Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his counterpart from Burkina Faso, Kassoum Coulibaly, visiting Russia, met yesterday and agreed to strengthen military cooperation between the two countries, according to a Russian statement cited by AFP.
Burkina Faso, led by a military regime since last year, has sought to diversify its partners and has approached, above all, Russia. The two defense ministers agreed to “strengthen ties between the countries in the field of defense”, reads the Russian Ministry’s press release. Sergei Shoigu highlighted that relations between the two states “have adopted a positive dynamic in recent years”.
He added: “I consider today’s (yesterday’s) meeting a new stage in the development of our friendly relations.” Kassoum Coulibaly expressed “attachment” to the partnership, according to the Russian press release.
In a video, also released by the Russian Ministry of Defense, the ministers shake hands and participate in a meeting with other military personnel.
Burkina Faso has been facing, for several years, deadly and recurring terrorist violence across a large part of its territory, which has already caused the deaths of more than 17 thousand people and more than two million internally displaced people. In October, that country in the African Sahel region signed an agreement with Russia to build the first nuclear power plant on its territory.