Nairobi: The dynamics of the war in Ukraine to bolster Russia's support was a main topic of conversation when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki during his trip to Africa, according to Eritrea's information minister.

Lavrov is on a week-long charm offensive across the continent, starting with South Africa, which is holding joint military exercises with Russia and China. He then made a surprise visit to the inclusive country of Eritrea in the Horn of Africa.

One of Russia's most important allies on a continent divided over the invasion and Western efforts to isolate Moscow because of its military actions is South Africa.

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Even though most African countries abstained, Eritrea was one of the first to vote against a UN resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

Russian state news agency TASS quoted Lavrov as saying that for his consistent support of Russian initiatives at the United Nations, our Eritrean friends deserve our gratitude.

According to Tass, he said he had invited his Eritrean counterpart, Osman Saleh, to visit Moscow soon and claimed that Asmara had adopted a "principled and balanced position on issues regarding events in Ukraine and its surroundings".

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The discussions in Eritrea also focused on ways to strengthen ties in the fields of energy, mining, information technology, education and health, according to a tweet by Information Minister Yemane Meskel.

According to TASS, the two sides will conduct a joint study to determine the logistics and transit opportunities provided by Massawa's airport and Red Sea port.

I would like to bring up the possibility of using the airport and seaport of Massawa's logistics potential. According to Lavrov, from the point of view of its transit options, Massawa Airport appears to be intriguing.

Senior US officials are traveling across Africa to strengthen ties with Lavrov as well as their allies. Foreign Minister Osman blamed the Ukraine crisis on America's "reckless policy of hegemony and control" for decades during a meeting with Lavrov's delegation on Thursday.

The unfortunate reality is that this policy uses Ukraine as both an excuse and a victim, Osman said in his speech in Massawa.

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The conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region, where Eritrean troops fought alongside their Ethiopian federal counterparts against rebel Tigrean forces, was not mentioned.

Last November, a ceasefire agreement was signed, but Eritrea refused to participate. According to witnesses, Eritrean troops have started withdrawing from some areas of Tigray.