MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki on Wednesday laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow before talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that are scheduled for later in the day.

The politicians are expected to discuss the outlook for bilateral relations in various areas and the pressing international issues, the Kremlin said earlier.

When laying flowers, the Eritrean president was accompanied by a group of politicians. The ceremony was held to music by a military orchestra.

Afwerki has been president since 1993 when Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia. He is the first and the only person to hold the post so far. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Eritrea in January as he toured Africa.