A New Chapter in Eritrea-Italy Relations: From Shared History to Strategic Future
In a move signaling the steady renewal of principled partnerships outside the tired frameworks of dependency and interference, President Isaias Afwerki today welcomed a high-level Italian delegation at Denden Guest House in Asmara.
The delegation was led by Francesco Lollobrigida, Italy’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, and Edmondo Cirielli, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
This is not the first engagement between the two sides — and that’s precisely the point. The visit represents the continuation of a new trajectory, one that began with the February 2024 meeting between President Isaias and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome.
What was once a legacy relationship shaped by colonial footprints is now being transformed — deliberately and cooperatively — into a mutually respectful partnership based on development, sovereignty, and strategic alignment.
At the heart of the discussion was the advancement of a comprehensive bilateral roadmap across wide-ranging sectors: energy, mining, transport and infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture, fisheries, marine resources, tourism, culture, sports, education, and financial cooperation. Regional peace and stability were also addressed — a topic Eritrea continues to approach with sober realism and long-term vision.
The outcome? A formal Comprehensive Plan of Action on Bilateral Cooperation was signed following the meeting by Eritrea’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Nesredin Mohamed, and Deputy Minister Cirielli — cementing Eritrea-Italy cooperation not as a token gesture, but as a living framework for tangible progress.
In a statement to local media, Minister Lollobrigida noted the significance of this step, affirming that “the progress achieved today reflects the first concrete milestone of joint efforts between Asmara and Rome.”
It’s worth recalling that even in early 2024, Deputy Minister Cirielli had publicly emphasized Italy’s aspiration to be “the first Western country to sign a cooperation agreement with Eritrea.” That goal is no longer aspirational — it’s becoming operational.
Also present at the discussions were senior Eritrean and Italian officials, including Mr. Hagos Gebrehiwet, Head of Economic Affairs of the PFDJ, and Italian Ambassador Alfonso Di Riso.
Strategic Context
Eritrea, a nation that has long chosen dignity over dependency, is not seeking “donors” — it seeks genuine partners. Italy, if it stays the course, may become one. This is not about flashy announcements or photo-ops. This is about building infrastructure, reviving productivity, and fostering mutual interest in a multipolar world that is shifting away from Western-dominated narratives and exploitative policies.
This Eritrea-Italy agreement doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is a piece in a larger realignment — one in which Eritrea is asserting a firm and confident voice on its terms. In a region often distorted by proxy agendas, this kind of sovereignty-based engagement is not just refreshing — it’s necessary.
As meetings continue both in Eritrea and Italy, the real work begins. And if actions match intentions, we may be witnessing the rebirth of an alliance rooted not in history’s burdens, but in the shared determination to build something sovereign, fair, and enduring.