Niger seeks closer cooperation with Russia in a variety of areas and will send a high-level delegation to the inaugural Russia-Africa summit in late October to finalize economic deals with Moscow, Nigerien Foreign Minister Kallo Ankourao told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2019) Niger seeks closer cooperation with Russia in a variety of areas and will send a high-level delegation to the inaugural Russia-Africa summit in late October to finalize economic deals with Moscow, Nigerien Foreign Minister Kallo Ankourao told Sputnik.
"We agreed that economic actors from Niger and from Russia meet to outline the conditions for the joint work. For the Russia-Africa summit, an important delegation from Niger will come to finalize all these agreements in a definite, visible manner," Ankourao said.
According to the minister, Niger and Russia have a lot to offer to each other in terms of economic cooperation.
"We have rare minerals, and the Russian companies need to come, as they have good exploitation tradition of mines in Siberia, etc. - in very difficult zones," Ankourao said.
He emphasized opportunities for Russia companies, in particular, around gold exploration and coal mining.
Ankourao also said that his country hoped to engage Russia into the construction of a pipeline that would deliver crude oil from southeast Niger to the port of Seme in Benin. This pipeline is a joint venture of Niger and China, with shares owned by 40 percent and 60 percent respectively.
The inaugural Russia-Africa Summit is scheduled to take place in late October in the Russian city of Sochi. It will be chaired by the presidents of Russia and Egypt and is expected to be attended by 40 heads of African states.
