Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Mali Abdoulaye Diop, Moscow, February 28, 2024

Mr Minister,

My dear friend,

I am delighted to have a meeting with you once again. On behalf of all of us here, I would like to give a warm welcome to your delegation, which also includes Mali’s Defence Minister Sadio Camara.

Please accept my condolences over the tragic incident on February 27, 2024, involving a civilian bus, which left 30 people dead and injured about ten more. Please convey our wishes for a speedy recovery to all those who were injured in this crash.

Your current visit to the Russian Federation is part of our regular trust-based political dialogue, including at the highest level, as well as in other formats. It offers us a great opportunity to review all aspects of our bilateral relations as well as our interaction on the international stage.

We will have a detailed and meaningful discussion on all the items on our agenda.