Jaishankar greets people of Eritrea on country's Independence Day
New Delhi, May 24
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday extended wishes to the government and people of Eritrea on the country's Independence Day.
"Greetings to FM Osman Saleh Mohammed, the Government and people of Eritrea on their Independence Day today," Jaishankar said in a post on X.
India and Eritrea share cordial ties. Earlier in December, the third round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Eritrea took place in Asmara.
During the discussions, the delegations reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including political, economic, capacity building, health, education, renewable energy, culture and people-to-people ties, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The two sides also exchanged views on regional issues of mutual interest. Emphasising the importance of human resource development through Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation and ICCR scholarships, both sides reiterated their commitment to further strengthen and deepen this partnership.
The Indian community in Eritrea--comprising around 200 professionals, school teachers, college professors and construction workers--mainly resides in Asmara, Keren and Adi Keyh.
Economic engagement between the two countries remains steady. India's exports to Eritrea stood at USD 17.95 million in 2022-23, consisting largely of sugar, pharmaceutical products, rubber, rice, apparel and clothing accessories. Eritrea also qualifies for India's unilateral Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme for export of goods and services to India.
— ANI
Reader Comments
A good gesture by EAM Jaishankar. India's soft power through scholarships and ITEC programs really helps build trust globally. The 200 Indians living and working there show the people-to-people connection is real.
Nice to see India's diplomatic outreach spanning across continents. The DFTP scheme is a smart move to boost trade. Hope our exports grow further from $18 million a year.
While it's important to maintain diplomatic niceties, I hope India also focuses on tangible outcomes—like trade diversification beyond sugar and pharma. Need more value-added exports. Just saying... 😊
Never knew we had such a small Indian community there. 200 professionals making a difference in education and construction abroad is something to be proud of.
India's Africa policy is really paying off. From renewable energy to education, we are building long-term partnerships without the baggage of colonialism. Jai Hind! 🚀
I hope the FOC discussions actually lead to student exchange and business tie-ups. The numbers are small now but there's potential, especially in IT and healthcare sectors.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.