Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry held a telephone meeting with his Eritrean counterpart, Othman Saleh, to discuss the release of Egyptian fishermen detained in Eritrea. During the conversation, Shoukry confirmed Egypt's interest in releasing the detained fishermen as soon as possible, in recognition of the relations between the two countries. Shoukry also followed up on the conditions of the detained fishermen and to ensure their safety and good treatment, in light of the fraternal relations between the two countries. Ahmed Hafez, Spokesperson for Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Shoukry had directed for the Egyptian Embassy in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, to continue its vigorous and intensive efforts to follow up on developments in the case. This relates to a continued monitoring of the conditions experienced by the detained Egyptian fishermen, and to coordinate with the Eritrean authorities regarding procedures for their repatriation. On the other hand, and based on the minister's mandates, the consular sector at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a coordination meeting with the national authorities. The meeting reviewed developments related to the detention of the Egyptian fishermen in Eritrea in particular, and to discuss the necessary procedures and guidelines that would spare Egyptian citizens exposure to such incidents in future.
