Putin invited the President of Eritrea to the Russia-Africa summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, who arrived in Moscow on May 30, to the Russia-Africa Russia-Africa Summit, transmits Kremlin press office.

“As you know, this year we are holding the second Russia-Africa summit. Dear Mr. President, you are also invited to this event. I hope you will have such an opportunity,” Putin said.

He also congratulated Afevorki on the 30th anniversary of Eritrea’s independence and thanked him for strengthening and developing relations between Moscow and Asmara. Putin also pointed to the development of contacts in the political and humanitarian spheres. He recalled that in January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Eritrea for the first time in the history of Russia during a tour of Africa. The Russian leader also expressed hope for the signing of a number of intergovernmental documents.

This is the first official visit of the President of Eritrea to Russia. Afwerki has been the country’s president for 30 years since it gained independence from Ethiopia on May 24, 1993. Eritrea ranks eighth in terms of poverty in Africa: according to the World Bank, in 2021 the country’s GDP was $ 642.5 per capita. The country has a one-party political system.

The second Russia-Africa summit will be held in St. Petersburg on July 26-29. It will be attended by African leaders, including Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, with whom Putin planned meeting.

In March, Putin spoke at the plenary session of the international parliamentary conference “Russia-Africa in a multipolar world”, the event became a preparation for the second Russia-Africa summit. Putin said that the first Russia-Africa summit, which took place in Sochi in 2019, allowed Russia to revive ties with the states of the continent. Moscow “has always given and will continue to give priority to cooperation with African states,” the president said, calling it one of the invariable priorities of Russian foreign policy.