Burkina Faso on Thursday called for the Russia-Africa partnership to be translated into concrete achievements, particularly in youth training and technology transfer, at the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.
Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, read out a message from President Ibrahim Traoré during a high-level panel on the second day of the summit.
“This third summit must be about implementing this strategic partnership,” the head of state said in his message.
Ouagadougou wants to strengthen the training of African students in Russia in advanced technologies and strategic sectors. It also called for cooperation based on mutual respect, reciprocity and skills transfer.
The Burkinabe president advocated diversifying partnerships to enable African countries to manage their own resources and freely choose their partners.
He also praised cooperation between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger within the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), as well as the efforts of forces engaged in fighting jihadist groups.
On the international stage, Traoré called for respect for international law and reform of global institutions, arguing that Africa should be recognised as a fully-fledged actor.
“Africa does not want to be a battlefield, a reservoir of raw materials or a vote in an assembly. It wants to be a land of dignity,” he said.
The third Russia-Africa Summit aims to strengthen ties between Moscow and countries across the continent, amid efforts by African nations to diversify their economic and diplomatic partnerships.
HO/te/Sf/lb/as/APA