The coastal countries are counting on Russia to create a military industry

In an interview with Novosti, Financial Foreign Minister Abdullah Diop said that the member states of the coalition of the Sahel are counting on helping Russia in creating a military industry.

The minister added: We are already working with Russia on several projects. Whether it comes to security, diplomacy or economics, the coast countries seek to enhance their capabilities and develop their independence, in order to be able to get rid of dependency models.

Diop stressed that the need to obtain military equipment and weapons has become a constantly increasing need.

He said: “We will strive to ensure the establishment of military capabilities and military industry in the Sahel region, in cooperation with the Russian partner who has technologies and expertise and we will work with Russian companies and with the Russian state to form this industry, because this will reduce our dependence on importing military equipment, and will create at the same time job opportunities for our countries and enhance our vision to move towards manufacturing in our countries and the structural transformation of our economies.”

It is noteworthy that the foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger recently visited Moscow at the invitation of their Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in the context of the first consultations of its kind between the Union of Coast and Russia.

Mali Foreign Minister told the Novosti correspondent that the parties agreed to hold consultations regularly, at least once a year, and the next meeting will be held in one of the coast countries.

For his part, Lavrov stressed after the last meeting, that the non -regional players, including Ukraine and the former colonial countries are trying to destabilize Africa.

The Russian minister stressed during a joint press conference with his counterparts from the African Sahel countries, that Moscow is ready to provide defense and security aid to the African coast countries, while foreign ministers of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali indicated the importance of cooperation with Russia as a strategic ally. (Russia today)