Goïta and Putin strengthen Mali-Russia partnership at Kremlin
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Bamada.net
Assimi Goïta and Vladimir Putin agreed to strengthen the partnership between Mali and Russia during talks at the Kremlin. The Russian president notably announced 300 scholarships for Malian students in 2026-2027, according to the Malian presidency.
Malian President Assimi Goïta was received on Friday 30 October 2026 at the Kremlin by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa Summit, to discuss expanding the partnership between Bamako and Moscow, reports Bamada.net. Discussions focused in particular on mineral resources, energy, technical training, intelligence and cybersecurity.
Vladimir Putin announced that the number of Russian scholarships awarded to Mali would rise to 300 for the 2026-2027 academic year. He also recalled that the fundamental agreement governing relations between the two countries had entered into force in May, as they mark the 66th anniversary of diplomatic relations, according to Bamada.net.
Assimi Goïta asked Russia to support the local processing of Mali’s mineral resources, as well as projects in civil nuclear power, solar energy, electricity grids and hybrid solutions. He undertook to personally remove blockages on the Malian side in order to speed up pending projects, according to Bamada.net.
The meeting follows Assimi Goïta’s arrival at the Moscow summit on 25 October and the announcement on 28 October of a meeting with Vladimir Putin. It also follows discussions on 30 October about cooperation with the AES, an alliance of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and Putin’s statements about Goïta’s support for Russian initiatives.
