Monday June 8, 2026 {HMC} Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi held extensive talks in Cairo on bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments, with the two leaders agreeing to strengthen cooperation in strategic sectors including port infrastructure, maritime transport, and marine resources.
According to a statement from Eritrea’s Ministry of Information, the discussions focused on elevating the “historical and brotherly ties of friendship and cooperation” between the two countries to a higher level, reflecting what both sides described as a shared commitment to expanding bilateral engagement.
The statement said the two leaders agreed to launch “concrete programs” in the areas of marine resources, port infrastructure development, and maritime transport, building on existing economic, political, and diplomatic agreements between the two countries.
“President Isaias Afwerki and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi agreed on the launching of concrete programs in the sectors of marine resources, development of port infrastructure, and maritime transport within the overall economic, political and diplomatic frameworks and agreements reached in the past,” the statement said.
The announcement comes amid growing geopolitical competition in the Red Sea corridor and heightened regional attention to maritime trade routes, port access, and security arrangements in the Horn of Africa.
In December 2025, Egypt agreed to develop strategic seaports in Eritrea and Djibouti, according to Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National, which cited sources in Cairo.
The move was widely interpreted as increasing strategic pressure on landlocked Ethiopia amid continuing tensions between Cairo and Addis Abeba over the Nile waters dispute.
Beyond bilateral cooperation, the latest talks between the two leaders also included discussion on developments across the Red Sea basin, the Middle East, and the Horn of Africa.
The Eritrean statement said the talks examined the “economic, political, diplomatic and security dimensions” of evolving regional and international trends.
The leaders discussed “in greater detail, the economic, political, diplomatic and security dimensions of developments and trends in the Red Sea, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and other international matters of mutual interest,” the statement added.
Following the presidential meeting, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate consultations to discuss implementation mechanisms for the understandings reached by the two heads of state.
According to the Eritrean statement, the ministers reviewed “implementation details” of the agendas agreed during the Cairo talks, signaling an intention by both governments to translate the discussions into concrete areas of cooperation.
The statement did not disclose further details regarding timelines, financing arrangements, or specific projects that may emerge from the newly announced cooperation frameworks.
The ongoing meeting in Cairo comes after President Isaias arrived in Egypt on Sunday for a three-day official visit expected to focus on bilateral cooperation, regional security, and evolving developments in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
The visit builds on a series of high-level engagements between the two countries over the past year. President Isaias and President El-Sisi last held extensive consultations in Cairo in October 2025, where discussions centered on strengthening bilateral relations and coordinating approaches to security challenges in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.
During that meeting, Egypt reiterated what it described as its firm support for Eritrea’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. President Isaias, for his part, expressed appreciation for Egypt’s role in promoting stability and development across the Horn of Africa and East Africa, while welcoming deeper economic cooperation and closer coordination on regional and international issues.
The October talks, which took place during President Isaias’ five-day visit to Egypt, followed a succession of diplomatic exchanges between Cairo and Asmara. In March, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty traveled to Asmara carrying a message from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to President Isaias Afwerki. Discussions focused on consolidating bilateral ties and advancing a tripartite coordination mechanism involving Egypt, Eritrea, and Somalia.
The framework, first launched in Cairo in January 2025, seeks to “harmonize positions” on regional security issues, including developments in the Red Sea, Libya, and the Sahel. The initiative has drawn attention in Addis Abeba amid growing tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt over regional geopolitics and security alignments.
On 21 May, Ethiopia accused Egypt of intensifying actions that “resemble an encirclement” of Ethiopia and pursuing a strategy of “provocation,” which he said had become increasingly apparent since Ethiopia began publicly advancing its ambitions to secure access to the sea. AS.
SOURCE Addis Standard
