Egypt Fm To Visit Eritrea On Wednesday

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is expected to visit Eritrea on Wednesday in the first such visit by an Egyptian foreign minister in two decades.



In a Tuesday statement, the Foreign Ministry said the planned visit reflected the "brotherly relations between Egypt and Eritrea."



An Eritrean source, meanwhile, said Shoukry would meet with Eritrean officials to discuss the situation in crisis-hit Yemen and security coordination on the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait.



"[The visit] also aims to send a message of reassurance to Eritrea in light of recent rapprochement between Egypt and Ethiopia," the source told The Anadolu Agency.



Egypt maintains good relations with Eritrea, a longstanding regional foe of Ethiopia.



Ties between Egypt and Ethiopia have improved recently following months of tension over a mega-dam being built by Addis Ababa on the upper reaches of the Nile River.



While Ethiopia views the dam as necessary to its economic development, Egypt fears the project could lead to a marked reduction in its historical share of Nile water.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Kahire