Russia pledges military support for Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso

Parties sign joint statement on results of consultations, memorandums of understanding between defense ministries of Russia, Alliance of Sahel States Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov has hosted talks with his counterparts from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and pledged readiness to provide assistance to ensure stability in the region. “The decision to create an alliance is the result of the free choice of the Sahel peoples, a course towards sustainable peaceful development,” the Russian Defence Ministry quoted Belousov as saying in a statement on Thursday. Belousov noted his country’s readiness to provide comprehensive assistance to ensure stability in the region, adding that Moscow supports the AES’s position on the “need to strengthen security, protect territories and sovereignty.” ‘Strengthening cooperation’ “Andrey Belousov emphasised that the four-party dialogue will become an important format for discussing issues of strengthening cooperation in the defence sphere,” the statement said.