Russia and Burkina Faso Move to Formalize Ties With Foundational Pact During Moscow Visit

Overview

• Burkina Faso foreign minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré is in Moscow from February 12 to 14 for talks and the conclusion of multiple cooperation documents.
• A minister-level ceremony at the Russian Foreign Ministry was scheduled for February 12 to sign an agreement on the foundations of bilateral relations.
• Sergey Lavrov identified military and military-technical collaboration and counterterrorism in the Sahel as the top priorities in the relationship.
• Lavrov called the two countries’ military cooperation a model and thanked Burkina Faso for supporting Russian initiatives at the United Nations and for its stated position on the Ukraine crisis.
• Russia outlined plans to activate an intergovernmental trade commission and highlighted coordination through the Russia–Sahel Alliance, which Burkina Faso leads this year.