Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Discusses Sahara-Sahel With French Ambassador - Moscow

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Discusses Sahara-Sahel With French Ambassador - Moscow

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, has met with the French Ambassador Pierre Levy in Moscow to discuss the Sahara-Sahel region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2021) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, has met with the French Ambassador Pierre Levy in Moscow to discuss the Sahara-Sahel region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The attention was mainly focused on the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal migration in the Sahara-Sahel region. The issues of rendering assistance to certain African countries in strengthening their state institutions were also touched upon," the ministry said.

They agreed to continue contacts on Africa following the second meeting of the Russian-French working group on Africa, which took place on September 8 in Moscow.

Sahel suffers the most terrorism and illegal migration of all African regions. In 2014, France launched the Barkhane operation to fight terrorism in the region. The mission was supported by the G5 Sahel, a group created the same year to connect Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Chad.