The head of Russian diplomacy praises the “good dynamic” between Moscow and Bamako
Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on May 20, 2022. AP - Yuri Kadobnov
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A Malian government delegation is in Moscow until Saturday to discuss the partnership between the two countries, which is growing stronger over the months, in the economic and security fields.
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Led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdoulaye Diop, the Malian delegation also includes those of Transport, Energy and the Economy, in particular.
His visit to Moscow was marked by the meeting this Friday between Abdoulaye Diop and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
The latter pleaded for the deepening of the political, economic and “military-technical” partnership.
On this last point, the head of Russian diplomacy noted the “
good dynamic
” of relations between the two countries, despite differences in communication.
Bamako affirms that it is a question of security cooperation between States, when Moscow has, on several occasions, assured that it is private companies which operate in Mali.
Criticism of Barkhane's balance sheet
As a result, Russia says it is ready to increase “
the combat capabilities of the Malian armed forces
”.
Especially since according to Sergei Lavrov, the country faces a risk
of “enclaves of anarchy where fighters from illegal armed groups will act freely
”.
A criticism of the balance sheet of
the French force Barkhane
and France, whose Russian minister denounced the "
colonial mentality
".
Trade was another aspect of the discussion.
Sergei Lavrov promises that Mali will continue to receive wheat, fertilizers and petroleum products despite the sanctions that hit Moscow.
He also stressed that Bamako was also affected by sanctions, described as "
illegitimate pressures
".
In front of the press,
Sergueï Lavrov
also assured that "
the settlement of internal political crises in Africa must be carried out in the first place by the Africans themselves
", he assures having exchanged with his Malian counterpart on the continental situation, including "
in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad and Libya
”.
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mali
Russia
Diplomacy
Sergei Lavrov