Russia and Mali negotiate trade agreements and consider working together on nuclear energy

President Vladimir Putin informed the visiting head of the military junta in Mali that there were certain sectors where collaboration might be increased, and Russia inked agreements to strengthen trade and commercial ties with the West African nation on Monday.

According to Russian official media, Putin hosted Colonel Assimi Goita in the Kremlin, where they conversed for two hours.

According to a Kremlin statement, Putin expressed confidence in the “good upward trend” of relations with Mali, despite the “modest” level of bilateral commerce at the moment.

“There are good areas for future cooperation: these are geological exploration, natural resource development, energy, logistics and the humanitarian fields,” Putin stated.

According to the Kremlin, Putin and Goita inked agreements pertaining to nuclear energy cooperation.

Russia and Mali have previously talked about what they have described as a strategic project to construct a low-power nuclear power station with Russian design.

Goita, who took power after coups in 2020 and 2021, has claimed that a new gold refinery sponsored by Russia will allow Mali more control over its natural resources. Construction on the refinery started earlier this month.

Despite being one of Africa’s leading producers of gold, Mali does not yet have a refinery that is both operational and internationally certified.

After the Malian army expelled French and U.N. soldiers that had been fighting the Islamist insurgency for ten years, Russian mercenary groups also provided Goita’s government with fighter deployments.

The African Corps continues to operate in Mali despite the announcement earlier this month that Russia’s Wagner mercenary squad was leaving the country.