Prime Minister of Niger Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine led a government delegation to Russia where they met with Russian officials on Jan. 16. During a meeting with Zeine, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said Moscow is keen to expand trade, economic and investment ties, and trade turnover with Niger, Sputnik reports. He added that further steps will be taken to develop joint projects in such areas as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, geological exploration,.
Zeine’s delegation included Niger’s Ministers of Defense, of Oil and Gas, of Agriculture, Trade, Youth, and Sports.
Also on Jan. 17 Russian Deputy Defense Ministers Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Alexander Fomin met Niger’s Defense Minister Salifu Modi. The two sides outlined promising areas of cooperation and “agreed to invigorate efforts to stabilize the situation in the region,” the Russian Defense Ministry stated, adding that it aims to continue dialogue on “increasing the combat readiness” of Niger’s military.
