ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki departed for Egypt on Saturday for a working visit amid heightened regional diplomatic tensions.
During the visit, Afwerki will participate in a summit of heads of state on collective security, stability, and partnership, Eritrean Minister of Information Yemane Gebremeskel disclosed on Saturday.
According to Gebremeskel, the current summit is a continuation of periodic forums on the wider neighborhood, namely the Red Sea Region, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Gulf, as well as the Nile Basin.
The Eritrean president left for the North African country upon the invitation of his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The two leaders will also discuss further enhancement of bilateral ties during the visit, it was noted.
The visit comes as the African Union (AU) has called on Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Egypt to exercise "maximum restraint," urging the three countries to de-escalate the situation amid mounting regional diplomatic tensions.
The AU called on "all three member states to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions or statements that could further escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability."
Ethiopia closed its embassy in Eritrea and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave within 48 hours, accusing them of hostile actions and threats to national security on Thursday. Eritrea, also on Thursday, rejected the claims and announced the severance of diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, accusing Ethiopia of supporting armed opposition groups that seek to destabilize its government.
Tensions also flared between Ethiopia and Egypt, with each country expelling a diplomat from the other's embassy recently. Analysts link the disputes to rising military tensions in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. Allegations that Eritrea and Egypt support Ethiopian rebel groups have been denied by both countries. ■