Eritrea: Land ofCan-Do People!
(Yikealo! kikewn eyu
kemey zeykewn!)

ERI-NEWS
Bi-Weekly Newsletter
Permanent Mission of the State of Eritrea to AUand UNECAPress Section

National Service: A toolfor EconomicDevelopment, NationalCohesion and theDefence of Sovereignty

Eritrea’s Diplomatic Activity will Focus on Creating Conducive
Ground for Peace, Justice, Development and Mutual Benefit –President Isaias

Volume 1, Issue 13

President Isaias Afwerki underlinedthat it is imperative to conduct active
and effective diplomatic activity towards ensuring national interest andsecurity by closely following and assessing the dynamic changes being
witnessed in world politics and theimpact of the mounting opposition ofpeoples around the world against thepolicy of domination and exploitation.

Inside this issue:

In this connection, he pointed out that
Eritrea‟s diplomatic activity in theyears ahead would focus on creating
conducive ground in the region forpeace, justice, development and mutual
benefit. In this regard, the President
stressed the need to learn from past experience to ensure the success of thepolicy of peace and development. He
also noted the need for strengtheninginstitutional and organizational capacity
to this end.

Also speaking at the opening session,
Foreign Minister Osman Saleh said that
the Ministry has mapped out a Strategic
Plan to carry out effective diplomatic
work on the basis of due assessment of
the current regional and internationaldevelopments. Moreover, he indicatedthat the Ministry has drawn up newstructure and organizational setup, inaddition to training programs towards
He made the salient remarks while enhancing the competence of its staff
addressing a meeting of Heads of Eri- members.
trean Diplomatic and Consular MisPresident Isaias responded to questions
sions in Asmara, on 18 June 2014.
raised by the participants pertaining toExplaining the conspiracy of enemy regional and international developquarters over the past years to subdue ments, as well as Eritrea‟s stance on
Eritrea and its people, including that various issues.
of smear campaigns and isolation haveended up in utter failure, President
Isaias said that the country hasreached a new transition stage in thediplomatic domain.
Vol 1. Issue 13, 01 July 2014

01 July 2014
Eritrean Delegation
Participated in the23rd AU Summit2

Eritrea Attended theGroup of 77 and2
China Summit
20th Commemoration of the Rwanda
3
GenocideObserved inAsmara
Nelson Mandela
International Day
Commemorated inAsmara

3A meeting aimed atestablishing aResearch Institutewas held between the 3
Ministry of Health ofEritrea and theShanghai Region ofChina
Contact Addresses:
Tel: +251-116620052
Fax:+251-116620011
Email:eritreanaumission@
gmail.com
P.o.Box: 5527
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Eritrean Mission toAU& ECA@EritreaAUPage 2

Volume 1, Issue 13

Eritrean Delegation Participated in the 23rd African Union Summit
A Delegation led by Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister ofForeign Affairs of Eritrea, participated in the 23rd
Summit of the African Union (AU) held in Malabo,
Equatorial Guinea, from 20-27 June 2014, under thetheme “Year of Agriculture and Food Security.”

Furthermore, Minister Osman indicated that Eritrea‟s ultimate objective is not only to produce
enough to feed its population but also to make agriculture the basis for industrialization through valueaddition.

The Conference was conducted in three levels. The
28th Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee was convened from 20-22 June at the level ofAmbassadors, followed by the 25th Session of theExecutive Council held from 23-25 June at the levelof Foreign Ministers, while the 23rd Session of theAssembly of Heads of State and Government took
place on 26 and 27 June.

The Minster went on to list the activities undertakenby the people and Government of Eritrea to prepare
the ground-work for the modernization of the agricultural sector, including human resources development, infrastructure, and soil and water conservation.

