ABUJA, Nigeria — The president of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, Birame Diop, met with a senior Russian diplomat in Abuja to discuss strengthening ties between the regional bloc and Moscow, including cooperation on trade, energy, infrastructure and security.
Diop received Igor Ivannikov, chargé d’affaires of the Russian Embassy in Nigeria, who led a Russian delegation to the ECOWAS Commission headquarters on Sept. 11.
Ivannikov delivered a congratulatory letter from Russia’s ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyolyshev, following Diop’s assumption of a four-year term as president of the ECOWAS Commission. He also conveyed an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin for Diop to attend the third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for October in Moscow.
The summit is expected to address Russia-Africa relations and cooperation between Moscow and African regional institutions, including ECOWAS.
Discussions are expected to cover trade and investment, energy and food security, infrastructure, science and technology, artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, education, cultural exchanges and security cooperation.
The two sides are also expected to work toward an ECOWAS-Russia partnership memorandum of understanding and a joint declaration, according to the ECOWAS Commission.
Diop welcomed Russia’s interest in strengthening relations with the regional bloc and said international partnerships should focus on practical benefits for West African countries.
“ECOWAS welcomes partnerships that are anchored in mutual respect, shared interests and tangible outcomes for our peoples,” Diop said. “We are committed to engaging with the Russian Federation and other international partners in areas that advance peace and security, regional integration, economic growth and sustainable development in West Africa.”
Diop said cooperation with international partners should support regional priorities, including economic integration, peace and security, trade and investment, infrastructure, human capital development, technology and innovation.
He also called for practical areas of cooperation that could support economic growth, strengthen regional resilience and improve living standards across West Africa.
Both sides agreed on the importance of continued high-level dialogue and said they would explore areas of cooperation that could produce concrete results for West African countries and contribute to broader African development goals.
The meeting comes as the ECOWAS Commission continues diplomatic engagement with international partners on regional integration, peace and security and economic development.
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