The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulaye Diop, inaugurated the meeting of experts on November 27, 2023, preparatory to the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
In his opening speech, Mr. Diop warmly welcomed the participants from Ouagadougou and Niamey, emphasizing the feeling of brotherhood and unity that prevails in the Sahel. He recalled the historic signing of the Liptako Gourma Charter by the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in September 2023, marking the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States, a unique initiative of its kind in the sub-region. region.
Mr. Diop highlighted the progress already made in collective defense and expressed his gratitude to the armed forces of the three countries for their constant struggle for peace and security.
The experts’ mission is to develop an institutional structure for the AES, by developing additional texts to the Charter which will cover aspects of defense, security, diplomacy and economic development. The Minister emphasized the importance of their recommendations to strengthen strategic cooperation between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
Abdoulaye Diop expressed optimism about the quality of the deliberations to come, emphasizing the need to adopt an appropriate strategic approach, whether a holistic approach or one focused on priority areas. He also stressed the importance of coordination of diplomatic and political action and economic integration for the development of Member States.
Mr. Diop concluded his speech by emphasizing that the decisions taken at this meeting will lay the foundations for a secure, peaceful and prosperous Sahel, and declared the meeting of AES experts open.