Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki (L) is welcomed by Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed as he arrives at the Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia December 13, 2018. ReutersMOGADISHU (Reuters) - Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki arrived on Thursday for his first-ever visit to Somalia, Eritrea's information minister said, in another sign of rapidly changing relations in the region following Eritrea's rapprochement with one-time foe Ethiopia. "President Isaias's historic visit is part and parcel of the consultative Tripartite Summits of the Heads of State and Government of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia," Yemane Meskel said on Twitter. In July, Somalia and Eritrea said they planned to establish diplomatic relations as ties improved across the Horn of Africa following Eritrea's rapprochement with Ethiopia. In 2007, Eritrea walked out of the East African bloc IGAD in protest as Ethiopian forces entered Somalia to fight militants.

Source: Ethiopian News December 13, 2018 08:16 UTC