Minister Osman also emphasized that „Agriculture
and Food Security‟ is not a theme that could beIn a statement he delivered to the Assembly of shelved at the end of the year, but a mission that theHeads of State and Government on 26 June, Minister people and Governments of Africa need to dedicate
Osman underscored that the achievement of food their efforts and resources to until its fulfillment.
security is of paramount importance to the security,dignity and development of Africa.
Furthermore, on 25 June, the Delegation attended
the meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council
Minister Osman stated that the Government of Eri- (PSC) held at the level of Heads of State and Govtrea has put the achievement of food security at theernment to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of
top of its development agenda and has made huge
the operationalization of the PSC.
investment towards this.

Eritrea Attended the Group of 77 and China Summit
The Permanent Representative of the Stateof Eritrea to the United Nations and Special Envoyof the President, Ambassador Girma Asmerom, participated at the Commemorative Summit on the 50th
Anniversary of the Group of 77 and China held in
Santa Cruz, Bolivia, from 14-15 June 2014.

The Statement that Ambassador Girma delivered tothe Summit can be accessed at: http://www.tesfanews.net/eritrea-attends-g77-chinasummit-in-bolivia/

Vol 1. Issue 13, 01 July 2014

Page 3Eri-News

20th Commemoration of the Rwanda Genocide (Kwibuka20)
Observed in Asmara
The 20th anniversary of theRwanda Genocide against theTutsi was commemorated in Asmara on 27 June 2014, with
events jointly organized by thePeople‟s Front for Democracyand Justice (PFDJ) and the UN
Office in Eritrea.
At a function attended by Government Ministers, PFDJ Officials, diplomats and staff of UN
Agencies based in Eritrea, amoment of silence was observed
for the victims and the Flame ofRemembrance was lit to symbol-

ise remembrance and the resilienceand courage of Rwandans over thepast twenty years.

Rwandan youth and Eritreanchildren recited poems charged
with progressive sentiments totake Rwanda and the world
beyond the agony of genocide.
The Head of Political Affairs ofPFDJ, the President of the National Union of Eritrean Women(NUEW) and the UN Resident/
Humanitarian Coordinator maderemarks at the sombre occasion.

The participants were shown shortfilms, pictures and testimonies
from the genocide period.

Tree planting and street cleaning
activities were also undertaken as
part of the commemoration.

Nelson Mandela International Day Commemorated in Asmara
The Nelson Mandela International Day was commemorated inAsmara on 29 June 2014. The
commemorative event was organized by the Embassy of South
Africa in Eritrea, the National
Union of Eritrean Youth andStudents (NUEYS) and the UN
Office in Eritrea.

of „Long Walk to Freedom,‟ followed by discussions on the movie
by a panel and comments from theaudience.

In the remarks they made at theoccasion, Mr. Yemane Ghebreab,
Head of Political Affairs of PFDJ,
and the Ambassador of South
Africa to Eritrea, Professor Iqbal
The event involved the viewing Jhazbhay, paid tribute to the anti-apartheid leader.
Present at the occasion were Government Ministers, PFDJ officials,
diplomats and heads of UN
agencies based in Eritrea, as wellas lecturers and students fromvarious Colleges.

A meeting aimed at establishing a Research Institute was held between the Ministry of
Health of Eritrea and the Shanghai Region of China
A meeting aimed at establishing a and pointed out that the cooperaresearch institute for communicable tion between the two countries inand tropical diseases in Eritrea was the domain of health over the last
held between the Eritrean Ministry 23 years has been successful.
of Health and China‟s Shanghai
region.
Furthermore, the Minister lauded
Shanghai‟s contributions to theDuring the meeting held on 18 June Ministry‟s endeavor to establish the2014 in Asmara, Ms. Amina institute for communicable andNur-Hussein, the Minister of tropical diseases and in human
Health of Eritrea, noted the historic resource development.
nature of Sino-Eritrean relations,

Vol 1. Issue 13, 01 July 2014

The head of the Chinese delegation, Mr. Han Weijun, Deputy
Director General of the Shanghai
Municipal
Commission
forHealth and Family Planning,commended the services provided
by the health facilities in Eritreathat he observed during his visits.
He also expressed the delegation‟s readiness to strengthen theexisting cooperation in the healthsector.