Russia and Burkina Faso hold defense talks
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu hosted a meeting in Moscow on Tuesday with his Burkina Faso counterpart, Kassoum Coulibaly, seeking to bolster bilateral military ties.
According to the Russian ministry, Shoigu thanked Coulibaly for his “readiness to work on increasing our cooperation in the fields of defense and economy.”
He noted that relations between Moscow and the West African nation are based on “mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests and have gained positive dynamics in recent years,” and described the talks as “another step in the development of our friendly relations.”
Sergey Shoigu also congratulated his counterpart on being awarded with the military rank of brigadier general.
The Burkina Faso defense minister thanked his Russian hosts for arranging the talks, saying: “It’s a great honor for us, and we value our partnership. The negotiations we are conducting are a real practical phase.”
The meeting follows an October visit by Burkina Faso’s energy minister, Simon-Pierre Boussim, who signed an agreement under which Russia will build a nuclear power plant in the Sahel nation, where less than a quarter of the population has access to electricity according to the African Development Bank.
