Ouagadougou and Washington launched a new dialogue framework on Thursday to revitalise bilateral cooperation, amid stated efforts to build a partnership based on mutual respect and respect for both countries’ sovereignty.
Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for West Africa Richard Michaels co-chaired the inaugural session of a joint working group in Ouagadougou, according to a statement from Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The mechanism is intended to enable experts from both countries to identify areas of mutual interest for cooperation and seek solutions to challenges affecting bilateral relations.
“This dialogue framework will make it possible to reshape relations, not only with Burkina Faso but also with the Confederation of Sahel States,” Traoré said, according to the statement.
Burkina Faso’s foreign minister called for cooperation in which both sides feel “valued”, based on open dialogue and the pursuit of joint solutions.
On his first visit to Burkina Faso, Richard Michaels welcomed the willingness of the Burkinabe authorities to engage, saying the new framework offered an opportunity to rethink the partnership between the two countries around respect for sovereignty, shared interests and mutual listening.
Before the session, the US official and his delegation had met with Traoré in the presence of US Ambassador to Burkina Faso Joann Lockard.
A further meeting was subsequently held in the presence of Minister of State for War and Patriotic Defence Célestin Simporé, the same source said.
Burkina Faso, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, is a member of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), alongside Mali and Niger. The three Sahelian countries have distanced themselves from several Western partners and placed greater emphasis on national sovereignty.
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