Eritrea's leader urges Russia to play 'historical role'

2nd Jun 2023 | Source: BBC

The leaders of the two countries met at the Kremlin

Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki has called on Russia to perform its "historical responsibility" of promoting global peace and justice, the Eritrean Ministry of Information's website, Shabait, has reported.

Mr Isaias made the comments during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday.

Eritrea and Russia enjoy cordial relations.

Eritrea is one of a few countries to oppose UN resolutions to condemn Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Isaias added that "the unipolar world order", dominated by the US, had contributed to the "spiral of crises and destruction" around the world.

His four-day visit to Russia came barely a week after a similar visit to China, during which he held talks with President Xi Jinping and other senior government officials.

Eritrea is a one-party state where Mr Isaias has been in power since independence from Ethiopia in 1993.