Lavrov was awarded the highest distinction in Mali

The European Union is closely following the work of Russian diplomats. And the new trip of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Africa all caused a nervous reaction in the same Borrell today. He stated that Moscow was allegedly spreading lies there. And he called Mali and Eritrea “easy countries” for Russia. Our minister has already reacted to these words. Lavrov accused Borrell of being racist.

It was in Mali that the head of our Foreign Ministry was on a working visit today. All details – at the correspondent “Izvestia” Anton Zolotnitsky.

“Great views, barbed wire and mountains of garbage everywhere. All this is Mali, the first stop of the Russian delegation on the African continent. A real country of contrasts”, – said our correspondent.

Poverty is a common way of life here. More than 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. The inhabitants of the largest city also huddle in small shacks.

“The capital of the Republic of Bamako is immersed in greenery. It’s always hot here. Both in terms of climate and politics. One military coup follows another while the country tries to cling to at least a ghostly stability,” the correspondent says “Izvestia”.

The military is still a force to be reckoned with. They were among those who insisted on the complete withdrawal of French troops from the country. With the support of the population.

But throwing off the neo-colonial yoke is not so easy. Paris controls financial flows through the African franc zone. They really count on Russia’s support here, because the local authorities recently began to cooperate with our law enforcement agencies.

“The presence of the Russian military is good for the population. They help ensure security – this is our everything”says local resident Eibu Tomani.

Safety is a priority here. Radical Islamist groups still operate in the country. Russian security forces are helping to fight them, but the situation is far from calm. Sergey Lavrov’s cortege enters the territory of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under heavy guard.

Sergey Lavrov is greeted warmly, even in a friendly way. The moment is special – this is the first visit of a Russian minister to the republic. Many locals put on their national costumes today. The most festive.

True, Sergei Lavrov has no time to admire the outfits: he plans a whole series of negotiations. First tete-a-tete, then in an expanded composition.

“The building of the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs was built on the principle of a hotel – with large open balconies on each floor. But perhaps this was not the best idea. In Mali, sandstorms are a very common occurrence”– the correspondent notes “Izvestia”.

But in a political sense, the storm is about to break out over all of Africa. For Western countries, the black continent is a long-standing strategic testing ground where there can be no competitors. All means are used, including even food blackmail.

“The former metropolises need to forget how they seized and exploited these territories, this continent. They must get used to the fact that the world has changed, that the declaration on granting independence to colonial countries in 1960 was not an imitation of diplomacy, as it is now fashionable in the West to call agreements , but was a document unanimously approved by the UN General Assembly”– said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

And, of course, one of the main items on the agenda is military-technical cooperation. Russian technology has long been in demand in Africa. Unpretentiousness and reliability – something that is especially important in the fight against terrorism.

“Literally last year and at the beginning of this year, cooperation between the military and military-technical spheres received a new development, a large batch of Russian aviation equipment was sent, thanks to which the National Army of Mali has recently managed to conduct successful operations in the fight against terrorists”Lavrov noted.

Malians highly appreciate the efforts of our country. As a token of gratitude, the Russian minister decided to award the highest distinction of the republic. Now Sergey Lavrov is the Commander of the National Order of Mali.