Eritrea’s Foreign Affairs Minister Osman Saleh on Monday arrived in the Somali capital Mogadishu in a follow up to a previous visit to the Red Sea nation by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo.
The Eritrean delegation which was welcomed by Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire at the Aden Abdulle International Airport included President Isaias Afworki’s advisor Yeman e Gab.
Eritrean FM Osman Saleh held a meeting with President Farmaajo at the Villa Somalia.
“The President explained to the delegation the progress that Somalia has made as well as domestic and external challenges it continues to face” a statement from the Eritrean government partly said.
“President Mohamed reaffirmed Somalia’s commitment to the Joint Declaration signed by both countries & outlined priorities for its implementation” the statement said.
PM Khaire participated in the meeting.
The meeting comes in the wake of a brewing diplomatic row between Mogadishu and Djibouti that followed Farmaajo’s three day visit to Asmara.
Djibouti said it was “deeply shocked†by President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo’s call for the lifting of UN sanctions on Eritrea.
Djibouti and Eritrea have had a border dispute that led to the two countries’ armed forces clash.
“It is unacceptable to see brotherly Somalia support Eritrea, which is occupying part of our territory and still denying holding Djiboutian prisoners,†Djibouti statement farther said.
In the visit Somalia and Eritrea restored it’s diplomatic relations that was cut after Asmara was accused of backing militant group Alshababab.
