European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, flew to Eritrea on Friday 8 February to launch a €20 million programme to rebuild road links between the Ethiopian border and Eritrean ports.
Funded by the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), this programme is the first phase of broader support to be given to Eritrea later this year.
The Commissioner expects that the reconstruction of roads between the two countries will stimulate trade and job creation.
This support reflects the EU's commitment to assist Eritrea and Ethiopia in implementing the historic peace agreement, reached last July, which opens up opportunities for economic development and stability in the region.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, will also be in the Horn of Africa (9-13 February) to meet African Heads of State and Government on the margins of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, before travelling to Kenya to meet President Kenyatta, and then on to Djibouti for talks with President Ismail Omar Guelleh and a visit to the EU Maritime Security Mission base, Atalanta. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)