Mali’s transitional president will make his first international visit to Russia at the end of the month

July 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The transitional president of Mali, Assimi Goita, will make his first international visit to Russia on July 27 and 28 since he took power in the African country and amid international criticism of Moscow’s influence on the military junta he leads.

The visit was announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement at the end of a conversation held last Friday by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and his Malian counterpart, Abdoulaye Diop, the same day the United Nations approved the final of his peace mission in the African country after months of friction with the military authorities.

Goita had already focused on MINUSMA in recent months, demanding greater collaboration with the Army when carrying out its operations. The mission had ‘blue helmets’ deployed in the country since 2013, although relations deteriorated as a result of the Goita-led coups in August 2020 and May 2021 and the postponements by the junta at the time of set an electoral calendar for a democratic transition.

Thus, Goita will make his first international visit at the head of the Malian delegation that will participate in the second Russia-Africa Summit to be held those days in Saint Petersburg, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry statement.