Given the budding relationship between Russia and Niger, Russia both countries have decided that its time to establish a Russian embassy in the West African state.
- Russia plans to establish a new embassy in Niger by 2025.
- Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso reject Western partnerships and are building a relationship with Russia.
- Burkina Faso reopened its Russian embassy in December 2023 after 32 years of dormancy.
The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, made this known, stating that Russia has a timeline within 2025, to rebuild its embassy in Niger.
“In the very near future, with your help, we will complete all the organizational work for the return of our embassy. We will definitely do this in 2025,” Lavrov said, as seen on Sputnik.
Russia and Niger for over a year now have been building a solid relationship, given Niger’s rejection of Western partnerships.
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Alongside Niger, are Mali and Burkina Faso, all three of which make up the very young regional coalition known as the Alliance of the Sahel States.
This coalition was formed after the three countries decided to leave the Economic Community of West African States.
Russia’s recent diplomatic missions in Africa
Similar to plans of establishing a Russian embassy in Niger, Burkina Faso in 2023, December, decided to re-open its Russian embassy, after being dormant for 32 years.
“Russia formally reopened its embassy this Thursday in Ouagadougou.”Alexei Saltykov, Russia’s ambassador to Ivory Coast said at the time.
He also noted that the Russian President Vladimir Putin will appoint a new envoy.
In April 2024, Aleksey Klimov, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Consular Department, revealed Russia’s plans to open diplomatic missions in a few African countries.
The three countries on Russia’s radar regarding this plan include South Sudan, Niger and Sierra Leone.
He also at the time, mentioned that a similar mission to open embassies in Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea has already been taken and agreed upon with the authorities in the host nations. Other non-African countries in this boat,
