Mereja.Forum

[Zmeselo]

President Isaias Afwerki met, at Denden Guest House in mid-afternoon hours today, the Italian delegation led Mr. Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests; and, Mr. Edmondo Cirielli, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The extensive discussions centered on enhancement of bilateral ties and partnership, as part and parcel and continuation of the concrete areas of cooperation on various sectors that had been reached between President Isaias Afwerki and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Italy in February 2024 last year.



The broad areas of cooperation include the sectors of energy, mining; physical infrastructure; manufacturing; Agriculture, Marine Resources, Tourism, Culture and Sports, Human capital development, economic cooperation and finance. The two sides also discussed regional peace, security and stability.



A Comprehensive Plan of Action on Bilateral Cooperation Between the State of Eritrea and the Italian Republic (as specified above) was signed after the meeting by Mr. Nesredin Mohamed, Eritrea's Minister of Trade and Industry; and, Mr. Edmondo Cirielli, Italy's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The two sides further agreed to hold continuous meetings in Eritrea and Italy in the period ahead to monitor and expedite the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement.



In a brief statement to the Eritrean News Agency, Minister Francesco Lollobrigida underlined that the progress achieved today reflects the initial tangible step in the efforts that have been exerted in Asmara and Rome to enhance bilateral cooperation.


ፕረዚደንት ኢሳይያስ ኣፈወርቂ፡ ሎሚ ብሚኒስተር ሕርሻ፡ ልኡላውነት መግብን ሃብቲ ገረብን ምስ ዝተመርሐ ላዕለዋይ ልኡኽ መንግስቲ ኢጣልያ፡ ኣብ ምድንፋዕ ክልተኣዊ ዝምድናን ሽርክነታዊ ምትሕግጋዝን ተዘራሪቡ።

ኣብ ጽላታት ጸዓት፡ ወፍሪ፡ ምምዕባል ትሕተ-ቅርጺ፡ ምስናዕ፡ ሕርሻ፡ ሃብቲ ባሕሪ፡ ቱሪዝም፡ ባህሊ፡ ስፖርትን ምምዕባል ዓቕሚ-ሰብን፡ ከምኡ’ውን ዞባዊ ሰላምን ጸጥታን ድሕሪ ዝተገብረ ዘተ ድማ ሓፈሻዊ ናይ ምትሕብባር ሰነድ ተኸቲሙ።

[Zmeselo]

World Hepatitis Day Observed at National Level

@shabait

Jul 29, 2025



World Hepatitis Day was observed at the national level in Asmara yesterday under the theme: “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down.”

Dr. Araya Berhane, Director of Communicable Diseases Control at the Ministry of Health, stated that although hepatitis has various forms, this year’s observance focused on infection-related hepatitis, which remains a leading cause of illness and death in the country.

Citing a study by the Ministry of Health, Dr. Araya noted that in Eritrea, 30 out of every 1,000 people are carriers of Hepatitis B virus, while 5 out of every 1,000 are carriers of Hepatitis C. He also highlighted that the rate of infection varies across regions, and chronic illnesses are often associated with these two viruses.

He further stated that the primary means of controlling Hepatitis B is through vaccination, which has been in place in Eritrea for over 23 years. Since newborns must be vaccinated within 24 hours of birth, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with its partners, plans to expand the vaccination program starting in November 2025.

Dr. Mary Stephen, WHO Representative in Eritrea, and Dr. Abdullahi Mohammed Yousuf, UNICEF Representative, commended Eritrea’s efforts in controlling and eradicating hepatitis. They emphasized that the observance of the day serves as a reminder to give due attention to hepatitis and to combat it through integrated and timely efforts.

Participants held extensive discussions on the current situation of hepatitis and strategies for its control.
The event featured a general knowledge competition among secondary schools in the Central Region, with awards presented to the winners.


_________




HepB, 3rd dose coverage:

-95%
Africa - 76%
World - 84%

(N.B. -average over 10 yrs has been >95%)

Hepatitis B, is a major global health problem. Low coverage of testing/treatment is an important gap to be addressed, in order to achieve the global elimination goals by 2030. @FikreJesus

[Zmeselo]

There are truly no words to express, how amazing and meaningful the event in Stockholm last week was. Thank you to all the organisers for your hard work and dedication, and sincere thanks to all the participants!

The Great Event - Cultural Bonanza, would not have happened without your willingness to take on the hard tasks. You secured the venue and engaged with endless energy and dedication. I know you did all of this to show your support for the people of Eritrea. You fulfilled our wish to bring everyone together in one place, at the same time. You have truly overwhelmed us.


________

The annual Eritrea|n Scandinavian Festivals held in Sweden, stand out as one of the most remarkable Eritrean gatherings in the Diaspora. I’ve been fortunate to attend on several occasions, and each time I’ve come away deeply impressed by the dedication and professionalism of the organizers.

Over the years, they have consistently strengthened their organizational capacity, expanded across all regions of Sweden and wider Scandinavia, and cultivated a truly inclusive, intergenerational platform. The results speak for themselves...vibrant programming, growing participation, and a visible impact that resonates far beyond the community.

Congratulations to all involved, as they continue to leave a meaningful mark in Swedish society and beyond.

@AmbStesfamariam

[Zmeselo]

A New Chapter in Eritrea-Italy Relations: From Shared History to Strategic Future


Asmara, 29 July 2025 Mr. Nesredin Mohamed and Edmondo Cirielli sign Eritrea-Italy cooperation agreement.

By Nardos Berhane

https://mesobjournal.com/a-new-chapter- ... ic-future/

July 29, 2025

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.