Iran has expressed its willingness to strengthen ties with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), including through the possible organization of a meeting between Iran and the Confederation of Sahel States.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the proposal during talks with Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Traoré welcomed the initiative and said he would consult his counterparts from Mali and Niger on the arrangements for such a meeting.
The two ministers also discussed bilateral relations. Araghchi thanked Burkina Faso for its participation in the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and for what he described as Burkina Faso’s solidarity with Tehran in the face of external attacks.
Burkina Faso also held talks with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, who expressed Algeria’s readiness to strengthen dialogue and deepen cooperation with Ouagadougou. Traoré welcomed Algeria’s participation in an AES side event at the UN and the easing of tensions between Algeria, Mali and Niger.
