Eritrea

Bilateral Franco-Eritrean relations are good. Our mediation in 1996 in the dispute between Eritrea and Yemen over the Hanish Islands was appreciated.

Mr. Kouchner is the first European minister to visit Eritrea (August 1992). President Afeworki’s trip to France was his first official visit to a European country (May 1994).
During the conflict with Ethiopia, France sent Mr. Jean-François Deniau (January and February 1999) on a good offices mission.
Alongside the Africa-France Summit of 20-21 February 2003, President Issaias met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. de Villepin. The Minister Delegate for Cooperation, Ms. Girardin, visited Asmara in November 2006.
Eritrea’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, the late Mr. Abdallah, met with Mr. Barnier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Darcos, the Minister Delegate for Cooperation, in October 2004 in Paris. Mr. Gebreab, political affairs advisor to President Afeworki has also travelled to Paris regularly since 2006.

Relationships are more difficult since the dispute with Djibouti.

^{Updated on 28.01.10}