Secretary-General Hails Meeting of Eritrea, Djibouti Presidents, Hoping it Proves New Step towards Consolidating Peace, Security Gains in Region

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General welcomes the meeting between President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh of Djibouti and President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea held on 17 September in Jeddah under the auspices of His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia.

The Secretary-General trusts that this meeting will prove yet another step in the consolidation of recent peace and security gains in the Horn of Africa region.  He hopes that the encounter between the leaders of Djibouti and Eritrea will initiate a process to settle all pending issues between the two countries and lead to greater peace, stability and development in the region.

The Secretary-General appreciates the leadership of King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud and Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman al Saud and their efforts in facilitating the dialogue between the leaders of Djibouti and Eritrea.