Russia plans to send more military instructors to Burkina Faso

MOSCOW (AA) – Russia plans to increase the number of military instructors in Burkina Faso, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

Speaking at a news conference following a meeting with his Burkinabe counterpart Jean-Marie Traore in the capital Ouagadougou, Lavrov named the “fight against terrorism” as the goal of bilateral military cooperation.

“Just yesterday, Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov was here on a visit. He regularly discusses practical tasks with his colleagues from Burkina Faso. … Russia is also training representatives of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies of Burkina Faso. I have no doubt that thanks to this cooperation, the remaining spots of terrorism on the territory of Burkina Faso will be destroyed,” he said.

Jean-Marie Traore said Burkina Faso’s relations with Russia are developing in a variety of fields, including trade, economy and logistics.

The African diplomat said his country expects Russia to open a consulate general in Burkina Faso in addition to the existing embassy, which will allow to further amplify bilateral ties.

Earlier in the day, Lavrov was received by Burkinabe President Ibrahim Traore, who seized power in a military coup in 2022.

Lavrov said Traore spoke about the steps his government is taking to address the issues of combating violent militancy, restoration of the country’s territorial integrity and development of the socio-economic sphere.

“After President Traore assumed the post, we were able to fully unblock and continue expanding the potential of mutually beneficial and equal cooperation in a variety of fields, including the economy, social sphere, health, education, military and military-technical cooperation,” he said.

The visit to Ougadougou was part of Lavrov’s African diplomatic tour. Burkina Faso is the third country he visited after Guinea and the Republic of the Congo. Later on, he departs for Chad.