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Foreign relations of Eritrea

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The foreign relations of Eritrea are the policies of the Eritrean government by which it administers its external relations with other nations. Since its independence, Eritrea's foreign relations have been dominated by conflict and confrontation, both in the regional and international arenas. It has maintained often troubled, and usually violent, relations with its neighbors, including brief armed conflicts with Yemen and Djibouti and a destructive war with its bigger-neighbour, Ethiopia.[1] At present, Eritrea has very tense relations with neighboring Ethiopia and Djibouti. Relations in the international arena also have been strained since the last decade, particularly with major powers. What appeared cordial relations with the US in the 1990s turned acrimonious following the border war with Ethiopia, 1998-2000.[1] Although the two nations have a close working relationship regarding the ongoing war on terror, there has been a growing tension in other areas. Ties with international organizations such as the United Nations, the African Union, and the European Union have also been complicated in part because of Eritrea's outrage at their reluctance to force Ethiopia to accept a boundary commission ruling issued in 2002.[1]

International organizations

Eritrea is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, and is an observing member of the Arab League.

Eritrea holds a seat on the United Nations' Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ).

Eritrea also holds memberships in the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Finance Corporation, International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Permanent Court of Arbitration, Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa, and the World Customs Organization.

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Eritrea maintains diplomatic relations with:

More information #, Country ...
# Country Date
— Ethiopia (suspended)[2] 22 May 1993[3]
1 Yemen 23 May 1993[4]
2 Argentina 24 May 1993[5]
3 Italy 24 May 1993[6]
4 Russia 24 May 1993[7]
5 South Korea 24 May 1993[8]
6 Sudan 24 May 1993[3]
7 North Korea 25 May 1993[9]
8 Finland 28 May 1993[10]
9 Bulgaria 31 May 1993[11]
10 United States 11 June 1993[12]
11 Mexico 23 June 1993[13]
12 United Arab Emirates 28 June 1993[3]
13 Qatar 5 July 1993[3]
14 Djibouti 11 July 1993[3]
15 China 14 July 1993[3]
16 Jordan 15 July 1993[3]
17 Poland 15 July 1993[3]
18 Vietnam 20 July 1993[14]
19 Sweden 24 June 1993[15]
20 Indonesia 2 August 1993[3]
21 Germany 3 August 1993[16]
22 Ivory Coast 4 August 1993[3]
23 Egypt 9 August 1993[3]
24 Hungary 24 August 1993[3]
25 Japan 31 August 1993[3]
26 Lebanon 3 September 1993[3]
27 Kenya 14 September 1993[3]
28 India 17 September 1993[3]
29 Denmark 28 September 1993[17]
30 Spain 5 October 1993[3]
31 Kuwait 20 October 1993[3]
32 Tunisia 25 October 1993[3]
33 Israel 28 October 1993[3]
34 Canada 28 October 1993[3]
35 United Kingdom 16 November 1993[3]
36 Saudi Arabia 20 November 1993[3]
37 Romania 23 November 1993[3]
38 Australia 24 November 1993[3]
39 Pakistan 1 December 1993[3]
40 Thailand 7 December 1993[3]
41 Singapore 15 December 1993[3]
42 Ukraine 20 December 1993[3]
43 Czech Republic 6 January 1994[3]
44 Namibia 28 January 1994[3]
45 Uganda 28 January 1994[3]
46 Austria 9 March 1994[3]
47 Norway 14 March 1994[18]
48  Switzerland 22 March 1994[3]
49 France 23 March 1994[3]
50 Algeria 25 March 1994[3]
51 Belgium 31 March 1994[3]
52 Oman 30 April 1994[3]
53 Syria April 1994[3]
54 Morocco 30 May 1994[3]
55 Turkey 30 June 1994[3]
56 Netherlands 15 July 1994[3]
57 Zambia 15 July 1994[3]
58 Armenia 16 October 1994[19]
59 Colombia 22 December 1994[20]
60 Slovakia 26 February 1995[21]
61 South Africa 17 March 1995[22]
62 Portugal 8 June 1995[20]
63 Greece 9 June 1995[23]
64 Zimbabwe 9 June 1995[23]
— Holy See 15 July 1995[24]
65 Bahrain 2 December 1995[25]
66 Slovenia 4 April 1996[26]
67 Luxembourg 13 September 1996[27]
68 Bosnia and Herzegovina 17 September 1996[28]
69 Brazil 7 November 1996[20]
70 Cuba 8 November 1996[20]
71 Philippines 4 February 1997[29]
72 Malaysia 2 December 1997[30]
73 Libya 5 February 1998[31]
74 Lithuania 29 August 1998[32]
75 Belarus 11 September 1998[33]
76 Nigeria 1998[34]
77 Croatia 4 June 1999[35]
78 New Zealand 2 December 1999[36]
— Sovereign Military Order of Malta 1999[37]
79 North Macedonia 13 September 2000[38]
80 Cyprus 6 August 2001[20]
81 Somalia 12 February 2002[39]
82 Ireland 13 March 2002[40]
83 Seychelles 25 April 2002[20]
84 Venezuela 7 April 2004[20]
85 Azerbaijan 20 April 2004[20]
86 Mauritius 21 April 2004[20]
87 Brunei 13 May 2004[20]
88 Ghana 26 August 2004[41]
89 Iceland 6 October 2004[20]
90 Estonia 31 May 2005[42]
91 Tajikistan 19 September 2005[43]
92 San Marino 28 October 2005[44]
93 Iran 31 May 2007[45][46]
94 Tanzania 13 July 2007[47]
95 Dominican Republic 28 September 2007[48]
96 Sri Lanka 15 November 2007[49]
97 Montenegro 18 March 2008[20]
98 Malta 18 December 2008[20]
99 Cambodia 2 February 2010[20]
100 Paraguay March 2010[50]
101 Fiji 12 April 2010[20]
102 Solomon Islands 27 June 2011[20]
103 South Sudan 11 July 2011[51]
104 Mali 16 February 2012[52]
105 Georgia 24 February 2012[20]
106 Angola 11 March 2012[53]
107 Latvia 5 April 2012[54]
108 Serbia 19 October 2012[55]
109 Mozambique 10 December 2012[56]
110 Ecuador 13 March 2013[20]
111 Mongolia 24 March 2013[20]
112 Kyrgyzstan 27 February 2014[20]
113 Senegal 10 October 2014[57]
114 Lesotho 21 June 2015[58]
115 Mauritania 16 August 2015[59]
116 Kazakhstan 7 December 2016[20]
117 Eswatini 30 March 2017[60]
118 Madagascar 12 April 2017[61]
119 Rwanda 18 April 2017[62]
120 Malawi 20 July 2017[63]
121   Nepal 31 October 2017[20]
122 Guinea 8 February 2019[64]
123 Nicaragua 6 June 2019[20]
124 Maldives 10 February 2021[20]
125 Dominica 11 May 2021[20]
126 Chad 12 October 2021[65]
127 Jamaica 17 November 2023[66]
128 Niger 17 November 2023[67]
129 Saint Lucia 16 September 2024[20]
130 Uzbekistan 10 July 2025[20]
131 Trinidad and Tobago 29 April 2026[68]
132 Andorra 22 September 2026[69]
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Bilateral relations

