Russia to build an oil refinery, cross-border pipelines, and regional transportation corridors in Eritrea (EP)

– Russia presented a Medal to Eritrean Foreign Minister (pictured)
– Russia calls for lifting Eritrea sanctions
01 Sep 2018 – (EP) Russia to set up a logistics center at one of Eritrea’s seaports, Russian news agencies cited yesterday Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying after talks with his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh in the Russia resort city of Sochi.

Lavrov said the center will advance “promising joint projects involving shipments to Eritrea of specific transport agricultural equipment,” as well as help Russian businesses establish contacts in the country, Interfax reported.

The Kremlin will be encouraging Russian companies to take part in the projects, including building regional transportation corridors, energy infrastructure and cross-border pipelines, he said, adding that the Eritrea region presents “excellent opportunities” for “economic integration” with Russia.

At the meeting, Foreign Minister Lavrov presented the Medal of the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation to Foreign Minister Osman Saleh for his contribution to the advancement of relations between the two countries and for international diplomacy.

The Russian Foreign Minister also told reporters on Friday at a joint news conference with his Eritrean counterpart that Moscow believes it is necessary to start removing the sanctions imposed on Eritrea by the UN Security Council due to the signs of improvement in the situation in the Horn of Africa,

“Amid profound positive changes in the Horn of Africa over the past few years, especially between Eritrea and Ethiopia, we believe it is necessary, on the practical level, to begin removing those sanctions that were imposed on Eritrea by the UN Security Council,” he noted.

“We welcomed the process of normalizing the Eritrean-Ethiopian relations that began in June, welcomed the resumption of direct contacts between the parties, which made it possible to move towards removing all mutual concerns. We noted that this became possible thanks to the good will of the two countries’ leaders.”

source:   Reuters and Interfax