

The fact is that Ethiopia, after the separation of Eritrea, has no access to the sea, which complicates trade and economic relations between Moscow and Addis Ababa. There are several possible transit corridors, but the most convenient way to Ethiopia lies through the Eritrean port of Massawa, from which a railway has already been laid inland.

In turn, Ethiopia is a country with a fairly developed economy and industry by African standards, which makes it an interesting and promising partner on the continent for Russia.

Keeping up with China

If African states are constantly trying to maneuver between West and East, looking for the best conditions for cooperation, then why shouldn't Eritrea try to implement such an approach in relation to China and Russia?

Two weeks ago, in mid-May, Isaias Afwerki visited Beijing https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202305/1290765.shtml where he held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Then the Chinese leader noted the strategic nature of Sino-Eritrean relations, designed for the long term.


globallookpress.com / © Ju Peng / XinHua

At first glance, this trip of Afewerki is similar to his current Russian voyage. And this gives reason to suspect the Eritrean president of trying to balance China's influence with Russian interests. But as Vladimir Jaralla noted, in terms of interaction with African countries, Moscow and Beijing do not compete, but complement each other favorably.

China has been successfully settling in Africa for decades. From an economic point of view, he managed to get a very good position, although quite problematic in some cases. But China is always forced to take into account that the projection of power is quite problematic for it. In other words, China's economic opportunities are not backed by force factors. But in Russia, as we know, on the contrary, military positions in Africa are quite successful. As a result, we see a symbiosis between the two countries, which is undoubtedly a boon for all participants,

the political expert explained.

Joint efforts also make it possible to successfully compete in the region with the states of the collective West, which finds support among Africans and further strengthens Russia's position in a promising geopolitical direction.

[Jaegol]

The tourists opportunity for Russian tourists to the Red Sea is huge. The Russian winter is harsh and they need places to visit…
Can you imagine building 100 resorts along the Eritrean rea sea coast and tourists from around the world flocking in for the adventure …( the Arabs will come for the alcohol and party ‍♂️) Eritrea can be the new Thailand
Ethiopia and Sudanese will come for their honeymoon

Ayewe huge opportunity what a blessed land

[Zmeselo]

PHOTO: KREMLIN.RU / ALEXEY MAISHEV, RIA NOVOSTI

Policy
A SENSATION IS BREWING. THE SECRET OF THE VISIT OF ONE PRESIDENT TO PUTIN

SERGEY LATYSHEV

https://m.tsargrad.tv/articles/nazrevae ... inu_796465

02 JUNE

Eritrea and Russia are connected not only by Pushkin and Orthodoxy. The first-ever visit to Moscow by an Eritrean leader and his talks with Putin may be the prelude to a sensation that will allow Russia to "take a firm foot" in the Red Sea. Tsargrad figured out why.

On the last day of spring, an event took place, the true meaning of which may not appear immediately. On May 31, President Vladimir Putin met and held talks in the Kremlin with Eritrean President Isaias Afworki, who arrived in Russia on his first official visit. This early independence politician, who studied military science in China in the late 1960s and is considered a dictator in the West for refusing to obey, has something in common with Putin. They are the record holders for the length of time in power (Afworki has ruled Eritrea since 1993 and has not lost his post even during the period of the most severe international sanctions), as well as the Orthodox.

The President of Eritrea, who is six years older than Putin, belongs to the Eritrean Orthodox Church. This ancient Eastern Orthodox Church is actively supported by the authorities of this proud and warlike country, which achieved independence from Addis Ababa 30 years ago. In Eritrea, where Muslims also live, they are proud, as in neighboring Ethiopia, of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, claiming to be the homeland of his African ancestors. In the capital Asmara, a monument was unveiled to him in 2002, and the works of the brilliant Russian poet were included in the curriculum of secondary schools in Eritrea, whose population is just over six million people ...

Briefly but with a hint

Noting that

relations between the countries are developing and strengthening,

Putin announced plans to sign cooperation agreements between the governments of Russia and Eritrea.

