India and Eritrea convened their second round of Foreign Office Consultations in Delhi, aiming to expand and strengthen their cooperation. The talks, facilitated by the Ministry of External Affairs, centered on enhancing developmental cooperation and capacity building in line with the principles of South-south cooperation, as stated by the MEA in a released statement.

During the consultations, both India and Eritrea reviewed their current collaboration across diverse sectors such as agriculture, health, pharmaceuticals, and mining.

The MEA stated in a released statement that the discussions were conducted amicably and productively, covering a broad spectrum of bilateral, regional, and multilateral topics. The emphasis remained on advancing developmental cooperation and enhancing capacity building in alignment with the principles of South-South cooperation.

The discussions also encompassed the ongoing collaboration in agriculture, food processing, health, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, mining, trade, and investment. They explored avenues to enhance and expand their partnership across these sectors, as stated by the MEA.

The Indian and Eritrean officials engaged in discussions regarding regional and global matters of shared concern. M Suresh Kumar, Joint Secretary (WANA) at the MEA, headed the Indian delegation, while Ibrahim Osman Mahmud, Director General at the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led the Eritrean team.

They highlighted the significance of Digital Public Infrastructure as a key area for collaboration, exploring potential support to enhance digital governance in Eritrea. Additionally, both sides exchanged perspectives on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, according to the MEA.

MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced on X that the second India-Eritrea Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) took place in New Delhi. Jaiswal highlighted that discussions encompassed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, with a focus on development cooperation and capacity building under the framework of South-South Cooperation. Furthermore, both sides engaged in deliberations on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The statement further disclosed that the inaugural round of political consultation between India and Eritrea occurred in Asmara, Eritrea's capital, in October 2018. Following this, the decision was made to convene the subsequent FOC at a time suitable for both nations.

MEA emphasised the warm and amicable ties between India and Eritrea, expressing mutual commitment to fortify bilateral relations. It was also affirmed that the forthcoming round of FOC will take place in Eritrea, with scheduling arrangements to be determined through mutual agreement.

Image source: ANI