Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African Integration of the Republic of Niger Bakary Yaou Sangaré, Moscow, April 3, 2025

Mr Minister,

Colleagues,

Friends,

We are pleased to have the opportunity to hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the first ever Alliance of Sahel States-Russia meeting of foreign ministers.

Since life is larger than diplomatic talks, I would like to begin by sincerely congratulating your country and all Nigeriens on election of Nigerien Football Federation President Djibrilla Hima Hamidou to FIFA Council. We look forward to him making a contribution to ensuring that FIFA is a truly depoliticised organisation.

We are satisfied with the state of our relations. You resumed your embassy’s operations in Moscow. Your Ambassador has presented his credentials to President Putin. In the near future, with your help, we will complete the organisational work for our embassy to resume its operations. We will definitely do so in 2025.

We will now discuss a number of aspects of bilateral relations in addition to the productive discussion on regional international affairs which we held today as part of the first meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia and the Alliance of Sahel States.