APA – Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) – It is another evidence of the growing rapprochement between Ouagadougou and Moscow.
Russia on Thursday officially reopened its embassy in Burkina Faso, more than 31 years after it was shut down.
“The resumption of diplomatic activities by the Russian Federation in Ouagadougou is a strong signal of the excellent bilateral relations between the two states and also reflects the strength of the bonds of friendship that unite the Russian and Burkinabe peoples,” the Burkina Faso Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
A new ambassador based in Ouagadougou will be appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Alexei Saltykov, who is based in Abidjan but regularly visits Burkina Faso.
“We are developing close cooperation with Burkina Faso on current issues on the international agenda,” said Russian diplomat Saltykov, who praised the “friendly nature of interstate relations with Burkina Faso, which are traditionally based on the principles of trust and mutual respect”.
Burkina Faso’s head of diplomacy, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, saw this as “the completion of a cycle of rapprochement between our two countries and a new era in their cooperation”.
Ouagadougou’s embassy in Moscow was reopened in 2013 after being closed in 1996, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Since September 2022, the arrival of Captain Ibrahim Traoré has set in motion a process of diversification of partners, leading to a break with France and a rapprochement with Russia.
DS/ac/lb/as/APA