Eritrea
Indian traders were familiar with the Eritrean port of Massawa since the 17th century. India formally recognized Eritrea soon after its dejure independence on 24 May 1993 from Ethiopia. Over the years, India has been providing capacity building assistance in several fields to Eritrea including legislative drafting, technical scholarships (agriculture, education, health, handicrafts etc.), and also food aid.
Capacity Building & Other Exchanges
- Assistance in form of scholarships through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme has evolved over the years. India has offered capacity building assistance in several fields to Eritrea including in agriculture, health and education, handicrafts etc. At the request of the Eritrean Government, India provided a legal expert, under the ITEC scheme, to Eritrea for two years.
- There are 40 training slots of ITEC courses for Eritrea every year. ICCR allots generally 8 slots to Eritrea for every academic year. IAFS also allotted 2 slots for Eritrea for the year 2019-20. A total 25 slots were utilized for a special customized training programme of eight weeks on promotion of Basket and Mat Weaving Artisan Enterprises, on request from the Eritrean Government, at the National Institute of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Hyderabad from 14/05/2018 to 06/07/2018. In 2022-23 academic year ICCR allotted 11 slots for Eritrea including 3 special slots for Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- An Eritrean delegation visited several Indian educational institutes in 2010 including Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi University and Hamdard University. An agreement was concluded for cooperation with IGNOU.
Development Cooperation (Grants/ LoCs/ Assistance)
- In 2003 India donated 50 metric tonnes of wheat to Eritrea. Earlier, India had provided 150 metric tonnes of wheat and 20 metric tonnes of sugar to Eritrea as relief assistance.
- In November 2020 India donated food aid of 50 MT to Eritrea consisting of 30 MT of white wheat flour, 10 MT of rice and 10 MT of sugar.
- In 2009 Indian Government extended a Line of Credit of US$ 20 million to the Eritrean Government.
- Government of India’s Pan-African e-network project for Eritrea was inaugurated in August 2010. All three nodes (VVIP, medical and education) were functional.
- Two screenings of special lectures under the Pan African E-Network project have been done at the Orotta National Referral Hospital in Asmara in May and July 2012.
