Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reaffirmed Moscow’s support for efforts to improve relations between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) during talks with Guinea-Bissau’s Foreign Minister Fatumata Jau in Moscow. Speaking at a joint press conference on Thursday after bilateral discussions, Lavrov said Russia backs initiatives aimed at normalizing relations between ECOWAS and the governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which have withdrawn from the regional bloc to form the Confederation of Sahel States.
“Russia has firmly reaffirmed our support for any efforts to normalize relations between the Economic Community of West African States, on the one hand, and Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, on the other,” Lavrov said. The talks also focused on international affairs, with the Russian foreign minister highlighting what he described as the growing shift toward a multipolar world order. Lavrov stressed the importance of respecting the principles of the United Nations Charter and allowing countries to determine their own political and economic paths without external interference.
He accused Western countries of selectively applying international law and attempting to influence the development choices of sovereign states. The meeting forms part of Russia’s broader diplomatic engagement with African nations as Moscow seeks to strengthen political, economic and security partnerships across the continent amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.
