King Salman receives leader of Eritrea

The pair discussed "bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them in all fields"

The Eritrean and Saudi leaders met in Jeddah on July 23, 2018. Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud hosted Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on Monday, where he hosted a banquet in his honour.

King Salman and Mr Afwerki discussed "bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them in all fields," as well as the "latest developments" in the region.

Mr Afweki departed Jeddah on Monday evening. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted several pictures of the pair greeting one another ahead of their meeting.

Last week, Eritrea appointed its first ambassador to neighbouring Ethiopia in two decades, the government said, as the former foes pushed on with a rapprochement.

Since signing an agreement in Asmara on July 9 to restore ties, Eritrean and Ethiopian leaders have moved swiftly to sweep away two decades of hostility since conflict erupted between the two neighbours in the Horn of Africa in 1998.

The rapprochement was triggered by the taking office in April of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who announced he wanted to implement a peace deal that ended the war.

On Monday, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al Jubeir also met with Eritrean Minister of Foreign Affairs Othman Saleh Mohammed. During the meeting, bilateral relations between the two countries and issues of mutual interest were discussed, the Saudi Press Agency reported.