Date: Friday, 23 December 2016
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/1060510 Eritrean Ambassador in Cairo Fasyl Jabr Selassie Takla: our relations with Egypt and with the strategy .. Ethiopia No Peace no war The development of our relationship with Egypt is not directed against Ethiopia .. And «Afwerki» visited Egypt 23 times in 25 years Wrote: Gomaa Hamdallah 21 December 2016 Said Eritrean Ambassador in Cairo Vasyl Jabr Selassie Takla , the Eritrean - Egyptian relations distinct and very old, pointing out that the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki visited Egypt 23 times in the 25 - year history of his country after its independence in 1991. The «Takla» in an interview with «Egyptian today»: that the recent visit of President Afewerki to Cairo was the best visit where it was put points on the letters for the development of relations between the two countries, pointing out that Afewerki was the first head of state in the world is on an official visit to Egypt after the revolution of June 30. The following is the text of the Interview: ■ with every visit by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki there is talk frequently about the development in the Egyptian Eritrean relations, where standing relations between the two countries at the current stage? - First I would like to stress that relations between Egypt and Eritrea are very old. In the period of the revolution and opened offices Revolution Eritrean in Egypt, and was home to Eritrean students, and many of the Egyptians, Eritreans do not know that the Eritrean Revolution began in 1961, and whether some of the Arab countries made a lot of aid to the revolution Eritrean after 1961, and Egypt in the fifties recognized Eritrea federation between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and the world time and time did not know the state called Eritrea, opened Egypt at the time called for students Eritreans and any student to come to Egypt before the start of the Eritrean revolution was not with him any papers to prove it Eritreans had this club at the time represented the Embassy of Eritrean issued a letter of his identity, and after the independence of Eritrea in 1991 by force of arms we have conducted a referendum and the world began to recognize us as an independent state in 1993, meaning that Eritrea is an independent state for nearly 25 years, and during these years, Eritrean President Isaias visited Afwerki Cairo about 23 times, and this shows the strength of relations between Cairo and Asmara. We look at our relations with Egypt on the grounds that it's strategy and strong relationships, but unfortunately, despite the many visits by President Isaias to Egypt, but the economic relations between the two countries did not develop as large and that it is up to many special reasons after the failed attempt to assassinate former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Addis Ababa in 1995, where he cut off all relations with African countries without guilt perpetrated by African countries, and was then talks to the development of relations between Egypt and Eritrea, but did not develop adequately. ■ But after the revolution of June 30 there Egyptian direction for the development of relations with African countries? - President Isaias Afwerki was the first president to make an official visit to Egypt after President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi came to power, and participated earlier in Sisi presidential inauguration ceremony, days before President Afwerki visited Cairo means that the Eritrean President visited Egypt during the past two years, three times, and this shows that there shared by both sides desire to reach the stage of Alastraatejah relations to relations between the two. I would like to emphasize here honestly and openly that the recent visit of President Eritrean was the best visit, where it was put points on the letters for the development of relations between the two countries. ■ What was the most important results of this visit? - For the first time in the history of relations it is to talk about how to develop economic relations, both in agricultural and fisheries, infrastructure and electricity, there is no room only and ask the Egyptians to cooperate with us in the development of Eritrea, and we found a full response from the Egyptian side to cooperate with us, and we expect in a month January next year there will be a very big positive steps in the development of economic relations between Cairo and Asmara. ■ how much of the volume of trade? - The volume of trade exchange is very small, and this is the result of some situations both inside Eritrea, where investment from some of the problems suffered, as well as the situation in Egypt during the past five years, which prompted the Egyptians interesting internal situation more than starting in Africa, I attended five visits to the President of the Eritrean compelling capacity as ambassador for my country in Egypt, I assure you once again that the recent visit of President Isaias represent a big boost in the economic and trade relations between the two countries. ■ Have you been to sign any agreements during the visit? - A high-level Egyptian delegation will pay a visit to Eritrea anticipated to finalize arrangements for the programs of cooperation will be signed. ■ for a long time was the Egyptian fishing boats problems represent a crisis between Egypt and Eritrea .. There have