Russia convenes a security summit in Moscow with leaders from Sahel states to discuss regional stability and cooperation in combating terrorism and extremism.
Potential areas of security cooperation between the Western African nations and Russia were discussed by Andrey Belousov, the Defense Minister of Russia, along with his counterparts from Burkina Faso and Niger during talks.
On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the conferences were held on the fringes of the Army 2024 International Military-Technical Forum located in close proximity to Moscow.
As per the ministry report, the defense leaders of Russia, Burkina Faso’s Kassoum Coulibaly and Niger’s Hamadou Djibo Bartier deliberated on matters concerning “enhancing security in Central Africa.”
Following a meeting between Belousov and the defense ministers of Mali and Central African Republic, engagements were also conducted with officials from Burkina Faso and Niger. The discussions on Tuesday included talks regarding the amplification of mutual defensive collaboration for Bamako as well as Bangui, states the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to the statement, discussions took place regarding the critical global issues and security concerns within the region.
Among the roughly 110 foreign military delegations reportedly invited by the Russian Defense Ministry to participate in a three-day Army 2024 forum, are representatives from Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali and Central African Republic.
During the Monday opening session, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted how the forum had successfully created an environment of positive collaboration between Moscow and other nations. He went on to mention that over 120 foreign companies have already signed up for participation in this event.
According to Putin, the purpose of the event is to showcase Russia’s defense manufacturers’ most advanced and unique achievements through grand-scale presentations. These include more than 240 export versions of weapons and specialized military hardware.
“We highly value our partnerships and pledge to enhance them through collaborative efforts aimed at ensuring impartial, unimpaired security while building a brand-new, more equitable multipolar global system,” declared Putin.
During an interview with Sputnik on Wednesday, Defense Minister Coulibaly of Burkina Faso gave praise to the organizers for making this year’s event “very informative.”
According to him, the participants benefitted greatly from a novel approach involving seminars where they not only had access to equipment but also attended presentations providing feedback for all domains.
Lately, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali have been pursuing closer security ties with Russia to address a decade-long insurgency by jihadists in the Sahel. The three West African nations, which are all landlocked, removed French troops from their counterterrorism mission due to their inability to quash militant activity.
Russia has agreed to assist both the Central African Republic, which has suffered from militant violence and political instability for many years, and the challenged Sahel states in confronting enduring dangers.
