On Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources offered Sierra Leone cooperation in the field of geology, subsoil use and the search for groundwater, according to the ministry's statement.
"We consider Sierra Leone as Russia's partner on the African continent... The key areas of work within the framework of the memorandum could include: geological exploration, regional geology and geological mapping, joint exploration and development of mineral resources, use of geophysical methods to discover mineral resources and, of course, groundwater — water is now more precious than gold — monitoring of subsurface conditions and others," Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov said in a statement issued by the ministry.
He said that concluding such an agreement is a serious and responsible move to develop dialogue and carry out joint projects in both countries. Kozlov also proposed drawing up a step-by-step plan for the next few years, outlining goals to be achieved.
In September, Sierra Leonean Foreign Minister Timothy Kabba told Sputnik that the country had signed a memorandum of understanding with Russian geological company RosGeo to conduct geophysical and geochemical studies. Kabba also invited Russian diamond mining company Alrosa to invest in Sierra Leone once Western sanctions are lifted against the Russian diamond mining firm.