been reports of an agreement between the two countries to organize Egyptian fishing boats in the territorial waters of the Eritrean process what the fate of this agreement? - Among the agreements to be signed between Egypt and Eritrea in the coming period convention on fisheries. ■ Some see any attempts to develop relations between Cairo and Asmara as mainly aimed at the third party in the relationship which Addis Ababa .. What is your comment on this? - This is not true, we Karatrien do not look at our relationship with Egypt, from this angle, Eritrea countries and Ethiopia state, and Egypt's right to have more than excellent relations with Ethiopia, as well as the right to have a relationship more than excellent with Eritrea, and we do not have any sensitivity that there will be a special relationship between Ethiopia and any country in the world. I reiterate that the development of relations between Egypt and Eritrea is not against Ethiopia, and the development of relations between Egypt and Ethiopia is not on the expense of Eritrea. ■ There are those who talk about the need to develop relations between Egypt and Ethiopia and Sudan, or what is known as the countries of Eastern Nile Basin, does Matrouh that Eritrea joins the three countries? - First Eritrea observer group in the Nile Basin countries, state, and from our point of view that if God was love Nile Basin countries Nile water is not water Ihabha all but humanitarian relations between their peoples. ■ From your point of view how can the Nile waters become ES factor among all countries of the basin? - On one condition: if a person wanted to Nile water is used only in the economic development away from the political objectives that would be a greater link between the peoples of the basin, as I mentioned to you are the Nile gift from God, and if we use it for political purposes, the result would be not good. ■ Ethiopia Eritrea recently accused of playing a role in the events of «Alourmu», as Egypt also accused, is to Asmara no role in these events? - We do not have any role in the events that took place in Ethiopia, our policy is a constant and non-interference in the internal affairs of any state, as you know, any nation is exposed to internal problems are always looking for a third party to blame him and accused him of causing these problems, so as to satisfy public opinion procedure at the this country. Although the occupation of Ethiopia is part of our territory and the lack of diplomatic relations between us, but we always look to Ethiopia as a unified state do not interfere in its internal affairs, and in the recent period when any problem in Ethiopia is the dumping accusation of Eritrea, and now they say Egypt and Eritrea are the reason occur. The demonstrations in Ethiopia recently was very huge and is abnormal that Eritrea and Egypt move all these numbers of Ethiopian peoples. ■ Are there signs of resolving the crisis between Eritrea and Ethiopia? - Things are still in crisis and this is not due to the attitude of the Ethiopian, but the US position, and Ethiopians still occupying part of our territory until these moments a «Ppadumy» zone and refuse to implement the ruling of the International Court of Justice subordination of these areas to Eritrea. The situation between Eritrea and Ethiopia is reminiscent of the conditions that were between Egypt and Israel in the period from 1967 and 1973, a state of no-peace and no-war. ■ Why is blamed for strained relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia to the United States? - When we go back to the history of Eritrea was occupied country on the part of Italy, and the British entered Eritrea during World War II from Sudan and we have been in the period from 1942 to 1952 under the British administration, and later was declared the countries that were under Italian occupation, such as Somalia, Libya, except for Eritrea, and so As a result of its strategic location on the Red Sea and the conflict at that time between the poles of the United States and the Soviet Union for spheres of influence, the Americans paid on the basis that there is a federation between Eritrea and Ethiopia and imposed on us this union through the United Nations in 1952 without taking into account the desire of the Eritrean people at that time, US Secretary of State Dulles said, «it is in our interests in Washington, and the interest of our friends in the region to have a federation between Ethiopia and Eritrea». And at the announcement of the Federal Union and the United States benefited the establishment of the largest telecommunications base in the world with Eritrea on the Red Sea coast, and in 1974 when Emperor Haile Selassie fell, coup military alliances Addis Ababa changed for the Soviet Union was expelled the United States from their base in Eritrea resolve the place of the Soviet Union, and in in 1991, when I resigned Eritrea, the United States asked for an urgent meeting in London between President Isaias Afwerki and former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi with African department official US State department at the time, the official said the US clearly that Washington is not with Eritrea's independence and they support that Eritrea remain in Ethiopia frame with autonomous sophisticated which we rejected and we raised a referendum of the Eritrean people to choose their own destiny, and we asked the United Nations and the Arab League and the African Union monitoring