New Economy Forum
Eritrea Seeks Regional Role as It Casts Off Hermit-State Label
- Country emerging from isolation after Ethiopia rapprochement
- Closer ties being forged with U.A.E., Russia, Saudi Arabia
Photographer: Maheder Haileselassie Tadese/AFP via Getty Images
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Eritrea is casting off its reputation as a hermit state and pushing to become a key player in one of the world’s most strategically important regions.
Decades of eschewing international cooperation by the Red Sea state are giving way to renewed ties. Relations with Ethiopia, its sworn enemy since a border war at the end of last century, are blossoming after the two states agreed a rapprochement in July. Somalia signed a trilateral cooperation accord with the two countries that includes an initiative to seek peace with Djibouti, which in turn has welcomed the move.