AES – Russia: Towards a strategic partnership against terrorism and for development

The Foreign Ministers of Russia and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) held crucial discussions on April 3 in Moscow. The meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation between Russia and this new regional entity, going beyond existing bilateral relations.

During nearly two hours of productive exchanges, the diplomats laid the groundwork for a deeper collaboration. Security was the top priority, with a particular focus on the fight against terrorism. The AES is seeking Russian support to equip and train its future Unified Combat Force.

However, the ambition extends beyond the military field. Both sides are now considering broader cooperation, including:

Diplomatic coordination in international forums,
Economic and trade exchanges,
Infrastructure and telecommunications development,
University education and technology transfer,
Energy, particularly nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, expressed his country’s full commitment to this new partnership:
“Russia is ready to provide concrete support to the AES Unified Force and to develop cooperation in all areas of shared interest”, he stated.

On the Sahelian-African side, there was a strong sense of satisfaction.
“Russia was the first partner to recognize and support the AES from the moment it was founded”, emphasized Abdoulaye Diop, spokesperson for the delegation.
“We share a common vision of counter-terrorism and sovereign development”.

This institutional rapprochement marks an important step. Future summits will alternate between Russia and AES member states, with the objective of:

Structuring this strategic alliance,
Pooling national resources,
Accelerating tangible results.

The ministers concluded on an optimistic note, seeing this strengthened partnership as a key to eradicating terrorism and building a prosperous future in the Sahel. The next meeting is expected to define the practical modalities of this multidimensional collaboration.