Russia and Mali have signed agreements to bolster trade and economic ties with President Vladimir Putin assuring the visiting leader of the West African country, Assimi Goita, that there were specific areas where cooperation could be ramped up.
Putin said relations with Mali had a “good upward trend” even if bilateral trade was currently “modest”,
“There are good areas for future cooperation, these are geological exploration, natural resource development, energy, logistics and the humanitarian fields,” Putin said.
One of the deals the two countries signed was cooperation in nuclear energy. Mali and Russia have in the past discussed what they have called a strategic project to build a Russian-designed low-power nuclear power plant.
Construction of a new Russian-backed gold refinery began in Mali early June, which Goita said would give the West African country greater control over its natural resources.
Mali is one of Africa’s top gold producers, but currently lacks a functional and globally certified refinery.
Russian mercenary groups have also supported Goita’s government with deployments of fighters after the Malian army kicked out French and UN troops that had been involved in fighting the Islamist insurgents for a decade.
