Russian Deputy Prime Minister visits Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak concluded an African tour that took him to Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, three countries ruled by transitional military councils whose leaders allied themselves with Russia after canceling military cooperation agreements with France and expelling its forces from their countries.
Niger was the last stop on Novak’s tour, where he headed a high-level delegation that included ministers, parliamentarians and representatives of the private sector.
Novak held talks with a number of Nigerien officials, before being received by the country’s transitional president, General Abdourahmane Tiani.
During his visit to Niger, Alexander said, according to a statement published by the Russian government on Telegram, “Important projects aimed at improving the lives of the population are being implemented today, in particular access to electricity and the development of transportation infrastructure”.
Before his arrival in Niamey on Friday, Niger received on Thursday an important batch of military equipment provided by Russia, according to the Nigerien Ministry of Defense.
The senior Russian official arrived in Niger from Burkina Faso, where he paid a friendship and working visit aimed at strengthening the partnership between Moscow and Ouagadougou, according to the Burkinabe Foreign Ministry.
Alexander Novak began his tour in Mali, where he held talks with its transitional president, General Assimi Goita, which, according to Malian media, focused on cooperation in the areas of security, energy, infrastructure, transportation and agriculture.
During the talks, Novak expressed his desire to raise Russian-Malian relations to a strategic level, stressing primarily the importance of cooperation in the areas of fighting terrorism and economic development.
The three countries have previously received senior Russian officials, and some officials from these countries have visited Russia and signed cooperation agreements in various fields.
