Russia Pledges to Expand Cooperation with Sahel States
Dragon Media News Desk
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Russia and the Alliance of Sahel States will further expand cooperation in security, sovereignty, economic partnership and support for a just multipolar world order.
Speaking at the opening of the Russia–AES ministerial meeting held in Niamey, the capital of Niger, on July 8, Lavrov said Russia’s dialogue with Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso has become active and productive. He said significant progress has been made in advancing integration and building a new regional security architecture under the Alliance of Sahel States.
Lavrov thanked Niger’s President General Abdourahamane Tchiani and Foreign Minister Yaou Sangaré Bakary for the warm welcome, noting that it was his first visit to Niamey. He said he had recently had the opportunity to visit the capitals of all three Sahel states and added that with the Russian Embassy in Niger now operational, Russia is represented in all AES member states.
The Russian Foreign Minister also praised Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister and AES Chair Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré for his coordination and contribution to making the meeting possible. According to Lavrov, the Niamey meeting would help identify additional ways for Russia to support the integration efforts of AES member states, security cooperation and broader multilateral engagement.
Lavrov said Russia and the Sahel states share a common understanding of the need to build a just multipolar world order. He also said both sides are united in opposing neo-colonial practices, which he claimed remain deeply rooted among Western countries.
Russia appears to view cooperation with the Sahel states not only as an expansion of bilateral relations, but also as support for a new regional structure. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have in recent years moved away from older political and security arrangements in West Africa and have advanced alternative regional cooperation through the AES.
During the meeting, Lavrov also announced that the third Russia–Africa Summit would be held in Moscow in October. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin had wished the Niamey meeting success and had asked him to convey that he would be pleased to welcome the presidents of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to the summit.
According to Lavrov, the agenda of the Moscow summit will focus on the economy, trade and investment. He said Russia expects delegations from the Sahel states to include ministers responsible for relevant sectors as well as business leaders. He added that Russia would also welcome them to the Economic and Humanitarian Forum to be held on the sidelines of the summit.
Russia has recently prioritised expanding political, security, economic and humanitarian cooperation with African countries. The Niamey meeting indicates Moscow’s intention to deepen its diplomatic presence in the Sahel and further institutionalise its relationship with the AES.
For AES member states, cooperation with Russia is linked to security capacity, state sovereignty, regional integration and the pursuit of policies less dependent on Western influence. For Russia, the Sahel has become an important region for expanding multipolar diplomacy, security partnerships and economic opportunities in Africa.
The Niamey meeting suggests that Russia–AES relations are intended to move beyond political statements towards cooperation in security, trade, investment, infrastructure and humanitarian engagement. The upcoming Moscow summit is expected to give this cooperation a more institutional form.
