Deliveries from Russia account for 40% of the total wheat imports of Mali, Minister of Industry and Trade Moussa Alassane Diallo told Sputnik.
"Apart from fuel and fertilizers, Mali mainly imports agricultural products from Russia, such as wheat, which accounts for nearly 40% of imports," Diallo said.
He added that Bamako intends to export its agricultural products to Russia, adding that his ministry was taking the necessary steps in this direction.
"Mali would like to supply Russia with a number of agricultural products, including cotton, sesame, cashew and mango — products on which the ministry is doing a lot of work," the minister said.
The minister also said that the issue of gold mining in the African country requires further negotiations and the search for a "compromise solution" with Moscow.
In early June, free grain supplies from Russia are very important for food security on the African continent, Oleg Kobiakov, head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's liaison office in Russia, told Sputnik Africa, emphasizing that this is especially important for countries that "suffer from severe food shortages."
Moreover, in late May, the Chairman of the Russian Union of Grain Exporters, Eduard Zernin, said that the share of new markets, including sub-Saharan Africa, in Russia's grain exports has significantly enhanced.