The foreign ministers of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) and Russia are meeting in Niamey on Wednesday for a second round of high-level consultations aimed at strengthening political, security, economic and diplomatic cooperation between Moscow and the three Sahelian countries.
The meeting, taking place at the Mahatma Gandhi International Conference Centre, brings together the foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
It follows the inaugural consultations held in Moscow in April 2025, which marked a significant step in expanding relations between Russia and the AES. During the Moscow meeting, Lavrov underscored the importance of regular consultations with the Sahelian states and reaffirmed Russia’s support for the establishment of the AES Joint Force, offering military equipment, training and technical assistance to strengthen regional security cooperation.
Since then, cooperation between Russia and the three AES member states has expanded, particularly in the defence sector. Military collaboration with Mali has intensified through personnel exchanges and training programmes, while Burkina Faso and Niger have also strengthened security and diplomatic engagement with Moscow.
The growing partnership comes amid a major shift in the foreign policy orientation of the three Sahelian countries following the military-led changes in government in Mali in 2020, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023.
Relations with France have deteriorated significantly, leading to the withdrawal of French forces and prompting the three countries to diversify their international partnerships.
Russia has emerged as a key partner by providing support in security, military training and economic cooperation. Beyond defence, both sides have also sought closer diplomatic coordination, particularly within international organizations such as the United Nations, while advancing discussions on joint initiatives to address regional security challenges.
The consultations in Niamey are expected to review progress made since the Moscow meeting and identify new areas of cooperation as the AES seeks to strengthen its regional and international position and Russia continues to deepen its engagement with the Sahel.
