Russian Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso Alexei Saltykov highlighted the overwhelmingly positive sentiment in Burkina Faso toward Russians and Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview with TASS.
"The attitude of the Burkinabe at the level of the leadership and the public, the ordinary population is very positive and friendly. We feel it every day that we are here," he stated. Saltykov underscored that Burkina Faso views Russia as a dependable partner, fostering relations grounded in the principles of the UN Charter: equality, respect, and non-interference in internal affairs.
Regarding an initiative by an Ivorian NGO to establish a prize named after Vladimir Putin for "fighting for the liberation of the peoples of Africa," Saltykov expressed support for such endeavors. He characterized it as an internal initiative reflecting the desire of Africans to highlight the Russian president's role in global politics.
"This is a purely internal initiative of Africans, their desire to emphasize the role of the Russian president in world politics, but it deserves all possible support," added the diplomat.
The international Putin Prize was presented in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, with the award ceremony scheduled for December 28. The award, recognizing efforts in the "struggle for the liberation of the peoples of Africa," was established by Ivorian writer Sylvain Takoue, a member of the public organization "Total Support for Vladimir Putin in Africa."
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Rita Willaert/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS