Burkina Faso Prime Minister Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambela began a four-day official visit to Moscow over Oct. 8-11. He is there to participate in the Burkina Faso Economic Days forum, which aims to promote business-to-business ties between the two countries.
Speaking at the first day of the forum, the Prime Minister said his country is seeking a strategic partnership with Russia. “When we turned to Russia, we were told that Russia could offer nothing but weapons. Nothing more. We decided to see for ourselves. Therefore, we are looking for opportunities to diversify our relations in all areas. We want to establish a military, economic, and cultural strategic partnership,” he said.
Said Kyelem de Tambela: “I can say that our history of interaction with the French and the West in general has not brought us satisfaction. Therefore, we decided to try a different path. We told ourselves that if there is a partner we want to turn to now, it is Russia,” he said.
