Defense talks between Russia and Burkina Faso take place

In an effort to reinforce the two nations’ alliance, officials convened in Moscow.

In an effort to strengthen bilateral military ties, Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu hosted a meeting with his counterpart Kassoum Coulibaly on Tuesday in Moscow.

Shoigu hailed Coulibaly for his “readiness to work on increasing our cooperation in the fields of defence and economy,” the Russian ministry reported.

The meetings, he said, are “another step in the development of our friendly relations,” adding that ties between Moscow and the West African country are founded on “mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests and have gained positive dynamics in recent years.”

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Additionally, Sergey Shoigu congratulated his colleague on receiving the rank of brigadier general in the armed forces.

The defence minister of Burkina Faso expressed gratitude to his Russian hosts for setting up the meeting, stating, “We value our partnership, and it’s a great honour for us.” We are in a very practical phase of the negotiations.

The meeting comes after Simon-Pierre Boussim, Burkina Faso’s energy minister, visited the country in October and signed an agreement for Russia to construct a nuclear power plant in the Sahel region, where, according to the African Development Bank, less than 25% of the population has access to electricity.