Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin met with Leonardo Santos Simao, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). The Russian diplomat drew Simao's attention to the fact that sustainable normalization in the Sahara-Sahel region requires international support for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Simao's attention was separately drawn to the fact that sustainable normalization in the Sahara-Sahel region requires consolidated international support for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which are simultaneously on the front line of the fight against trans-African terrorism and defending their own sovereignty," the ministry said.
The sides also exchanged views on the situation in West Africa and the Sahel region, "focusing on humanitarian and socio-economic challenges, uncontrolled migration, the lack of resources necessary for development, integration processes, including the activities of ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)."
In addition, the work of UNOWAS in strengthening stability, building confidence and responding to a wide range of problems in West Africa and the Sahel was reviewed in detail.
"The Russian side expressed its support for the efforts of the [UNOWAS]. The importance of its neutral and constructive development in the interests of all countries of the region was noted," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.