Mali's transitional president, Assimi Goïta, has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “pragmatic and sincere” leader, highlighting deepening ties between Moscow and Bamako, especially in the area of security.
Speaking to Malian journalists following his recent official visit to Russia, Goïta expressed his satisfaction with the outcomes of the trip, describing the bilateral relationship as “effective and free from demagoguery and manipulation.”
“President Vladimir Putin is a pragmatic and sincere man. His gestures reflected a remarkable level of openness,” Goïta said, as quoted by Mali’s state-owned newspaper L’Essor. “I leave this friendly country with great satisfaction.”
According to Goïta, the core of Mali-Russia cooperation lies in the security sphere. While not naming France directly, he referenced Bamako's break with “former partners,” a likely allusion to the former colonial power’s military withdrawal from the West African country.
“We have built a new security mechanism,” Goïta noted, “and with Russia’s support, Mali has been able to rearm.”
The Malian leader also revealed that during his meeting with Putin, they discussed broader regional cooperation between Russia and the Sahel States Alliance—a bloc formed by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger after their respective coups and subsequent reorientation away from Western alliances.
“We touched on key pillars—diplomacy, defense, and development,” Goïta said. “Our views align on the potential for cooperation between the Sahel States Alliance and the Russian Federation. President Putin expressed a readiness to support this alliance.”
President Putin hosted Goïta at the Kremlin on June 23, marking the Malian leader’s second official visit to Russia. The two previously met at the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in St. Petersburg and have spoken by phone on at least seven occasions.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS