Russian defense minister hosts meeting with Sahel counterparts

ISTANBUL

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov hosted talks Thursday with his counterparts from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry quoted Belousov as saying that the past month marked a year since the establishment of the AES, comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

“The decision to create an alliance is the result of the free choice of the Sahel peoples, a course towards sustainable peaceful development,” the statement further quoted him as saying.

It said Belousov noted his ministry’s readiness to provide comprehensive assistance to ensure stability in the region, also quoting him saying that Moscow supports the AES’s position on the “need to strengthen security, protect territories and sovereignty.”

“Andrey Belousov emphasized that the four-party dialogue will become an important format for discussing issues of strengthening cooperation in the defense sphere,” the statement said.

It also said that Malian Defense Minister Sadio Camara, who delivered a speech during the meeting on behalf of Belousov's AES counterparts, noted that the initiative to organize their inaugural meeting is a common desire to strengthen the strategic partnership between their countries.

“Currently, cooperation in the field of defense is the largest area of cooperation between our countries,” said Camara.

The statement added that the parties signed a joint statement on the results of the consultations following the talks as well as memorandums of understanding between the Russian and AES defense ministries.

The AES was created as a mutual defense pact in September 2023 that was formalized into a confederation on July 6, 2024, signing a treaty to deepen the defense pact and expand cooperation in defense, economic and social sectors.