Of course, we must first of all pay attention to the development of trade and economic ties, here we have good prospects in many areas,

Putin said at a meeting with the President of Eritrea. He referred to the forthcoming signing of a number of intergovernmental agreements.

I hope that colleagues have worked, and we will be able to do it,

the Russian leader said.

Putin especially thanked Afworki for Eritrea's cooperation with Russia at the UN, where Asmara, among just a few states, consistently and openly votes against anti-Russian resolutions on Ukraine https://tsargrad.tv/articles/v-vashingt ... iju_506885, although many countries sympathetic to Russia, fearing Western revenge, prefer to abstain or not vote https://tsargrad.tv/articles/sensacija- ... inu_612158.

Awesome speech!

It is very interesting what the President of Eritrea, perhaps the most stable and certainly the proudest African country, said in the Kremlin. His words, as we shall see, show that he is not an opportunistic, but a principled, ideological and spiritual ally of Russia, who perfectly understands what is happening in the world and places great hopes on Moscow.

Here is what Afeworki said to Putin, according to the Kremlin website:

I believe that the global world order is on the verge of a radical transformation, and this requires objective assessments and mutual consultations on this issue, which is of the utmost importance ... The thoughtless ideology and unrestrained domination actions that have been taken over the past 30 years to create a unipolar world order have led to numerous crises and to great destruction, and this is the most serious barrier to the progress of mankind.

The President of Eritrea stated that the West uses economic, military, industrial, technological, informational, cultural measures; including the mechanisms of the UN and international regional organizations, as "instruments of dominance" and restraining the development of its opponents. That

in practice and in essence,

he stressed,

is no different from a declaration of war.

Demonization, isolation, interference, political sabotage, provocation of crises , sanctions and flagrant violation of international law, including open military incursions. Free peoples and countries must not submit to such interference. The resistance of the free peoples is the main reason why the ideology and strategy of the forces of domination has not been able to win over the past 30 years,

Afworki noted.


ISAIAS AFWORKI AND VLADIMIR PUTIN. PHOTO: KREMLIN.RU/MIKHAIL METZEL

The President of Eritrea concluded his speech as follows:

There is a need to deepen understanding, a comprehensive strategy and specific plans in all areas must be developed, dynamic mechanisms must be established, and necessary resources must be advocated for the transition to a new civilized international order based on mutual respect, cooperation, complementarity and prosperity, in which justice and the rule of law are supreme values. And we not only have to, we have to do it.

I hope, I am convinced that the Russian Federation will play its part https://tsargrad.tv/articles/putin-ukaz ... rii_754454 in this mission of all mankind on the path to solidarity and cooperation among free peoples. And in this vein, I want to wish you every success on this path. Thank you!

So far - a drop in the ocean, but this is only the beginning

What exactly both presidents and their colleagues agreed on is not reported, but, according to the Kremlin press service, they were supposed to discuss the prospects for the development of Russian-Eritrean relations in various fields, topical issues on the regional and international agenda. The space here is enormous. According to 2022 data, the trade turnover between Russia and Eritrea amounted to only 13.5 million dollars, while exports from Russia to Eritrea accounted for 12.7 million. This is just a drop in the bucket.

In January of this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Eritrea as part of a tour of African countries. https://tsargrad.tv/articles/lavrov-pri ... tra_795158

He had talks in Asmara with the Eritrean president. They discussed economic issues, primarily mining, information and communication technologies, agriculture, infrastructure projects, the possibilities of the sea and air port of Massawa, as well as Moscow's proposals for the development of industry in Eritrea.

And in March, Lavrov met in Sochi with his Eritrean counterpart, Osman Saleh, who confirmed that his country is committed to developing trade and investment cooperation with Russia. Eritrea's participation in the second Russia-Africa summit, scheduled for July in St. Petersburg, was also discussed. Moscow has done much to lift international sanctions against Asmara, which existed from 2009 to 2018, and contributed to the reconciliation of Eritrea with Ethiopia, which fought in 1998-2000.

In Asmara, this is appreciated and expected, as Petros Tseggai, the Eritrean ambassador to Moscow, a former student from Odessa, said in an interview with RIA Novosti that Russia will develop cooperation with his country in the political, economic, humanitarian and cultural spheres. According to the ambassador, Eritrea will continue military-technical cooperation with Russia ("We have all the weapons - Soviet and Russian, so it's obvious") without regard to the West. Great hopes are pinned, in particular, on assistance in the exploration of minerals, especially oil. All this is quite real.

In addition, Eritrea has a huge tourism potential: its beaches are beautiful. This is where, when creating a proper tourist infrastructure, compatriots who love to swim and fry in the sun can relax in the new world of sanctions.

Summing up

From all of the above, the following picture emerges. Eritrea is close to us in spirit, striving for independence and even in culture (thanks to Pushkin!), scrupulous in the matter of national pride, a small and unspoiled country. One might even say unanimous. We are ideally suited, complementing each other, and will never become a burden for each other, although we could draw serious dividends from our friendship.

Russia's resources and economic opportunities, which are still difficult for us to compete with the United States or, say, China in relations with larger, including friendly states, are more than enough for this country. Heavyweight players may not be impressed by the scale, but for Russia it will be enough, and helping Asmara will not be a heavy burden for us.

On the other hand, the potential benefits for Moscow of further development of relations with Eritrea are enormous. For this country is able to provide Russia with what it lacks so much: a safe "refuge" in this region of Africa, which will loudly declare itself in the 21st century. With the exception of the miserable Djibouti, which is full of foreign military bases, all other states in the region are experiencing civil wars: Ethiopia is shaking https://tsargrad.tv/articles/jefiopija- ... [deleted]_443653, Sudan is on fire https://tsargrad.tv/articles/novaja-rez ... nec_765266, you can’t even talk about Somalia.

Eritrea is the most stable, predictable country in its development, which more than anything else does not want to become someone else's colony again and sees through the West. She considers her enemies even such mild colonialists as the Italians, who once owned it and did something for its development.

Russia needs at least one base in the Red Sea region , primarily for two reasons. Firstly, to serve Russian warships, which are frequent guests in the waters of this strategically important region, where we have no bases https://tsargrad.tv/articles/gde-mogut- ... azy_183123. Although Americans, British, French, Italians and even Chinese have them. Without such bases, the life of sailors turns into a nightmare and the capabilities of ships are drastically reduced. Having an air base would also be nice.

Secondly, it is necessary in terms of building new supply chains and avoiding Western sanctions by establishing "gray" imports and exports. At the moment, Russia has something similar only in Syria - the naval base in Tartus in the Eastern Mediterranean.

So what?

It is quite obvious that the agreement between Moscow and Khartoum https://tsargrad.tv/news/afrikanskij-fo ... sie_723166 on the creation of a naval base on the Sudanese coast of the Red Sea in the conditions of civil strife in Sudan is unrealizable, which Tsargrad, by the way, warned about https://tsargrad.tv/articles/radovatsja ... ore_724493. All the money spent on this will be thrown to the wind or settled in someone's pockets. So while Eritrean officials usually say they are opposed to having foreign military bases in the country, there is no better choice for Russia in this regard. We are definitely not going to be in charge in Eritrea, and this is impossible.

The base of the Navy can be made joint, called the Fleet Logistics Support Point (PMTO), and some common projects important for Eritrea can be implemented there. After all, it is more than obvious that those beautiful words that the Eritrean president said in the Kremlin about the predation of the West and a more just new world order directly provide for this kind of cooperation. Good will not overcome evil with just the right words.

Therefore, is the information that has become publicly known about the ongoing discussion between the parties for some time the possibilities of the sea and air port of Massawa on the Red Sea that Moscow and Asmara will agree on a base? Moreover, the USSR had a naval base - Nokra - from 1977 to 1991 on the current Eritrean territory, which was then controlled by Ethiopia. Not in the most convenient place - not in Massawa with its deep-water port, but on the desert archipelago of Dahlak, where even Soviet nuclear submarines went for repairs ...