More information Country, Formal Relations Began ...
Country Formal Relations Began Notes
Croatia4 June 1999See Croatia–Eritrea relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 June 1999[70]

Denmark 28 September 1993 Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 September 1993[17][71] See Denmark–Eritrea relations
Ethiopia22 May 1993See Eritrea–Ethiopia relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 May 1993 when first Ambassador of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia's to Eritrea Mr. Awalom Woldu Tuku presented his credentials to President Issaias Afwerki.[72] Diplomatic relations were broken on 12 May 1998 when Ethiopia and Eritrea went to war over the disputed border area of Badme.[73] Diplomatic relations were restored on 8 July 2018[74]

In December 2000, Eritrea and Ethiopia signed a peace treaty ending their war and created a pair of binding judicial commissions, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission and the Eritrean-Ethiopian Claims Commission, to rule on their disputed border and related claims. In April 2002 The Commission released its decision (with a clarification in 2003).[75] Disagreements following the war have resulted in stalemate punctuated by periods of elevated tension and renewed threats of war.[76][77] Since these decisions Ethiopia has refused to permit the physical demarcation of the border while Eritrea insists the border must be demarcated as defined by the commission. Consequently, the Boundary Commission ruled boundary as virtually demarcated and effective.

Eritrea maintains a military force on its border with Ethiopia roughly equal in size to Ethiopia's force, which has required a general mobilization of a significant portion of the population.[78] Eritrea has viewed this border dispute as an existential threat to itself in particular and the African Union in general, because it deals with the supremacy of colonial boundaries in Africa.[79] Since the border conflict Ethiopia no longer uses Eritrean ports for its trade.[80]

During the border conflict and since, Ethiopia has fostered militants against Eritrea (including ethnic separatists and religiously based organizations).[81] Eritrea has retaliated by hosting militant groups against Ethiopia as well. The United Nations Security Council argues that Eritrea and Ethiopia have expanded their dispute to a second theater, Somalia.[82]

In March 2012, Ethiopia attacked Eritrean army outposts along the border. Addis Ababa said the assault was in retaliation for the training and support given by Asmara to subversives while Eritrea said the U.S. knew of the attacks, an accusation denied by U.S. officials.[83]

In July 2018, leaders both countries signed a peace treaty to put a formal end to a state of war between both nations paving the way for greater economic cooperation and improved ties between them.[84]

Germany 3 August 1993 See Eritrea–Germany relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 August 1993[16]

Israel24 May 1993See Eritrea–Israel relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 May 1993.[85]

Eritrea developed relations with Israel shortly after gaining its independence in 1993, despite protests among Arab countries. Israeli-Eritrean relations are close. The president of Eritrea has visited Israel for medical treatment. However, Eritrea condemned Israeli military action during the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict.[86] Israeli-Eritrean ties are complicated by Israel's close ties to Ethiopia, who have shared an unfriendly dyad with Eritrea for a long time.

