Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with Interim President of Mali Assimi Goita, the Kremlin press service reported.
Goita, the Kremlin press service noted, thanked Putin "for the humanitarian assistance provided and also for the assistance in ensuring security, neutralizing the terrorist threat and stabilizing the situation throughout Mali". The two sides discussed deliveries of fertilizers, wheat and fuel.
"They discussed current topics of bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Special attention was paid to trade and economic relations, including deliveries of Russian wheat, as well as fertilizers and fuel to Mali," the report said.
The conversation took place at the initiative of the Malian side. The Kremlin added that the mutual intention to further strengthen traditionally friendly bilateral relations was confirmed.
The previous telephone conversation between the leaders took place in October last year. Then Putin invited Goita to the Russia-Africa summit to be held in St. Petersburg in July this year. Later, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said that the interim president of Mali accepted the Russian president's invitation.
The Republic of Mali has faced two military coups since August 2020. In the first, which took place on August 18, 2020, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was ousted from power. A military group led by Colonel Assimi Goita appointed Bah Ndaw as interim president of Mali. However, on May 26, 2021, he was ousted by the same military group, a ruling by Mali's Constitutional Court appointed Goita as head of state for a transitional period.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS