/ world today news/ Eritrea and Russia are connected not only by Pushkin and Orthodoxy. The first-ever visit of an Eritrean leader to Moscow and his talks with Putin may be a prelude to a sensation that will allow Russia to get a firm foothold in the Red Sea. “Tsarigrad” found out why.
On the last day of spring, an event occurred, the true meaning of which may not be immediately understood. On May 31, President Vladimir Putin met and held talks in the Kremlin with Eritrean President Isaias Afeworki, who arrived in Russia on his first official visit.
This post-independence politician, who studied military science in China in the late 1960s and was considered a dictator in the West for refusing to obey, has something in common with Putin.
Both are record holders for the length of time in power (Afevorki has ruled Eritrea since 1993 and has not lost his post even during the heaviest international sanctions), as well as for his Orthodox faith.
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 militant 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 that it is the homeland of his African ancestors. In the capital Asmara in 2002, a monument was opened to him, 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, first of all we need to pay attention to the development of trade and economic ties, here we have good prospects in many areas,” Putin said in a meeting with the Eritrean president.
He focused on the upcoming signing of a number of intergovernmental agreements.
“I hope that colleagues have worked and we will succeed,” the Russian leader said.
Putin specifically thanked Afeworki for Eritrea’s cooperation with Russia at the United Nations, where Asmara, among only a few countries, has consistently and openly voted against anti-Russian resolutions on Ukraine, even though many pro-Russian countries, fearing Western retaliation, prefer to abstain or not vote.
Great 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 will see, show that he is not an opportunist, but a principled, ideological and spiritual ally of Russia, who perfectly understands what is happening in the world and has high hopes for Moscow.
Here’s what Afevorky told Putin, according to the Kremlin website:
“I believe that the global world order is on the verge of a radical transformation, and this calls for objective assessments and mutual consultations on this issue, which is of extreme importance and importance…”
“The thoughtless ideology and unbridled domination undertaken in the last 30 years, the creation of a unipolar world order, has led to numerous crises and great destruction, and this is the most serious barrier to the progress of humanity,” added the African president.
The President of Eritrea said that the West uses economic, military, industrial, technological, informational, cultural measures, including the mechanisms of the United Nations and international regional organizations, as “tools for domination” and limiting the development of its opponents. This is “in practice and in essence”, he stressed, “no different from a declaration of war”.
“Demonization, isolation, intervention, political sabotage, provoking crises, sanctions and flagrant violations of international law, including open military incursions,” he added.
“Free peoples and states should not submit to such interference. The resistance of free peoples is the main reason why the ideology and strategy of the powers of domination have not been able to win in the last 30 years,” Afeworki noted.
The President of Eritrea concluded his speech as follows:
“There is a need to deepen understanding, develop a comprehensive strategy and concrete plans in all areas, establish dynamic mechanisms and advocate the necessary resources for the transition to a new civilized international order based on mutual respect, cooperation, complementarity and prosperity , where justice and the rule of law are supreme values. And we not only must, we will.”
“I hope, I am convinced, that the Russian Federation will play its role in this mission of all humanity on the path of solidarity and cooperation between free peoples. And in this sense, I want to wish you success on this path. Thank you,” he said.
So far – a drop in the ocean, but this is only the beginning
What exactly the two 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 areas, current issues of the regional and international agenda.
The space here is huge. According to data for 2022, trade turnover between Russia and Eritrea amounts to only 13.5 million dollars, while exports from Russia to Eritrea amount to 12.7 million. This is just a drop in the bucket.
In January of this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Eritrea as part of a tour of African countries. He spoke in Asmara with the President of Eritrea.
They discussed economic issues, mainly mining, information and communication technology, agriculture, infrastructure projects, the possibilities of the Massawa sea and air port, as well as Moscow’s proposals for industrial development in Eritrea.
And in March, Lavrov met in Sochi with his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh, who confirmed that his country is committed to the development of 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 did a lot to lift the international sanctions against Asmara, which existed from 2009 to 2018, and contributed to the reconciliation of Eritrea with Ethiopia, which were at war in 1998-2000.
In Asmara, this is appreciated and expected, as Petros Tsegai, the Eritrean ambassador in 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”) regardless of the West. High hopes are placed, in particular, on aid in the exploration of minerals, especially oil. This is all very real.
In addition, Eritrea has a huge tourism potential: its beaches are beautiful. This is where, with the creation of proper tourist infrastructure, compatriots who like to swim and bask in the sun can relax in the new world of sanctions.
Generalization
From everything said above, the following picture is obtained. Eritrea is close to us in spirit, striving for independence and even in culture (thanks to Pushkin!), strong in national pride, a small and intact country. One could even say monotheistic.
We are a perfect match, we complement each other and will never become a burden to each other, although we can reap serious dividends from our friendship.
The resources and economic capabilities of Russia, which are still difficult for us to compete with the United States or, say, China in relations with larger, including friendly countries, are more than enough for this country.
The heavyweights 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 from further development of relations with Eritrea are enormous. Because this country is able to provide Russia with what it so lacks: a safe “sanctuary” in this region of Africa, which will loudly declare in the 21st century.
With the exception of tiny Djibouti, which is full of foreign military bases, all other countries in the region are experiencing civil wars: Ethiopia is shaking, Sudan is on fire, Somalia is out of the question.
Eritrea is the most stable, predictable country in its development, which more than anything else does not want to become someone’s colony again and sees through the West. It considers as its enemies even such soft colonizers as the Italians, who once owned it and did something for its development.
Russia needs at least one base in the Red Sea region, mainly for two reasons. First, to serve Russian warships that are frequent guests in the waters of this strategically important region where we have no bases. Although Americans, British, French, Italians and even Chinese have them.
Without such bases, the lives of sailors become a nightmare, and the capabilities of ships are drastically reduced. Having an airbase would also be nice.
Second, it is necessary from the point of view of building new supply chains and avoiding Western sanctions by establishing “grey” imports and exports. Currently, Russia only has something similar in Syria – the naval base at Tartus in the Eastern Mediterranean.
What of this?
It is quite obvious that the agreement between Moscow and Khartoum to establish a naval base on the Sudanese coast of the Red Sea in the conditions of civil strife in Sudan is unfeasible, which Constantinople, among other things, warned about.
All the money spent on this will be wasted or will settle in someone’s pockets. So while Eritrean officials generally say they oppose foreign military bases in the country, there is no better choice for Russia in this regard. We are definitely not going to rule Eritrea, and that is impossible.
The Navy base can be joint, let’s say a naval materiel support point (PMTO), and some common projects important to 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 fairer new world order directly envisage this kind of cooperation. Good will not conquer evil with just the right words.
Therefore, the information that became public about the long-standing discussion between the countries about the possibilities of the sea and air port of Massawa on the Red Sea, will Moscow and Asmara agree on a base?
In addition, the USSR had a naval base – Nokra – from 1977 to 1991 in what is now Eritrea, which was then controlled by Ethiopia. Not in the most convenient place – not in Massawa with its deep-sea port, but on the desert archipelago of Dahlak, where even Soviet nuclear submarines went for repairs …
Translation: SM
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