On Monday, President Vladimir Putin welcomed Colonel Assimi Goita, the military chief of Mali, to Moscow, where they signed new agreements to enhance bilateral relations between their countries.
According to Russian official media, the two leaders had a two-hour conversation at the Kremlin.
Following this landmark event, Mali’s General Sadio Kamará met with his Russsian counterpart Andrey Belousov in Moscow.
The Russian Defense Minister, during their meeting, noted that both countries share common interests as highlighted by their budding relationship.
“The regular nature of our meetings demonstrates mutual interest and the dynamic development of Russian-Malian relations in the field of defense,” said Belousov.
“A key objective of our partnership is achieving practical results in enhancing security and sovereignty,” he added.
In response, the Malian general underscored Russia’s growing relevance in the Sahel region’s internal affairs, especially in the face of what General Sadio Kamará described as aggressive Western actions.
Additionally, as per Sputnik, he made reference to Russia’s fight against the Nazi Germany, noting that it serves as an ispiration to the West African country as it battles insecurity.
“While the geopolitical situation is marked by various aggressive actions taken by Western countries, we are happy to be on the right side of history with Russia, which has always been a country fighting for equality. …
Your struggle against Nazism inspires our country, especially in the current context of the SMO,” Sadio Kamará stated.
Mali and Russia in the last few weeks
Yesterday, Mali and Russia inked significant trade deals while discussing cooperation in geological exploration, natural resource development, energy, logistics, and humanitarian efforts.
Putin described the relationship between Russia and Mali as following a “positive trajectory,” though he acknowledged that current trade volumes remain modest.
The Russian president also noted that there is greater potential for collaboration in areas like geological exploration, natural resource development, energy, logistics, and humanitarian efforts.
Earlier in June, building began on a new Russian-backed gold refinery in Mali.
The refinery, which will be built on a five-hectare location near Bamako’s international airport, will be capable of processing up to 200 metric tons of gold per year, a major increase over Mali’s present processing capacity of around 50 tons.
Mali is one of Africa’s major gold producers, but it presently lacks a fully operational, globally approved refinery.
