NIAMEY A high-level Russian delegation arrived in Niamey on Monday, July 28, for a major diplomatic visit aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation with Niger in both military and economic sectors.
The visiting delegation, led by Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev, included senior officials from key ministries—defence, finance, industry, commerce, transport, and education—as well as executives from prominent Russian state and private enterprises such as Rosatom, Sberbank, KamAZ, Nord Gold, Roscosmos, Rosgeologia, InterRAO, and EFKO.
The delegation was formally welcomed by Igor Gromyko, Russia’s Ambassador to Niger and Mali, before official discussions commenced at the Mahatma Gandhi International Conference Centre.
Military cooperation topped the agenda as Niger’s Defence Minister, General Salifou Modi, and Major General Moussa Salaou Barmou held talks with the Russian military delegation, which included Deputy Defence Minister General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Lieutenant General Andrei Averyanov.
“These talks focused extensively on the development of military-technical cooperation,” officials confirmed.
In a symbolic gesture, General Yevkurov presented General Modi with a handcrafted amber painting depicting Russian nature, commemorating what he described as “a memorable moment” in bilateral ties.
Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, in a statement, stressed that “issues related to bilateral military cooperation have been under the personal supervision of the President of Russia since May” and that Moscow is working to “dynamically expand the scope of military relations between Niger and Russia.”
The Russian delegation also held high-level political meetings. Minister Tsivilev met with Niger’s President, His Excellency Abdourahamane Tiani, Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine, and Minister of Mines Ousmane Abarchi.
Discussions focused on forming a new Russia-Niger intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation.
The visit culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Rosatom and Niger’s Ministry of Energy, paving the way for peaceful nuclear cooperation and advanced technology exchanges.
Following the engagements in Niamey, the Russian delegation continued its diplomatic tour in Mali.
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