# Foreign relations of Eritrea

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. 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. 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.

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

## Bilateral relations

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Croatia | 4 June 1999 | See Croatia–Eritrea relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 June 1999 |
| Denmark | 28 September 1993 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 September 1993 See Denmark–Eritrea relations |
| Ethiopia | 22 May 1993 | See 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. Diplomatic relations were broken on 12 May 1998 when Ethiopia and Eritrea went to war over the disputed border area of Badme. Diplomatic relations were restored on 8 July 2018 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). Disagreements following the war have resulted in stalemate punctuated by periods of elevated tension and renewed threats of war. 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. 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. Since the border conflict Ethiopia no longer uses Eritrean ports for its trade. During the border conflict and since, Ethiopia has fostered militants against Eritrea (including ethnic separatists and religiously based organizations). 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. 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. 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. Eritrea has an embassy in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia has an embassy in Asmara. |
| Finland | 28 May 1993 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 May 1993 |
| Germany | 3 August 1993 | See Eritrea–Germany relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 August 1993 |
| Israel | 24 May 1993 | See Eritrea–Israel relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 May 1993. 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. Israeli-Eritrean ties are complicated by Israel's close ties to Ethiopia, who have shared an unfriendly dyad with Eritrea for a long time. |
| Italy | 24 May 1993 | See Eritrea–Italy relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 May 1993 Eritrea has an embassy in Rome and a consulate in Milan. Italy has an embassy in Asmara. |
| Mexico | 23 June 1993 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 June 1993 Eritrea is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. Mexico is accredited to Eritrea from its embassy in Cairo, Egypt. |
| 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. |
| Portugal | 8 June 1995 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 8 June 1995 when Ambassador of Portugal to Eritrea with residence in Nairobi Mr. José Caetano da Costa Pereira presented his credentials. |
| Qatar | 5 July 1993 | 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." |
| Russia | 24 May 1993 | See Eritrea–Russia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 May 1993 |
| Sudan | 24 May 1993, 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. Since then, Sudan has accused Eritrea, along with Chad, of supporting rebels. The undemarcated border with Sudan previously posed a problem for Eritrean external relations. 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]," while the Sudanese Government and Eastern Front rebels have requested Eritrea to mediate peace talks. 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. In 2011, Eritrea and Sudan cooperated in the building of the Kassala-Al Lafa Highway linking the two countries. |
| Turkey | 19 July 1993 | See also Eritrea–Turkey relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 July 1993 The Embassy of Eritrea in Doha is accredited to Turkey. Turkey has an embassy in Asmara. Trade volume between the two countries was US$13.9 million in 2019. |
| United Arab Emirates | 28 June 1993 | 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. 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. |
| United Kingdom | 16 November 1993 | See Foreign relations of the United Kingdom Eritrea established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 16 November 1993. Eritrea maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Eritrea through its embassy in Asmara. The UK administered Eritrea from 1941 to 1952, when Eritrea united with Ethiopia into a federation. |
| United States | 11 June 1993 | See Eritrea–United States relations Diplomatic relations between the United States and the State of Eritrea were established on June 11, 1993. Eritrea has an embassy in Washington, D.C. The United States has an embassy in Asmara. |
| Yemen | 24 May 1993 | 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. |