Mali will not cooperate on arms purchases with those who interfere in the country's internal affairs; and considers Russia a reliable partner, Shogel Kokalla Maiga, the prime minister of Mali's transitional government, told RIA Novosti.
"If we want weapons from a number of states, but they block, blackmail, interfere in our internal affairs, it means we will cooperate with a country that does not blackmail, does not interfere in our internal affairs, respects our sovereignty, respects our people. Today we can say that Russia is a reliable partner that we can reckon with," he said.
According to him, Russia has always been a reliable partner for Mali.
"For the last 30 years, cooperation with Russia has not been at a good level, but we want to resume this cooperation. You know, in Mali 90% of the officers were trained in the Soviet Union and then in Russia. The military equipment is also Russian. If you make an agreement with Russia, practice shows that it is a reliable partner. We say it everywhere, and we are not afraid to say it to our partners. Russia is a reliable partner," the prime minister stressed.
"I think we will continue to go in the direction we've chosen today. We'll go long and decisively. It means that cooperation with Russia will deepen, expand and diversify," he said in response to a question about whether Mali would enter into new contracts with Russia for the supply of military equipment.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Zuma \ TASS
Based on materials from RIA Novosti