Alousséni Sanou, Minister of Economy and Finance, spent October 27 and 28, 2022 in the Russian capital. He led a delegation including Malian technical experts. The purpose of the trip was to hold negotiations with Russian officials. The Minister was faced with the important task of strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, trade and manufacturing.
It should be noted that the discussions proved to be very fruitful for Mali. On Wednesday evening, the Minister presented a detailed report on the work done at the national television.
Russia will supply Mali over 60,000 tons of hydrocarbons, 25,000 tons of wheat and 35,000 tons of fertilizer, worth $100 million. Deliveries will be made by sea, via the port of Conakry.
The Minister noted that the first shipment should arrive in Bamako within a few weeks.
“This first shipment should help trace all possible difficulties related to trade operations between Mali and Russia. We need to check whether all conditions are indeed met for shipments of much larger quantities and we believe that the first orders should reach a maximum amount of 100 million dollars,” said Alousséni Sanou.
Mali is looking to maximize its relations with countries that respect Mali’s sovereignty and consider it an equal partner. Russia is one such country.
Russia, which is the envy of the world because of its natural wealth, does not seek to exploit Mali’s national resources. The relationship between the countries is based on respect and trust.
It should also be noted that these are not the only cooperation projects between Mali and Russia. After the energy week in Moscow, it was reported that Russia is preparing some 30 energy projects to be proposed at the second Russia-Africa summit in 2023. Most of these projects are devoted to hydroelectricity.
Laye Guindo
