Russia is working to return its embassy to Niger's capital Niamey, which is expected to happen in the near future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with Nigerien counterpart Bakary Yaou Sangaré on the sidelines of the first ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Russia's Sochi.
"We are pleased to note the mutual commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation. This was confirmed by the resumption of the activities of the Nigerien embassy in the Russian capital. It was closed back in 1995. And on November 6 of this year, the new ambassador of your country, Abdou Sidikou Issa, presented his credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin. We are also working to implement a similar step - the return of our embassy to Niamey. I am confident that this will happen in the near future," Lavrov said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that during their discussion, Russia and Niger agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, economics, humanitarian affairs, and other areas. Both countries also expressed their shared opposition to the West's policy of dictation and neocolonial practices in relations with sovereign states. They agreed to further coordinate their actions in the UN and other multilateral platforms, particularly regarding the situation in the Sahara-Sahel zone.
Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Niger were established in 1972, at which time the countries exchanged embassies. The Russian diplomatic mission in this African country was closed in 1992, and the Niger mission in the Russian Federation three years later.
Earlier, the head of the consular department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexey Klimov, said in an interview with the Russian media that Russia was exploring the possibility of opening embassies in Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. In December 2023, Russia opened an embassy in Burkina Faso.