the referendum, the then UN Secretary-General is the Egyptian great Dr. Boutros-Ghali, who if he were alive to respond to this question that the US United had the last moment reject this referendum was a referendum and its result was 99.85% in favor of secession from Ethiopia and began to recognize the independent countries of the world, including our state of Washington. When the United States recognized Eritrea imagined that we as a country we came out of the war about 30 years continues and our economy is weak, it can be conditions on the table setting and asked for re-US base in Eritrea but we refused this and asked facilities in the Red Sea, the US Navy also refused, and the time of US military intervention in Somalia we were the only country that has condemned this intervention, he wanted Washington to punish us Vdvawa Ethiopia to declare war on us because of the area on the border and in spite of the relations in that time with Ethiopia, and this was the reason that given Washington a lesson to Eritrea. ■ A number of reports have accused Eritrea of supporting the al-Shabab in Somalia, what is your comment? - There was a big propaganda against us, the presence of Eritrean troops in Somalia, but when I entered Ethiopia, Somalia did not find Eritrea and one in Somalia, has been formed a special committee three years and every year since the Commission issued annual reports confirm that there is no evidence that Eritrea helped the youth movement Somalia However, sanctions are still imposed on us. As I mentioned to you there is no formal evidence of this malicious propaganda against Eritrea, Ethiopians and Americans call such propaganda. ■ How do you explain and try involvement in Eritrea in the Horn of Africa all the problems .. Is it an attempt to Hatntha? - First, to settle Photos Eritrea, every time they talk about the existence of problems between Eritrea with Sudan once and with Ethiopia again and with Yemen and a third of Djibouti time, this method of Americans to isolate Eritrea in the region, that have all your neighbors are your enemies, and all this for one reason is that we We respect the political decision. ■ Also, there are multiple reports of an Israeli military presence in Eritrea, also an Iranian? - Funny that many Arab journalists get their information as they sat at their desks under the conditioning of foreign intelligence reports and consider the fact that they write about, and will not broadcast secret here that when the issue of the presence of Israeli military bases in Eritrea raised Some countries send delegations visited areas reportedly out military bases Israeli and did not find anything, and we if we want to give the State of bases in our country was the first to give the United States these rules and solve our problems, the largest problems with Washington, as I mentioned to you in the past we have refused to give them bases or facilities in the Red Sea. The strange thing is that some of repeating that there is an Israeli bases in Eritrea At the same time there are rules Iran, Is there any country in the world Israel and Iran gives military bases in one place ?, it is impossible. ■ There was a proposal to create a conglomerate that combines Eritrean countries overlooking the Red Sea to maintain security, what the fate of this proposal? - We we made this proposal for more than 23 years, and was our point of view represented in the Red Sea states are the first protection of the law. Some shouted that Eritrea due to its relations with Israel is willing to drag on the Red Sea countries to establish ties with Tel Aviv, and we emphasized more than once that we did not ask such a thing at all, and what we have said is that we can call for a meeting of Arab and African countries bordering on the Red Sea. We always mention that two great nations on the Red Sea are Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other small countries it is possible could play to call for such a meeting, but, unfortunately, this idea did not work, and we are still in Eritrea our insistence on this proposal, and the situation and recent developments compel us to cooperate with each other, The dangers existing in the Red Sea and one state would not hurt, but the whole region like it or not. ■ After the new Suez Canal can we expect the emergence of this proposal Eritrean forefront again? - If the Suez Canal artery for Egypt and the world, this is the artery without the south will not become an artery, process stability of the region for the benefit of the Suez Canal, and the problems in the south of the Red Sea is not in favor of the channel, we see that the cooperation between the Red Sea States must be clear and strategically. ■ A spread of terrorism in the world today and an international alliances to fight it, what Eritrea's position on this phenomenon? - The beginning of terrorism is not linked to any particular religion and does not have a goal or limits this imposes on our countries to cooperate with each other to combat it, if we look to the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, we find problems in Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere, and the only country that overlooks the Red Sea and do not suffer from the problems are Eritrea , there is our sectarian problems and others. But as I've mentioned terrorism knows no boundaries and this requires our countries to cooperate sincerely to fight terrorism, not just militarily. --Software translation--