Italy24 May 1993See Eritrea–Italy relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 May 1993[87]

  • Eritrea has an embassy in Rome and a consulate in Milan.
  • Italy has an embassy in Asmara.
Mexico23 June 1993Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 June 1993[88]
North Korea 1993 Despite Pyongyang's alignment with Ethiopia during the Eritrean War of Independence, Eritrea has maintained diplomatic relations with North Korea since the 1990s. Covert military ties also exist between Eritrea and North Korea.[91]
Qatar5 July 1993[92]

During the 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis, Eritrea refused a request by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates to cut relations with Qatar, citing its "strong ties with the brother people of Qatar."[93]

Russia24 May 1993See Eritrea–Russia relations
  • Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 May 1993[94]
Sudan24 May 1993,[95] diplomatic relations were broken from 5 December 1994 to 2 May 1999

Eritrea broke diplomatic relations with the Sudan in December 1994. This action was taken after a long period of increasing tension between the two countries due to a series of cross-border incidents involving the Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ). Although the attacks did not pose a threat to the stability of the Government of Eritrea (the infiltrators have generally been killed or captured by government forces), the Eritreans believe the National Islamic Front (NIF) in Khartoum supported, trained, and armed the insurgents. After many months of negotiations with the Sudanese to try to end the incursions, the Government of Eritrea concluded that the NIF did not intend to change its policy and broke relations. Subsequently, the Government of Eritrea hosted a conference of Sudanese opposition leaders in June 1995 in an effort to help the opposition unite and to provide a credible alternative to the present government in Khartoum. Eritrea resumed diplomatic relations with Sudan on December 10, 2005.[96] Since then, Sudan has accused Eritrea, along with Chad, of supporting rebels.[97] The undemarcated border with Sudan previously posed a problem for Eritrean external relations.[98]

After a high-level delegation to the Sudan from the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ties are being normalized. While normalization of ties continues, Eritrea has been recognized as a broker for peace between the separate factions of the Sudanese civil war. "It is known that Eritrea played a role in bringing about the peace agreement [between the Southern Sudanese and Government],"[99] while the Sudanese Government and Eastern Front rebels have requested Eritrea to mediate peace talks.[100] The Eritrean President, Isaias Afewerki, and his Sudanese counterpart Omar Al-Bashir held talks in Asmara on a number of bilateral issues of mutual concern to the two East African countries. The talks dealt with enhancing bilateral ties and cooperation including making their shared border more open. Sudan and Eritrea agreed to abolish entry visa requirements, opening their common borders for free movement of both nationals.[101] In 2011, Eritrea and Sudan cooperated in the building of the Kassala-Al Lafa Highway linking the two countries.[102]

Turkey19 July 1993See also Eritrea–Turkey relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 July 1993[103]

  • The Embassy of Eritrea in Doha is accredited to Turkey.[104]
  • Turkey has an embassy in Asmara.[104]
  • Trade volume between the two countries was US$13.9 million in 2019.[104]
United Arab Emirates28 June 1993[92]

The United Arab Emirates are a member of the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed is quoted stating the UAE are using "logistical facilities at the port and airport" in the southern city of Assab.[105] Human Rights Watch reported that the UAE maintains a detention facility at the Assab base, where it may have transferred high-profile prisoners out of Yemen.[106]

United Kingdom16 November 1993See Foreign relations of the United Kingdom

Eritrea established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 16 November 1993.

  • Eritrea maintains an embassy in London.[107]
  • The United Kingdom is accredited to Eritrea through its embassy in Asmara.[108]

The UK administered Eritrea from 1941 to 1952, when Eritrea united with Ethiopia into a federation.[109]

United States11 June 1993See Eritrea–United States relations

Diplomatic relations between the United States and the State of Eritrea were established on June 11, 1993.[110]

Yemen24 May 1993[95]

A dispute with Yemen over the Hanish Islands in 1996 resulted in a brief war. As part of an agreement to cease hostilities, the nations agreed to refer the issue to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. At the conclusion of the proceedings, both nations acquiesced to the 1998 decision which said sovereignty should be shared.[111]

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